Helena told Richard about the time she had gone to Lavina's place and though he disapproved of her decision at first, he listened closely to all the woman had said to her. His brow was knitted in deep thought as she recounted the rather cryptic words Lavina had used to answer her.

And though it hadn't made much sense to Helena, the way Richard's eyes had darkened thoughtfully implied that he was trying to decode those words.

He had been silent for a while, pondering carefully on Al he had heard. In the past few days, he had discovered a lot that had been hidden from him for so long such that having a new discovery did not seem that surprising.

"She said that the Court took me and it was not on her orders," he mused, finger resting under his chin, "and if we have a bone to pick with the Court, we have to seek out the Head..."

"Exactly," Helena shook her head, grey eyes flickering slightly, "honestly, she seems to enjoy leading us in circles."

"No. She's not leading us in circles," he had stood up, the thoughtful look on his face deepening by each passing moment, "she's leading us away from her. She's intentionally directing us towards the Court rather than her own self."

"But those Talons who took you... And those who had attacked you way before, they were sent on the Court's orders, right?" Barbara pointed out, "Lavina might be intentionally getting you against the Court of Owls but that doesn't mean they are not already against you. Whatever she's doing is setting fuel to a fire that's already burning, Richard. You can't overlook that."

"She's a Vikander, she can easily control the Court," he remarked, "but it seems that she is not controlling everything the Court does and the current Head of the Court still holds some power."

"She said something... Let me recall... Something along the lines of it no longer being a case of pursuit but rather a duel among equals," Helena added.

"I see," Richard was pacing the room as per his habit whenever he was troubled or doing some serious thinking, "Lena, I had to tell you what me and Barbara figured out regarding the Court too. Maybe then it will make sense to you why the Court can't let go of me."

He told her about the whole theory of the circus being involved with the Court of Owls and the Talons being selected from the circus performers at a young age who then went missing and never returned.

"All those performers are serving as Talons, I met one I knew back then," he concluded, "he was my father's friend and back at the circus, he was called Rose... That's probably not his real name but most of used to go by codenames and Rose was his. It was not on the lists Barbara dug up because he had gone missing a few years before we came to Gotham. But I know for sure that he's still serving as a Talon because when I was taken, I wouldn't have made it out of there without his help. I remember hearing his voice... He was there."

Silence engulfed them once again though most of the things that Lavina had said and hadn't made sense to Helena were starting to clear up.

"Richard," she spoke up and he had turned towards her, "please be careful. Everything you both told me and all I heard from Lavina that day only points towards you being put at constant risk. So don't face everything on your own. Don't ever think that you're in this by yourself. Me and Barbara are going to be with you, no matter what happens."

Barbara had nodded in agreement as well, "and don't ever sacrifice yourself to keep us safe. If the Court targets you, it targets all of us. So all of us should be standing with you to face it. It's not just your worry now, it's equally ours too."

Richard knew she was referring to the fact that he oftentimes faced everything on his own in order to protect them and though he appreciated the sentiment, deep down he was still worried that they would come to harm due to him.

He hadn't wanted to pull them in the mess he was stuck in right then. But both of them were resilient enough not to back off.

"Promise us that you're not going to keep us out of anything that you plan to do now. We will be safe as long as we all are together, in fact we will be stronger."

Richard nodded and sat down at last but the thoughtful look from his face hadn't faltered. Lavina's words were ringing in his head still.

No change can be brought until the masses are willing.

Just one man can't do everything, dear.

But he wasn't just one man; he had his friends to support him. He had his family in the form of those very sincere friends.

Helena, Barbara and Jason, they were all standing with him and Barbara was right that with all of them, he was in fact stronger.

Strong enough to take on any obstacle that arose in his path.

He had to stop thinking that he would end up endangering them because they were already just as much in trouble as he was himself. And only if they stood united, they would be able to beat all the odds that were lined up for them on fate's chessboard.

***

She fingered the silver chain, eyes locked upon the pendant laying in her palm. The silver Ankh symbolized prosperity and good fortune.

The very talisman that she had gifted to Richard and he had promised never to part with it.

He had kept that promise faithfully until that day after the masquerade ball when he came to warn her to stop messing with his life. That was the last time Richard had stepped foot into her mansion and he had left that necklace on her table before leaving.

A clear warning that he wasn't going to rever her as much as he used to, in fact he was going astray from her.

Abandoning that necklace was proof enough that Richard no longer viewed her with the same respect and admiration. And deep down, she knew the reason to it too.

