WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Robin #4, on sale now from DC.
After encountering his grandfather, Damian Wayne just went through a brief period of healing and training as he prepares himself for the fight ahead in the tournament held by the League of Lazarus in Robin #4 by Joshua Williamson, Jorge Corona, Luis Guerrero, ALW's Troy Peteri.
But over the course of his time spent with Ra's al Ghul, the iconic Batman villain told Damian that his prowess had grown to the point where he could defeat Ra's in a fair fight. Beyond that, Ra's even remarked that Damian was both an al-Ghul and a Batman Family member, but that was greater than both. This perception of Damian shows the faith Ra's has in him, as well as how Damian is the culmination of all his plots against Batman.
When Damian first realized that Ra's had rescued him, he attempted to attack. However, the wounds he sustained in his fight against Hawke were still severe enough that they impeded his ability to fight. Ra's was unconcerned with his grandson's attempt at harming him, but he did remark that if Damian were at full physical and mental strength then he probably could kill Ra's in a fair fight.
He encouraged Damian to use his healing on the island as an opportunity to reflect on who he was as an individual. Ra's echoed the advice that Ravager gave Damian previously; that he was too concerned about how others perceived him. But Ra's explained this went deeper. Damian is the inheritor of two different legacies that take very different approaches to saving the world. And as the culmination of these two legacies, Damian is burdened much more greatly than either of his predecessors.
As Ra's revealed, Damian would never truly be able to fight at his full capacity because he is always battling two people. His physical opponent and his perception of himself. If Damian could find a way to reconcile both halves of his heritage, he could become something truly spectacular. Not only greater than Ra's but greater than his mother and father. For he would be the one to do the impossible: create a true compromise between the line of Batman and the al Ghuls.
Whether Damian intends to act on this advice is in his hands though. And considering how single-minded Damian can be, it seems unlikely that he'll be able to find a solution in the immediate future. Regardless, Ra's still believes that Damian is the best of both sides of his family and has faith in his grandson to become someone greater than all those who came before.
Damian is, in many ways, vindication for Ra's. As much as he cares for his grandson, there is also a part of Ra's that sees Damian as the culmination of his life's work. Batman was his only true equal, but their ideological differences have set an impossible rift between the two. Ra's ad always hoped that Batman would act as his heir one day, but that hope seemed dashed. However, Damian carries the promise of both of his family lines. Ra's believes that when Damian accepts that he has control over what legacy he will leave behind, only then will the young Robin be able to find peace and become the best version of himself.