I'm not gonna spoil the plot of this fic for you yet. After all, as I've found, suspense is one of the best parts of this show. Anyway, enjoy!

I don't own any characters from Teen Titans. I only own the ones I make up.

Prologue

The boy walked down the metal catwalk to the throne on which Slade sat. He had heard the rumors about this man. He was not one to be trifled with. He was strong, manipulative, clever, and infamous for quite a few things. One of them stood out amongst the rest: cheating death.

It was a perfect day when it happened, barely a cloud in the sky. Birds were singing, children were laughing, and the hustle and bustle of the city seemed almost friendly. It had been a while since anything bad had happened. The boy sensed that a perfect day like this would be about the time something evil would rear its ugly head. He had been walking through the park that day, appearing as a regular person. While that was really the furthest from what he was, he wanted to keep a low profile until he had a chance find what he was looking for. As the wind blew through his blonde hair, a sudden feeling of darkness seized him. Then, only a second later, a feeling of light filled the world. It filled him with a feeling he hadn't felt in years: happiness. But the feeling only lasted for a second. He slipped back into his dark persona, immediately trying to figure out what had just happened.

He searched the criminal underground for answers. He heard whispers about the Teen Titans and Slade. He heard about how the dark one, Raven, had brought this all about. He heard how the Titans had teamed up with Slade to defeat a demon that had sealed them all in evil. And lastly, he heard about how Slade had fought one of the guardians to the very gates of hell and won back his body.

This man Slade could give the boy what he wanted. He was sure of it. He continued his walk down the catwalk until he heard a voice. "It seems I have an unexpected visitor. I'm not surprised you found this place, though. You, of all people, should know where it is."

The boy tossed the hair back from his face. "So you know about me. Can't say I'm surprised. People say you have all the answers. I'm here to find out just how accurate those words are."

Slade came forth from the darkness. Just as the boy had been told, his face was hidden behind a mask. "So you seek an apprenticeship?"

The boy smiled. "That is exactly what I seek."

Slade turned around, his hands folded behind his back. "I'm sure you've heard about my little tango with death. I've seen what true power is, and I know what I need for my future plans. In short, my standards are higher now." Suddenly, he spun around, swinging a metal pole in the direction of the boy.

The boy stepped to one side, dodging the pole easily. Slade was readying a second swing when the boy swept his feet out from under him with a quick kick. Slade fell over, only to spring back up to his feet again. The boy said, "I think you'll find that I'll meet your standards perfectly."

Slade's eye squinted behind his mask. He jumped into the air and brought the pole crashing down on the boy. The boy caught it with one hand. The other he encased in a glove of stone. He punched right through the pole with his gloved hand, and kicked Slade back to the edge of the catwalk.

Slade brushed off his shoulder. "I know you're holding back from me. Let's see what you can really do."

Slade threw his hand into the air, and a fiery ax appeared in it. Just looking at this weapon filled the boy with the same evil he felt that day. At once he longed to destroy it. He punched the ground, cracking it open. Slade jumped before the fissure reached him. During his fall, he swung the ax downward. The boy rolled to the left just in time. The place where the ax had landed was split open and charred. Had he still been there, the boy would've surely been toast. This Slade really was dangerous.

The boy decided he would have to pull out all the stops. As Slade charged toward him, he sent stalactite after stalactite raining down on him. Slade sliced the stones one by one with his ax, and then began spinning it, charging ever closer to the boy.

The boy touched the ground, and, with a luminous yellow light radiating from his arm into the dirt, brought a large stone lance up from the ground. He raised his other hand to the air. It filled with yellow light, and soon he was holding golden reins. He pulled them forward, and from the ground came a large stone beast. It looked much like a horse made from gravel and dirt. The boy jumped on the back of the horse and began charging toward Slade, pointing the stone lance at him.

When their blades met, they clashed with the mighty sound of stone hitting steel. The boy parried Slade's every blow, and the horse bucked and bit at Slade whenever it got the opportunity. After many parried strikes, Slade spun the ax at top speed and threw it directly at the boy, knocking him off his steed. The horse immediately crumbled, and the lance returned to the ground.

Slade walked over to the boy, who was sitting up and trying to stop the ringing in his head. "Impressive," said Slade, the ax in his hand disappearing in a burst of flame. "Your powers are advanced. I haven't had this good an exercise since my battle with that gatekeeper."

The boy got up. "That ax…did you take it from this 'gatekeeper'?"

Slade nodded. "I will tell you more once your training is finished. I don't think I will have far to go, though. As you are now, your powers are even more advanced than your sister's were when I united with her."

The boy stared at the masked man. "Where is she? Where is Terra?"

Slade looked over at the dark wall to their right. He pulled a remote out of nowhere and turned on the computer screens. They showed the pictures of five teens. The boy knew who they were, but as he expected, Slade asked, "Have you heard of the Teen Titans?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah. Five teen wonders, each with a set of skills or powers unique to him or her. Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy. I heard you sent my sister to spy on them. I don't know much more than that, though. Not much leaks into the public."

Slade switched the screens to battle scenes involving the Titans. "They have foiled my schemes many times, and they are the ones who took my life. I was saved by a demon named Trigon, who agreed to give me my body back in exchange for an errand. But in the end, he double-crossed me, and I had to get my body back myself, getting help from those who had killed me. In the end we defeated Trigon, and I got this ax as a keepsake, a little souvenir to remember my trip through the netherworld by." He turned to the boy. "These Titans are dangerous, no doubt about that. They will lead you to your sister. I will help you get her back."

"Deal," said the boy. He shook Slade's hand.

"Excellent," said Slade. "We'll begin without delay. I only hope this turns out better than my last apprenticeship. Come then, Terrane, we have much work to do."

Terrane followed Slade down the stairs into another room, excitement in his mind. Finally, he thought, I can find her.