Timothy Drake.

Had she not been instrumental in the boy's suicide, Richard would have still been on her side and perhaps he would not have resented her to that extent as he did right then.

"Miss Vikander," her butler's voice shook her out of her thoughts. "You called for me?"

She looked up and nodded, gesturing him to take the seat across from her.

He had seen the necklace in her hands and the evident forlorn look in her eyes. But he said nothing for the time being as he sat down, old hazel eyes focused on her.

"I had been writing down my will," she spoke up, "I thought it's better to note down myself how I would want my belongings and the family business to be treated after me."

His eyes flickered in concern, "are you alright, Miss? Why the sudden inclination to write a will?"

"Life is unpredictable," she sighed wearily, "and we don't really know what's going to happen right next minute even. Say, if I die tonight and there's no will, all these years of my family's efforts to build up this fortune would go to waste. My property would be divided among people who don't deserve it and I certainly don't want that to happen. Not on my watch."

The man sensed an underlying hint of dread in her tone which made him think that something terrible was going to happen to her and she was fully aware of it.

"I called you here because I wanted an honest suggestion," she resumed, opening the file that was on her desk as she picked up a pen, "you've been the only one who has stood by me through thick and thin. If it weren't for you, I would not have made it this far."

He shook his head slightly, "don't say that. I only did my duty to your family."

She nodded, a slight shadow passing over her dark irises, "I've been thinking about that too. You've served my family very well and I want to do something to repay all your kindness."

"I don't need any repayment except for what I already discussed with you."

"I remember. You will be completely free of the contract after I succeed in tackling the Court. And if I die in the middle of it, there will be no chains to keep you bound to your duty. You will be free to leave," she remarked but her eyes indicated that there was still something she was figuring out at the moment.

Silence engulfed them and it seemed as if she was finding words to state what was on her mind. He had known her since she was a very young girl and he could see her attempting to mend the conversation properly. So he gave her a chance to do it himself.

"Miss Vikander, about the will you were writing down...?" He reminded her and she nodded, focusing back on the file.

"Of course, we got distracted from that, didn't we?" Her eyes skimmed through the details of all the property and wealth her family and herself had mustered over the years. "The suggestion I needed was for what to do with my personal share of all this fortune. I have no child who could be considered an heir, nor do I have any relatives left. The Vikander Associates can be accordingly divided among all the partners and shareholders we have. I have already drafted out the statement and rechecked it with my lawyer. That's not a problem. The problem lies in what will become to my house and my family's wealth that has no other stakeholder except me."

He did not say anything knowing that she had more to add and by the thoughtful look on her face, it was clear that she had considered alternatives to it.

"I want to leave everything to you. There's no one else I could entrust with all my possessions."

The old man looked genuinely surprised, "and what use would an old man have of this wealth? It will only be an unnecessary hassle for me, Miss."

"You have a grandson, don't you?" She spoke up all of a sudden and he stiffened slightly, "and I know you don't talk about your family but write letters to them sometimes. Why don't you pass it on to them? I'm sure your grandson will require use of it since surgical education is very expensive and you mentioned the boy wishes to become a surgeon."

"Laurence will be better off away from anything related to the Vikanders, as we discussed earlier," his voice was slightly cold, "no offense meant but I lost my son to this family for which my wife and daughter in law still blame me. I don't want my grandson to be involved in anything that would link him to you all."

She took in a deep breath but did not object to his remark. She remembered clearly the only request the old man had made as a condition for him to serve her no matter what happened.

That request was to leave his grandson out of the contract his ancestors had signed with the Vikanders.

She also remembered the photograph he had once shown to her when she had asked to see what his grandson looked like since it was evident that he was very fond of him. He kept that photograph in his watch, right under the covering beneath the dial; a young boy with hazel eyes like his grandfather and a pure joyous smile.

"I understand... I apologize for bringing that up," she bit off whatever she had been about to say, "I won't involve him in anything, you have my word for it."

"Thank you," a sigh of relief had passed the old man.

That left only one option for her and her eyes landed back on the silver necklace in her hand. The conflict in her eyes lessened gradually and she looked up at her butler, a soft smile taking over her face.

"It seems as if you've made your decision," he remarked, observing the change in her expression.

"Yes I have," she nodded to him in a gesture that indicated he could leave, "thank you so much for helping me out, Mister Hendricks. I will forever be grateful to you."

***