Disclaimer: The following story is based on/inspired by characters created by DC Comics. By no means do I take credit for their creation or development.

Author's notes: Reviews welcomed and encouraged!

Chapter 1: Deathstroke- Part I

"Titans, go!"

Suddenly, the Akaishuen androids were everywhere! They swarmed the team causing the Titans to split up. But that didn't matter, Dick knew as well as the others that they had been through much worse than this.

A bruise here; a gash there; injuries didn't matter. Slade was behind this. Slade was here…Robin could feel it and he would find the son of a bitch even if he had to rip every robot apart.

"Kory! " Robin leapt from the catwalk and landed on the back of an Akaishuen overwhelming Starfire. The robot swung around crazily blindsiding the young alien. "Starfire!" Hanging onto the automaton's shoulders, Robin managed to crack its steel skull open with his contracted staff. He pried the metal plate off and wrenched a fistful of hot wires out of its head. The red bird sprung away just as the shuttering machine fell sparking and convulsing to the floor. Black oil streamed down young man's cheeks and off his chin.

"Star, are you alright?" Robin propped the disoriented red head up, "I'm sorry. I knew I shouldn't have let you come."

Starfire opened her emerald eyes, "Do not worry, I am fine, Robin." She began to dust herself off. Suddenly she gasped, "Oh my. Robin, your hand!"

Dick looked down at his palm and winced as if he had just noticed that the machine's hot wires had seared through his glove. Crimson blood and flesh peeked out of large open sores in his, now, charcoal skinned palm. "It's ok, Star. It's not as bad as it l—" All of the sudden, out of the corner of his eye, Robin caught sight of a silhouette of figure with a Tommie gun standing on the catwalk opposite them. "Get down!" He pulled Star behind some wooden crates just as bullets peppered the area.

"Hahahahahahaahaha!" An egotistical laugh echoed across the rafters of the warehouse. Dick's eyes widened. That laugh…he knew that laugh! He would know it anywhere. Ever since he was nine years old he had never forgotten that arrogant snicker. No, it couldn't be…It wasn't Slade but--

"Zucco?" Robin felt his lips barely move, "Tony Zucco?" What was he doing so far from Gotham?

"You know this man? Please, kindly," Starfire heaved two star bolts at a mass of robots on the other side of the crates, "explain, Robin." When he didn't respond, Starfire repeated herself, "Robin?"

Dick shook his head as if to break himself from deep thought. He quickly began to rip a strip of fabric from his cape, "Hey, Cyborg! How we doin'?" Robin wrapped the cloth around his right hand, biting one end to tie the finishing knot.

Cyborg discharged his cannon, "Can't complain, Robbie! But then again," he paused to fire his arm cannon again, "things always get worse before they get better! Man where are all these guys comin' from?"

"Rawwwwar!" Crash! Beast Boy's Tyrannosaurus bellow could be heard on the other side of the warehouse floor.

"Um…Cyborg?" Beast Boy switched back to human form and pointed to the wall he had crashed through, "Does this answer your question?"

"Oh man…hey Robbie, I think BB just crashed into their main manufacturing room! Get over here!"

Robin tried to peek out over the crates. Ackackack! However, just as the top of his head started to creep above the boxes it was chased back behind them again by Zucco's Tommie gun.

"You stay down, bird boy!" Robin heard the metallic echoes of Zucco's hurried footsteps turn and run down the catwalk toward the exit.

"Damn, he's getting away," Robin turned to Starfire, "Cover me, Star!"

Starfire nodded and immediately began to hurl star bolts over the crates, clearing a path for him to run out onto the floor and deploy his grappling hook.

The door at the end of the catwalk was just closing when Robin reached the top. Kicking the door open, Dick found himself on the catwalk of the adjacent warehouse. Despite the commotion next door, this warehouse was eerily quiet. Shit! Zucco's footsteps had stopped. Where was he hiding now?

Robin allowed the door to shut behind him so that his eyes could adjust to the darkness. No sooner did he do this when he heard movement to his left. Crack! Pah! Just as Dick whipped around, he was struck by a blunt object and then kicked over the railing of the catwalk.

"Ahh!" Robin crashed through a wooden crate on the ground floor of the dark warehouse. Gasping, he struggled to regain his breath and get up quickly from the debris. How could he have been so careless?

All of the sudden there was a large, hollow snap of a switch being thrown and Dick was blinded by bright white stadium style lights. Looking up, he could barely make out the thin, washed out silhouettes of Akaishuen surrounding his prone body.

Bang! Kapow! The blows seemingly came from out of nowhere and from everywhere all at once. Dick only managed to block perhaps one or two critical strikes. The following string of hits came so fast that he barely had time to fall to the ground

Finally, Zucco raised his hand and pulled back the vicious, metal mannequins. Robin spat out a short stream of blood then grit his teeth. Come on. Come on, Robbie, get up. Damn it! GET UP! He could see the barrel of Zucco's large gun draw near as the crime lord walked up to stand over him. The crime lord ground his heel on the superhero's burnt right hand that was surreptitiously reaching for Robin's Birderang. "Uh!" Dick let out a small cry of pain.

"Time to die, kid," Zucco raised the barrel out of Robin's peripheral vision and cocked the gun.