I do not own any of the Teen Titans characters.

This is going to be a long and epic story…I hope. I understand that I do not have a very good track record with finishing stories but I plan on concluding all of them by the end of this summer.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1: Cyrus

"Cinderblock." Slade spoke as he placed the small gold gilded box upon the velvet pedestal before him. The large platform shook as another figure emerged from the same shadows Katarou had been veiled in moments before. The giant of brick and stone walked forward towards his master. Even when he knelt to one knee, he still towered far above everybody else.

"I hope for your sake that your mission went successfully."

The giant nodded.

"Good. Very good. Perhaps you are not as inept as I had thought. Katarou."

"Yes," said the Asian warrior as he immediately stepped forward.

"How go my operations here."

"Your empire flourishes, my master."

Turning from his servant, Slade once again faced the mysterious box. "And all for you, my little pet," he said as he traced his finger along the edge in front of him. The sapphire blue corners gave off an eerie glow, slightly pulsating and giving off a faint hum. Katarou eyed his master curiously, unaware of what the box might contain or why it was so important. Below the platform where the three villains stood ran one of the many smuggling warehouses that Slade had put under Katarou's control. Months ago, his master had found him half dead within a dilapidated hostel in Chengdu, slowly deteriorating under the abuses of depression, alcohol and narcotics. He had lost. The great warrior, Katarou, the master of all the known martial arts, had lost to a mere boy. The denial of training with the True Master was nothing compared to the shame he had incurred by losing to one with so many fewer years of training. The Brotherhood of Evil had given him some semblance at a hope for revenge but, just as before, Katarou was once again met with defeat. His discipline gone, so went with it his will to live.

But Slade's arrival had invigorated him. While it was the use of herbs, tonics, and the peaceful passage of time that had nurtured his body back to its former boisterous health, it was Slade's promise of new, unstoppable power that had reignited his spirit. His new master was more than infamous; he was legendary. Tales among the criminal community spread stories of his death and mysterious resurrection. Even though the unstoppable Titans had killed him, he had refused to stay dead. That was feat not even the all powerful Brotherhood had been capable of. Knowing full well of Slade's reputation and fueled by his grudge against the Titan's leader, Katarou had made the decision the second Slade had appeared in his door that this was a man he wanted to work for.

So Slade brought Katarou back to Jump City where the newly appointed apprentice found industry and empire. Much to Katarou's surprise, their operations did not involve the Teen Titans at all. Rather, Cinderblock was appointed to distract them as they slowly grew a smuggling empire that stretched across the entire continent. They now had storehouses in Gotham, Metropolis, New York and San Francisco, all of them trafficking everything from drugs, opiates and firearms to nuclear materials and xenothium. Slade's reputation brought him the best the criminal world had to offer. And now, unbeknownst to the Teen Titans, Katarou oversaw it all under Slade's watchful eyes. The power and money he now wielded were second to very few.

But this strange and mysterious box, of which his master had spoken of with the utmost importance, Katarou knew nothing about. Slade stood in front of him, surveying his own vast wealth among the workers below as a stray fly buzzed above his head, and Katarou could resist feeling that now, after all he had done for his master, he deserved at least some kind of answer.

But before any questions regarding the box could pass by the fighter's lips, Slade spoke without turning.

"Do not question my action, Katarou. Remember what I've taught you. Patience is a virtue."

The servant did a double take, pausing for a moment before uttering, "But master…I only wish to…"

"Quiet! Fool. Listen…we are being watched. Cinderblock," he said as the workers paused in their tasks and looked up at their anxious overlord. The villain slowly rotating to face his two minions before shaking his head, disappointed. "Tsk tsk. You failed."

The stone giant rose from his position, flaunting an uncharacteristic grin across his large concrete face.

"Wanna bet?"

And with that the monster raised its massive arms above its head, only to bring them crashing down towards Slade. Moving in one swift motion, Katarou rolled, drew his pole arm from his side and blocked the attack, protecting his master. The platform shook violently, rocking back and forth under the force of the blow. Gritting his teeth in concentration, Katarou held up the arms of the colossal stone goliath.

"Cinderblock!!" yelled the warrior, "What is the meaning of this?!"

