Chapter Text
The sounds of clinging swords sounded through the training ground. Two little boys of around ten years old were standing against each other. Both almost identical to each other. Almost, except of the eyes and some scars. The boy on the right had beautiful blue eyes. The stories told them they were from his father. A mysterious, powerful man who lived in Gotham. But both never met him. The boy on the left on the other side had beautiful emerald colored eyes, just like their mother.
The training of that day was one the boy with the emerald eyes would always remember. A day, starting like every other one, but ending so terrible different. In the morning, it was just easy warming-ups and strength training. At the early afternoon it would be sword training, followed up with other weapons. In Danyal’s case it would be daggers or a bow and arrow, in Damian’s case a bowstaf or nunchucks. Sometimes they would switch their weapons. It was important for the heir of the league to be able to handle all kinds of weapons. In the evening it would be martial arts without any weapons. Just in case you’re weapon would taken away from you during battle. You needed to be able to take care of yourself. To be able to complete your mission, no matter what happened.
It was the end of the sword training. Their teacher returned inside of the compound, while Danyal and Damian stayed outside. gasping for air. It was hot that day, but actually, every day it was hot. It was the middle east. Normal people wouldn’t think about training so hard in the sun. But they needed to be able to fight in every circumstances. Cold or hot, dark or light, it didn’t matter. A mission would be a mission and one moment of weakness would be the end for them. They knew it. Even so, it would be the perfect moment for what would happen next.
Just after the teacher left the training ground, a new member walked up to the boys. The member was just a few months in the league, but he was promising. It wasn’t that he was able to take down their grandfather or mother. Hell, in normal circumstances he wouldn’t even be able to take down the two ten year olds before him. But he was interesting. He showed a lot of promise. Being able to think fast, learn fast. He was better than some of the members who were already training for more than a year. It wouldn’t be long before he went for his first mission, both boys knew that. Their grandfather thought he was interesting, so the boys kept their eyes on the man.
The man towered above the boys. A sword in his hand and in a moment, both boys jumped of the ground, still panting, but knowing they needed to fight. “What do you think your doing?” Damian was the one who asked, but they didn’t get an answer. Of course not, like hell getting answers of traitors would be so easy. Lucky, Damian still had his sword in his hand. Danyal on the other hand? He didn’t have time to grab his sword before he needed to jump from the ground. His sword laying at the feet of the assassin. Danyal looked at the situation. He was never as good in martial arts as Damian, his strength wasn’t in fighting. His strength was in getting information. He could get in and out of places without being noticed. Even better than his mother. His lockpick skills were unbeatable, the same goes for his speed, and he was able to remember everything he would see or hear till the last detail. Fighting, even if he was good, he was a pale comparison to Damian. For that reason he stepped aside, behind Damian. At least until they were able to get his sword back.
Damian knew the truth, even though he scoffed about it inside of his mind. He stood protective in front of Danyal. He knew Danyal would help him at other ways than the true fight. Looking for weaknesses in their opponent he wouldn’t able to see during the battle. Danyal would wait till the right moment to strike, while Damian kept the attention of their enemy. It was a strategy they used a lot if they would be in these circumstances. Danyal’s ability to remember everything he ever saw was useful for making strategy. Damian only needed to make sure Danyal would see everything their enemy had to offer.
the battle was fierce, specially because Damian was already in a disadvantage. He was tired of training, needed to protect Danyal and there was no help. Not that the heirs of the league could ask for it. If the members of the league would see the battle, they would come to help. But asking for help? It would be a shame that would be punished. They needed to do this on their own. Danyal watched how Damian dealt blows to his opponent. Sparks were flying from the swords both used. The traitor took Danyal’s sword from the ground and used both, where Damian only had his own. Fighting with two swords was both an advantage and a disadvantage. It was easier to block a attack with two swords. You could make two attacks at the same time, while your opponent only could use one attack at the time and could only block one attack at the time. But it was also a disadvantage. His sword wasn’t meant to be a one handed sword. It was too heavy for it. It would slow the traitor down. Also, you couldn’t use your full power because you only had one hand to carry the sword.
