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Bruce was back in the mountains, the cold wind biting at his face. He saw Henri crouched amid the rubble of the monastery. "Henri!" he called.
Henri kept his back to Bruce. "Bruce," he returned neutrally.
Bruce started towards Henri. He wanted to touch Henri to make sure he was real and safe. "I--"
"Don't!" Henri snapped, still not looking at Bruce.
Bruce froze and for the first time really looked at the destruction around him. "I had to do this."
"Did you?" Henri challenged. He grabbed a handful of ash, straightened up, and turned to face Bruce. He held his hand out and let the remains flow through his fingers only to be taken away by the wind. His eyes flashed dangerously. "I thought that you were one of us. You were my best student."
This wasn't the first time Bruce faced Henri's anger but he'd never been the object of Henri's disgust. He felt more hurt than anger over his former mentor's understandable attitude. "We have no right to be judge, jury, and executioner," he tried to explain. "No one should have that kind of power."
Henri folded his arms across his chest and regarded Bruce with a hard expression. "Justice is harmony and balance. We must do what is necessary to maintain it. I thought that you understood that."
Bruce stuck his chin out. "I will be no man's executioner."
"Then you do not have the stomach for what is necessary after all." Henri turned from Bruce again. He walked over to the edge of the mountain. "You betrayed me and my teaching."
Bruce knew it was dangerous but approached Henri anyway. He countered Henri's tense, alert stance with a more relaxed posture. He wanted to make it clear to Henri that he wasn't there to fight. "Not you. Never you," he said with quiet conviction.
Henri smiled wryly. "You may have convinced yourself of that but it's a lie. I'm part of the brotherhood of the shadow and that's what you sought to destroy." He waved his arm to encompass the ruins. "But all you destroyed was a building. The brotherhood is still alive and strong."
"But Ra's Al Ghul is dead. I saw him die."
Henri shook his head. "You missed the true essence of what I tried to teach you. I should have seen it but, with you, my objectivity is somewhat hampered." He said the last part barely loud enough for Bruce to hear.
Bruce grabbed Henri's arm. "Come with me," he said eagerly.
"What?"
"Come back to Gotham with me. Help me save the city," Bruce urged. "Save a city instead of destroying one."
"The time for that has passed," Henri answered but didn't move to put any distance between them.
"No, not as long as there are good people there. Do they deserve to die along with the guilty?" Bruce asked. Suddenly, he hugged Henri. Henri was stiff against him but he held on until Henri's arms came around him. "Please," he whispered and buried his face in Henri's neck.
Henri kissed the top of Bruce's head. "How is it that you have the ability to tempt me so?"
Bruce knew of Henri's iron self-control and knew he had to exploit any advantage he had. He started kissing Henri's throat. "What is left for you here?" he murmured.
Henri growled and his grip around Bruce tightened. He seemed to be on the verge of giving in. Instead, he pushed Bruce away by the shoulders. "I have much work to do here."
"But--" Bruce tried to protest.
Henri brushed his thumb across Bruce's cheek, leaving a mark of black ash along Bruce's cheekbone. "My place is here, while you are no longer welcome." He cut off Bruce's reply by capturing Bruce's mouth in a long, lingering kiss.
Bruce melted into the kiss and moaned in disappointment when Henri broke away. He was open and vulnerable to Henri in that moment. He didn't have the time or inclination to react when Henri swiftly shoved him off the edge.
Henri crouched and grabbed Bruce's hand. "It is time for you to leave, Mr. Wayne. Until we meet again." He let go and shouted, "Wake up!"
Bruce jerked awake, thrashing in his bed at the mansion. He rolled off and hit the floor with a dull thud. He jumped to his feet, panting, and trying to shake off the feeling of falling.
Bruce took a couple deep breaths to steady his nerves. The dream seemed so real. Perhaps, in a way, it was.
Bruce ran a hand through his hair. What was he going to do? The thoughts and dreams of Henri were sweet torture.
Bruce went to the window and opened the curtains. The well-manicured green lawn with its colorful flower beds was a stark contrast to the snowy, rocky terrain that he just left. A robin sang in a nearby tree.
"Good morning to you, too," Bruce muttered.
Bruce shuffled to the bathroom to relieve himself. Then he splashed some cold water in his face. He stared at himself in the mirror, noting the new bruises on his arms that Batman sustained the night before.
"What would Henri think of a man dressed as a bat?" Bruce asked his reflection.
"Probably that it's a wonderful persona for striking fear but controlled by a man who won't do what's necessary," Bruce answered out loud.
Bruce ardently wished that he didn't have to break with the brotherhood of the shadow like he did. Did he really betray Henri? Would he ever see Henri again? If so, would they be friends or enemies? He wasn't sure if he wanted to find out.