Just a few quick notes for this fic. DC cannon timeline gives me a massive migraine, between reboots, rebirth, side comics, movies, tv shows, video games, and cartoons I am overwhelmed by trying to keep to the timeline for the batfamily. So, I'll give you a quick rundown of the timeline I'm going to use for this story. Most of the history of Dick and Jason is basic and will be kept the same. After many fights with Bruce, Dick left Gotham for the Teen Titans and created Nightwing. Some time after Dick's departure, Batman discovered street rat Jason Todd stealing the tires off of the batmobile and impressed with his intelligence and courage and worried about his future living on the streets he made the boy his new Robin. Dick and Jason have met only a few times and are not on the best of terms. This story starts just after the death of Felipe Garzonas, which Batman suspects was caused by Robin, who had been furious that the rapist was not going to face justice for his crimes. Deathstroke's basic history will also be kept the same but I am going with the version of him that is more mercenary with his own code than trigger-happy sadist (both have been used for him). He was given the serum that enhanced him while working for the army spec ops and is now freelancing his career. By the time my story starts he had already tried to recruit Dick to be his apprentice in the past, but other than some stalking, talking and testing, nothing truly awful happened between them. Also at the start of this story, Slade's son Grant is already dead, having been killed by his version of his dad's serum, and Slade is an enemy of the Teen Titans, where Dick is currently. Slade's other son Joseph is still a minor, so pre-Jericho and his death, and is mute (per canon) and his mother keeps him away from Slade. Rose will probably make an appearance at some point, but she is still in her early teens at the start of this and Slade has been keeping a distance. Ok, all that being said, I think I can get on with the story.

Chapter 1

Even during the day, Gotham felt dark and oppressive. It's filthy alleys, polluted river, and crime-ridden streets were only slightly less depressing when viewed during the daylight hours than they were once night fell. The raven-haired boy staring listlessly across the smoggy rooftops of the city certainly seemed to find nothing in the weak and fading sunlight to lift his spirits. He sat on the roof edge of a decrepit building in Crime Alley in slumped dejection, his legs hanging over the edge and his arms on his knees with his head bowed down to his chest. There was no sound coming from the small figure, but the forlorn position seemed to scream his pain out to anyone watching.

Pain was certainly not a new concept for the teenager, he thought that with all the pain in his life that he should really be used to it by now. Still, this pain felt new, deeper, more substantial than it ever had before. There had been pain from Willis Todd's beatings, pain from watching Catherine Todd fade away with her drug use before finally finding her dead on their bathroom floor, pain from starving, pain from living on the streets, pain from the cold, pain from stabbings, pain from being ignored and neglected, pain from knowing that there was no one who loved him or even cared if he lived or died. So, what made this pain so much worse he was left wondering.

The answer he finally came up with…was hope.

Hope – the cruelest emotion of all.

For a time, he had felt like he had a family; a father that loved him and an almost-grandfather that doted on him. He had hoped that that would be his new life, that the happiness he felt as Bruce's son… as Batman's Robin… would last, would be something he could hold onto forever.

That foolish hope, he realized, was why it hurt more than anything else had in his life when it inevitably fell apart. He should have known better, should have known that he wasn't meant to have that kind of happiness in his life. "Still just a stupid street rat, Todd" he thought to himself bitterly.

After the death of Felipe Garzonas, Batman had benched the furious Robin, his suspicion that Jason had pushed the rapist to his death was all too apparent. Still, he hadn't actually asked the teenager what had happened and Jason figured it was because the vigilante had already decided he knew what had occurred and was deciding what action he should take toward his failed protégé. Jason knew that it was only a matter of time before Bruce officially fired him as Robin, the man was too in love with his justice to keep a murderer around.

A murderer…. that's what he was, Jason supposed.

Whether he pushed Garzonas or not, he certainly hadn't tried to catch the man. And he couldn't dredge up any remorse for the man's demise. Garzonas had brutally raped women and gotten away with it because of his father's diplomatic status and after he left Gotham he would only have gone on to rape more women and ruin more lives. No, Jason could only be glad that the man was dead and couldn't hurt anyone else. He had most definitely gotten what he deserved, some people couldn't be saved, they could only be stopped before they hurt anyone else.

Still... he knew Bruce would never see it that way, would never approve of the man's death, even if it would save other women in the future. The disappointment, the cold dismissal with which he had informed Robin that he could no longer patrol with Batman broke Jason's heart. It was clear to him that Bruce was regretting his choice to bring Jason in to the family, thought it was a mistake to make him Robin. Barbara and Dick had told Bruce in the beginning that he would never be the Robin that Grayson had been, that he would never be good enough, was too angry, and that Bruce was merely desperate after Dick's angry departure. Jason had worked tirelessly to prove them all wrong, to be the best Robin he could, but it seemed now that it was inevitable that he would screw it up, would prove them right. Jason could see it in Bruce's eyes; his days as Robin were numbered.

And if he was no longer allowed to be Robin, what possible reason would Bruce have to keep Jason?