Danyal watched and watched while Damian was fighting. The traitor mocked at Danyal for being weak. For not fighting and just standing on the side, even though his brother fought. Mocked Danyal for being the second heir of the league but needed to have protection. It was a head game, both Danyal and Damian knew it. Even so, the words did hurt Danyal more than he wanted to admit. But he couldn’t let those words hit him. Not right now, not when Damian was fighting. So he waited, and waited while Damian slowly got more tired. His sword was shaking in his hands, his panting turned again into gasping for air, but never gave Damian up. That was the moment Danyal saw an opening. Before Damian or the traitor could notice him running up, Danyal was already next to Damian. No longer panting himself. No longer tired. With a quick movement, Danyal took Damian’s sword out of his hands, ready to strike the opponent down. The man didn’t see it coming. Thinking Danyal wouldn’t dare such a move. Within a few moments it was too late for the opponent because Danyal attacked his one weakness. A patch in his armor what was a little loose. It didn’t protect as good as it should be, but the traitor didn’t notice it. A wrong move, it was always important to check your equipment before going to battle. Every weak spot could be used, if found out. Something Danyal was planning to use.
At the moment Danyal got to the traitor and attacked him at the weak spot, the traitor was shocked, but recovered fast and attacked Danyal. Danyal’s attack left him wide open, he didn’t think the traitor would be able to fight back if he got to him first. A dangerous underestimation he would pay the price for. The sword of his enemy got to shoulder and his neck, not yet killing him, but fatal wounding him.
“DANYAL” Damian’s voice sounded over the trainingsground, when he run up to his brother. Both the traitor and Danyal were falling down because of the attack of their opponent, but Damian didn’t even look at the traitor. He run up to his brother and was able to catch him just before he hit the ground. “akhi say something” Danyal tried to open his eyes, but wasn’t able to say anything. The pain in his neck was too much. He had difficulty breathing. Instead he took weakly Damians hand and squeezed it, before his eyes closed themselves. “No akhi, Danyal, stay with me. Open your eyes” Damian spoke, while trying to pick up Danyal. At that moment, the doors of the compound of the league opened. Their mother came out with her bodyguards. For a moment, Damian thought she saw shock in her eyes, but it could be just his imagination. “Mother, we were betrayed. Danyal is hurt.” Damian said quick and Talia looked at Danyal, before looking at the dead traitor. “Bring Danyal to the medical wing. Right now” ordered Talia two of her guards, after she looked at one other. “And find out how a traitor could get in” ordered Talia to the other two guards. One guard went to the body of the traitor in order to get that out of the way. The first two guards took Danyal carefully from Damians arms and run to the medical wing.
“Damian, what happened?” asked Talia after Danyal was taken away and looked at her son. For the first time in years she saw Damian in tears. Blood all over his body, but that wasn’t unusual. Lucky the most of the blood wasn’t from him. She didn’t see wounds what would be to terrible. Most of the blood would be from Danyal. That was her suspicion while Damian told her what had happened. How they were betrayed when they were exhausted from training. How Danyal stayed behind to find an opening, because he didn’t have his weapons. How he eventually took Damians sword to take care of the enemy, and how he got hurt. The whole time Talia's face was blank with emotion, but if you knew her well you would see the fire in her eyes. She wasn’t happy about what happened. And she would find out what was going on. Even if it would be the last thing she ever did. “Right, go clean yourself up Damian.” Talia told her son, while walking inside to visit the medical wing. It was still early, too early in her eyes. But it seemed it was time to send her sons to their father. At least until Talia would figure out everything what happened. Why they got betrayed by one of their followers. For now it would be to dangerous for the boys to stay at the league. She wouldn’t allow a repeat, never. Unfortunately, when she came to the medical wing, bad news came to her. “My lady, there is not much we can do for the young master. You should ask the master if he can use the pits.” one of the doctors told Talia, who nodded. Danyal was never the beloved grandson of Ra’s al ghul, but he was still a grandson and an heir. They didn’t think he would be the heir of the league, but he was the perfect heir of the bat. So getting permission to use the pits wouldn’t be a problem. Specially seeing how Danyal got hurt. Fighting for the league and his brother. Sure she wouldn’t say Danyal just watched the most of the battle because he didn’t have a weapon. She would say Danyal assisted Damian and eventually ended the fight.
It wasn’t for long until Talia stood at the cave of the pits. Her son Danyal in her arms, and Damian at her left side. Around five minutes ago, Danyal stopped breathing. His wounds were too much for him to hold on. But it wouldn’t be too late yet. If Danyal was strong enough to fight against the pits. Slowly, Talia walked to the edge of the pits and placed her youngest son inside the green water. After which she gave him to the water and stepped aside. Minutes passed, turned into hours. But Danyal never came out of the water. After around 30 minutes, Talia left without a word, searching after possible accomplices of the traitor. But Damian still stayed for an other 2 hours. Waiting and hoping for his twin to come out.