"It means major league butt-kicking is BACK IN TOWN!" Suddenly, as the words issued from the beast's unmoving lips, Cinderblock's head split in two. The entire body separated amidst hot white steam erupting from its torso. A metallic and blue blur shot out from the inside and, before Katarou had time to react, dealt a devastating blow to his exposed chest. The martial arts master flew back, dropping the spear he had been holding, straight through the metal railing and into a stack of boxes piled on the other side of the warehouse. A cloaked figure dropped silently from the ceiling, leaping from one support beam to another, twirling brilliantly in the air, only to land before the unmoving Slade. As the dark intruder slowly rose, one arm raised perpendicular to the floor beneath and from his hands emerged a long smooth metal bow-staff. Jumping, the cloak was suddenly cast away as the boy materialized, swinging his weapon aggressively and letting out one single loud command.

"TITANS, GO!"

Suddenly, the fly that had been buzzing aimlessly around the lamplight grew enormous, instantly exhibiting a string of dreadful, jagged teeth, a long arching tail and a symphony of emerald green scales. The then fly, now tyrannosaur, fell with a crash among the panicking workers, letting out a roar that shook the entire building. At the same moment, two slender shapes burst into the warehouse through the roof, one pitch black and the other bright electric green. The crackling of vibrant energy and falling glass along with the charging terrible lizard sent the workers into a desperate frenzy, all of them shoving and pushing to get out of the depot and into the pouring rain as soon as possible. As the platform shook and finally collapsed under the stress of the attacks, Slade jumped, almost casually, lightly flipping off of the spiky haired intruder's swinging weapon, over the snapping jaws of the tyrannosaur, between the two glowing females in the air and landed softly before his enemies, even having enough tact to calmly bow as he reached the floor in order to dodge the bright blue energy beam that shot inches above his head.

"Ah, the Titans. For what do I owe this pleasure?"

Robin landed as his other teammates congregated behind him.

"This is no ordinary confrontation. This is the last time we're doing this, Slade."

"Oh Robin," the black and orange mask replied, "once again you are too quick to the most unlikely conclusion. Especially considering, I still have this." Slade produced, once again seemingly out of nowhere, the brown and gold box he had been clever enough to snatch back up the second he sensed an attack.

"No, this really IS the last time, Slade," cocked Cyborg as he charged his arm canon, "We're tired of your games. Your madness. Your…"

"Racketeering??" interjected Raven. "All of this," she said as she surveyed the scene full of damaged goods and broken machinery, "all your manipulating, your schemes and murderous plots and just for money? That's a new low for you, Slade."

Beast Boy, now once more a bipedal human, gave a slight chuckle as he said, "Yeah, I always thought you were all 'World Domination-I'm the next Duke Shazbot!' or something like that. Who knew you'd just resort to petty thievery."

"But regardless," spoke the Tamaranean, "this is where your treachery ends."

The rain had started to pour in through the new skylights Starfire and Raven had made, and small pools of water began to coalesce among the wreckage. Robin, tightly gripping his metal staff, knuckles clenched white underneath the black gloves, took a step forward, brandishing his weapon.

"No. It's not as simple as that. It never is with you. What's in the box, Slade?"

"Robin, as always, that is for me to know and for you to ponder."

"Actually, my poor doppelganger," said the identical voice from behind Slade, "It is for me to find out." A single red eye then appeared from the darkness as a large, bloody machete emerged from Slade's body.

"What the…"

The Titans all gasped in horror, suddenly taken aback as their foe looked down in surprise at the quivering blade protruding straight out of his chest. Looking up, the heroes witnessed the blank stare that had befallen their enemy, right before he slowly crumpled to the floor and collapsed in a crimson heap. From the shadows behind the corpse, one eye glowing from beneath his mask, came…

"…Slade?!"

"Hah…ahah." A twitch.

Suddenly, the bloody Slade shot straight back up with a wicked smile torn like a scar across his now malformed face, the blade still firmly entrenched in its chest, and grabbed violently at his double's neck.

"Not quite!!"

End chapter 1

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please review! I beseech you! Flames are welcome among everything else. I would like input. I understand that the beginning chapter has more to do with Slade than the Titans but bear with me, the Titans will be the focus and there will romance, drama, and action. Stay tuned true believers! I will try to finish another chapter by the end of tonight.