Richard 'Dick' Graykilla

Chapter 2

"You do realise this isn't going to end well." John told me.

We walked down the silent corridor towards the briefing room. We had just arrived back from our mission and were immediately ordered to go there.

"It was my first mission." I said, staring ahead of me. "How could I have failed?"

"Yeah. Not a lot of people fail their first time. Usually the third or fourth."

"Not helping my worries John." I said angrily. "What's gonna happen to us? Will I ever be allowed to do another mission?"

"Of course you will. They don't just say you're broken and throw you out. No. You'll go back into training. Then get your next mission in like six months or so. And that's the worst that can happen." John explained.

"Really? That's the worst?"

"Yeah."

That wasn't the worst. Well not the worst that could happen to me.

As we entered the briefing room, all the eyes of the elite League members turned to us. They were standing in a semi-circle around us. We walked forward and stood in the centre of the room.

I remember my first time being in this room.

Flashback:
I had a bag over my head and was forced to stand in the middle just like I am now. I remember being scared. I mean of course I was scared. I was eight and had just been kidnapped an hour after my parents died. The bag was pulled off my head.
A man that stood in darkness at the top middle of the semi-circle spoke.

"Are you Richard John Grayson."

"What? Where am I? Who are... Oww!" I exclaimed as I got hit by something.

"Don't talk unless answering our questions. Are you Richard John Grayson?"

"Y. Yes. I. I am." I answered fearfully.

"Are you the son of the now deceased John Grayson and Mary Grayson?"

Tears swelled up in my eyes.
'Deceased'

"ANSWER!"

"Ye. Yes." I said, tears leaking out of my eyes.

"You've lived in a circus your entire life. Yes?"

"Um. Yes." I sniffed. Trying to stop crying.

"Yes. A circus boy. You're lucky we saved you when we did Mr. Grayson."

"Saved me?"

"Yes. Saved you. You see, you're different. You have talent. And because of that talent you'll never be able to fit in anywhere. You'll be called a freak all your life. No one will like you."

"Because I'm an acrobat?"

"Because you're a circus freak!" The man exclaimed. "You see Mr. Grayson. We have this program here. And we want people like you in it."

"Program? What kind of program?"

"We want you to take your acrobat skills and use them for good. To defeat evil. We want to train you to become... An Assassin."

"An assassin? A man that kills people? No. No. I don't want to kill anyone."

"Well then we'll just have to kill you."

"What? Why?"

"Because you've seen too much. So we'll have to put you down like the 'fallen bird' you are."

"Okay. Okay. I'll be your assassin. Just don't kill me."

"Good choice Mr. Grayson."

The figure in shadow stepped forward. Revealing a man in a green robe, and a grey beard with white streaks in his hair just above his ears.

"New recruit. I am Ra's al Ghul. Your new master. And your assassin training begins now."

End Flashback:

Finally the leading elite spoke. It wasn't Ra's al Ghul. He only went to the new arrival and the really important meetings.

"The central city news this morning read that Simon Stagg was saved by the Flash. Would the paper be correct?" He said.

"Yes master." John and I nodded.

"So you failed your mission. Hmmm. But the Flash was involved. We can hardly believe that a first timer and a fourteen year old could beat him. That we are not worried about. It's how the Flash was able to save him." The Elite turned to me. "You Grayson. Set off the alarm by trying to shoot that man through the bullet proof window."

My head dropped to the floor.

"But you had no idea the window was bullet proof. Because John didn't do his role as a supervisor correctly."

Johns eyes widened, then lowered to the floor like mine.
It was my fault. I didn't want to listen to him. I was wreak-less. That's why this mission failed.

"John. Because of this. You will receive one week in the dungeons of Punishment." The Elite said calmly.

Johns eyes quickly shot back up to he Elite.

"But master. I..."

"Would you like to make it two weeks Mr. Simmons."

John shut his mouth and lowered his his head again.

"No sir."

A man then walked up, took johns shoulder and dragged him out. No doubt taking him to the dungeons now. Poor guy, he's been to the dungeons five times now. Mostly for not following orders.

"Grayson." The Elite spoke.

My attention went back to him. What was he gonna say? How was I gonna get into trouble?

"Seeing as this was your first mission. And you had a..." He thought for a moment. "...sloppy supervisor. We have decided to not punish you for this mission."

Wow. I must be the luckiest junior assassin alive.

"Instead you will make your way towards Ra's al Ghuls private den. He wants a word with you."

My eyes widened. Ra's al Ghuls private den. No-one goes there except for the Elite members. Heck. The only time I see Ra's al Ghul is when he is just walking around, inspecting classes or even teaching the occasional one.
But why does he want to talk to me? What makes me so important?