The answer was obvious to Jason… none. There was no reason that Bruce would want Jason to keep hanging around the manor. A reminder of his failure.

Jason knew that with the end of his days as Robin so to would come the end of his time as Bruce's son.

Bruce may have given Jason a home, but he wouldn't want some street rat murderer as part of the family. Jason had thought, well hoped, that Bruce loved him and saw him as a son, but the look in Bruce's eyes after they returned to the cave had been cold and blank. Maybe Jason had just been fooling himself this whole time. They hadn't always gotten along, there had been more arguments lately and Jason knew that he liked to push people to their limits. Maybe Bruce was finally losing patience with the former street kid and realizing that he was never going to live up to Dick's legacy, either as Robin or as a son.

It was that thought which finally broke the boy's tenuous hold on his emotions. As the sun began to set and the shadows in Gotham started to grow long, Jason Todd was overwhelmed by his pain and fear. Silent sobs shook his shoulders as tears streamed from tightly closed eyes. He was losing his only family, if Bruce didn't want him… who would?

Evening was falling in Gotham and everyone who lived there or even passed through, knew that the night belonged to Batman. Most recent job now accomplished, Slade Wilson was debating the merits of hanging around Gotham and having to deal with the Bat. He was far from afraid of the vigilante, but it was a hassle he didn't need right now as he intended to collect the rest of his payment and then maybe check on his kids, it had been awhile since he had last seen them, even from afar. And usually when Nightwing was off with the Titans, there was little in Gotham to attract his attention. However, he had heard an interesting rumor today that might make it worth his while to stay a night and investigate.

Slade had, of course, known about the newest Robin for a couple of years now, but Batman was keeping this bird much closer to the nest than his predecessor. With Slade's focus on the former Robin, currently Nightwing, and Batman's seemingly more protective tendencies towards his new protégé, he had never seen this Robin in action or even learned anything about him. The rumors he had heard today though, made him wonder if he may have been lax in his information gathering.

The Gotham papers had been having a field day with the messy death of Felipe Garzonas, the son of a wealthy diplomat who was accused of a brutal rape that resulted in the victim's suicide and whispers that this was not his first foray into sexual assault. The man had, of course, been released due to his father's influence and no charges were pending against him, but then he had seemingly fallen to his death from his penthouse balcony. There was intense speculation about the death; had it been a suicide from guilt, an unfortunate accident by a drunk playboy, or a revenge murder for his crimes against women? No one seemed to know for sure. However, during the course of his job, Deathstroke had heard the most intriguing rumor about the death and it had come from a rather reliable source, the Gotham police themselves. His surveillance on his target had necessitated the master mercenary placing several bugs in key locations in the Gotham police department. This had led to him overhearing several officers talking about how it was Batman himself who had called the death in, but that the Bat had no answers for them on the cause of the man's fall. One of the first officers on the scene claimed that he had heard Batman furiously sending Robin away just as he had arrived, leading to speculation that Robin himself may have been involved in the death.

It was this last thought that intrigued Deathstroke. A Robin involved in a death, possibly even a murder? For all his talents and enthusiasm for a fight, Dick Grayson had made it abundantly clear that torture and murder were not lines he would cross.

But what if the new Robin was not cut from the same cloth? There was much Deathstroke could accomplish and teach a Bat trained kid who was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done. The very idea of it had him deciding that it was most definitely worth hanging around Gotham for a few nights to get the details on the new Robin and maybe, even, a look into a long-term investment in the kid.

Time to find a little birdie.

Night had truly fallen now, and Jason knew that he would need to return to the manor before he was found by the Bat. Of course, that assumed that the man even cared enough to come look for him. Jason pulled himself to his feet with a heavy sigh, better to get back rather than risk more heartache and find out that Bruce hadn't even noticed his absence or didn't want to bother with finding his lost bird.

Since Robin was benched, Jason had left the house in jeans and his favorite red hoodie, looking like any other school-age kid wandering around town. However, Jason was not stupid (no matter what Dick and Babs thought) and once he left the streets for the rooftops he had pulled his hood up to cover his face and put on the stolen domino he had brought with him. Jason Todd wandering around Gotham was one thing, Jason Todd free-running and jumping rooftops in Gotham at night might bring on unwanted attention and questions.

Jason was only half-way across town on his way back to the manor when he felt a tingle in the base of his skull that told him he was being watched. Casually continuing his speed, he started a zig-zag pattern of jumps that allowed him to glance behind him without being noticed.

There it was – two buildings back a large shadow had definitely moved and then disappeared again. He was being followed.

A large part of Jason wanted to immediately turn around and demand to know what his stalker wanted. Hell, a fight might even make him feel better right now, he was certainly in the mood for one. However, a small sliver of common sense reminded him that he wasn't Robin right now and didn't have any of his usual toys if he ran into real trouble. Not to mention, if he did get caught in a fight as a civilian it would just give Bruce even more reason to be disappointed in him and would lead to the loss of Robin even faster.

With a groan, Jason veered left to jump on a fire escape and get to the ground where he could lose his pursuer in the busy streets.

Suddenly a large shape jumped over the edge of the roof right where Jason had been about to make his own jump. Moving instinctively, Jason rolled to the side just as a large fist swung towards his unprotected stomach. Jason came out of his roll several feet away and perched on the balls of his feet, ready to move quickly. However, the figure hadn't attacked again and Jason heard a low chuckle emanate from the shadow.

"Who the fuck are you?" Jason demanded, refusing to feel any fear at the unexpected development.

Slade Wilson stepped out of the shadows with a smirk.

Ok, Jason decided, maybe a little fear was called for when suddenly facing down god dam Deathstroke… without any weapons… or trackers… and without Batman knowing where he was. Fucking Deathstroke?! Really?! What the hell was he doing here? If he was lucky the man wouldn't know who he was, after all Slade had ever only shown interest in Grayson.

"I'm surprised to see a little Robin out running around Gotham without his feathers. Lose your costume little bird?" Slade commented causally.

Fine, so the man did indeed know who he was, figures he wouldn't be that lucky.

"Deathstroke," Jason spat, refusing to be cowed. "Nightwing isn't here right now for you to play with. So why don't you run along, I'm not in the mood to deal with you."

Jason fully expected a punch to the face for his cheek towards the mercenary, however Slade only chuckled in response.

"Oh, I'm well aware that Grayson's not here right now. But it occurred to me that I really hadn't met the new bird yet and I decided to rectify my lapse in manners," and Slade took a deliberate step towards Jason.

"Should I feel flattered?" Jason sneered, taking his own step back. He wasn't retreating, he told himself, he was just leaving space between them so he had room to act. "Cuz I gotta tell you, I really fucking don't."

Slade chuckled again at Jason's belligerent attitude. "I don't go out of my way for just anyone, but I'm not sure yet if you really are worth my time," he goaded the teenager.

"You mean like Grayson is?" Jason growled, the familiar pain of being compared to the Golden Boy and found lacking was always near the surface, a fear he couldn't shake.

Slade smirked. "Grayson is remarkable, his talent undeniable. How do you measure up?" Slade sneered in a clear challenge.

Jason had to admit, that even when he knew it was a really bad idea, he just couldn't walk away from a challenge thrown in his face. Slade's mocking tone and the knowledge that he would never stop being seen as less than his predecessor added to the stress of the last few days and Jason's fraying temper almost audibly snapped.

Angry and hurting, Jason lashed out at Deathstroke, just as the man had intended. Jason lunged at the older man, but even in his rage he didn't forget his training. Instead of the punch, he was sure Deathstroke was expecting, Jason feinted to the side and then lashed out with a fast round-house kick. Slade easily evaded the kick with his enhanced speed and then moved to put the teenager on the defensive. The duo traded kicks and punches as they moved around the rooftop in a brutal dance. Jason had watched videos of Deathstroke in action and knew that the man was holding back, if only a little, leading him to the conclusion that he was being tested just as Dick had been when Slade was first interested in him. Knowing that, for all his training, he would never be the acrobat that Dick was and that he could never match Slade's enhanced strength, Jason decided to use the dirty tricks he had learned living on the streets. Batman hadn't managed to train the street fighter mentality out of Jason completely and the boy knew it might be the only thing to help him now as Slade most likely wasn't expecting it after having fought Batman and Nightwing in the past.

Jason was starting to tire so on the next opening he saw he feinted downward to make it look like he was going to sweep Slade's legs out from under him and instead he lashed out at the last second with his fist right into Slade's groin. Yeah, the mercenary was enhanced, but Jason figured a strike to the balls would hurt anyone. He had the satisfaction of hearing a surprised grunt from Deathstroke and seeing the man take a small step back. Jumping on his one opportunity Jason threw another punch, knowing that even hurting (at least a little) Slade would easily block it. But instead of following up the block with his next attack, Jason used it to spin himself inside Slade's space, grab that forearm that had just been up to block him and latched his teeth onto the man's wrist.

Slade swore viciously and clutched his bleeding wrist in shock, grudgingly impressed with the kid's dirty move, definitely not something he had learned from Batman or Nightwing.

Using Deathstroke's surprise to his advantage, Jason jumped away from the fight and over the edge of the building to where he knew the fire escape was. He slid down the metal stairs and then sprinted into the street, pulling off the domino mask as he hit the lighted section of pavement. If Deathstroke really wanted to chase him down, Jason knew nothing he did could stop the mercenary, but Slade usually avoided collateral damage and large crowds so Jason hoped he could use that to complete his escape. He ran through the streets of Gotham, constantly on the watch for the enhanced killer, but saw nothing to indicate that he was being pursued. As he approached the manor he realized that the fight with Deathstroke had at least taken his mind off of his fears of being kicked out. He chuckled darkly, he may have to thank Deathstroke next time he saw the man for his unintended help.