A/N:Well here it is. The next chapter. Hope you enjoy it. And I want to give a big shout out to TheDarkPrince, my first-rate Beta.

Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing and I never claimed to. Nor do I make any sort of monetary gains from this, I'm not nearly good enough. But hopefully I will be able get paid to write one day, if you guys leave good reviews and point out my flaws (as a writer! I already know that I need to workout more and read some legitimate literature once in a while. It probably wouldn't hurt if I also read a newspaper sometimes too.)

That's me in the corner

That's me in the spot light

Losing my religion –REM

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It had been weird at first, having your worst enemy becoming your teacher and acting like an almost loving father figure, but he'd grown used to Slade's seemingly new personality during the week he was kept in the hospital for observation. True to the act, Slade visited for several hours a day and Robin was pleased that the threats and abuse from last time were now absent. He even turned out to be a surprisingly wise and very supportive and attentive teacher. Although he supposed that it was because this time he was here willingly, trying to shed the weakness of both Dick Grayson and Robin the Boy Wonder. The only danger was losing himself altogether, how long would he be able to pretend to be Slade's Apprentice before he actually became Slade's Apprentice?

Robin was the persona he developed with the aid of Batman to avenge the loss of young Richard Grayson's parents, but trying to live the two lives at once had allowed for many of Richards weaknesses to seep into Robin, until Robin was no better than the boy he replaced. Knowing that he was here to lose Robin, to essentially lose himself, was hard to come to terms with.

Almost as soon as they returned to Slade's lair Robin was ushered into the gym for physical testing. Slade wanted to see how well his little miracle cure had worked. So Robin was running around an expansive obstacle course in the underground lair. He was loaded down with weights attached to his ankles, wrists and a thick, formfitting vest that was strapped to his body. He wasn't sure how much weight Slade had put on him but after twenty minutes of climbing, jumping, sprinting and leaping Robin was nearing exhaustion.

"Enough," Slade commanded, his deep voice permeating the facility. Robin stopped running and walked to the ledge and allowed himself to drop between the platforms into the lower level of the training facility. He landed with minimal sound and strode past the more traditional work out equipment to where Slade stood monitoring his vitals and stats on a computer display.

"Twenty three minutes Robin. Excellent." He focused his lone eye on the boy, who no longer seemed the least bit winded. The boy was adapting surprisingly well to the serum, a distilled and purified dosage of Slade's own blood.

"Do you feel up for another run?" Slade looked to the real time display of Robin's vitals and saw that they had returned back to normal, his heart and lungs working effortlessly to keep his body running.

"Yeah I'm good." Robin turned to go towards the ladder for the upper level when Slade stopped him.

"Take this." Slade gestured towards a small hinged case, similar in design but somewhat bigger than you would see a ring in, inside was an earpiece and Robin fitted it into his ear and continued towards the obstacle course. He could hear motors humming and knew that the course above was shifting again, so that he couldn't get used to the configuration and fall into a routine.

"For the next trial you will run the obstacle course as many times as you can. I will be giving you information through the earpiece and I expect you to recite it back to me when you're finished." The light turned green and Robin was off like a shot, the weights not seeming to slow him down in the slightest.

While Robin was running the course Slade looked over the results of the body scan he'd done before setting him on the course. Bone density was elevated, as was muscle density and brain activity. According to the scan he was completely human, just better. Slade, having become what he was before such modern technologies became available, he had no basis to compare Robin's progress to his own, but he hadn't expected him to adapt so readily. He had thought the process would be more painful and slow going, but since he'd poured so much effort into recreating the formula that had been used on him he supposed he could have unexpectedly ironed out of the kinks and limitations.

Slade had Robin run until he was physically unable to continue. The timer read thirty seven minutes and a handful of seconds. This time Robin opted for the stairs as his method of egress, not trusting his legs to stop him should he have chosen to drop down again. By the time he got down he was almost completely recovered, only a thin sheen of sweat was visibly on his forehead as he took slightly deeper than normal breaths, the fatigue long since faded from his once exhausted limbs.

"How do you feel Apprentice?"

"Fine." he replied.

"Good. Can you tell me the information that was relayed to you?" He did, spending the next thirty seven minutes repeating back, word for word, what the voice in the earpiece had told him. Historical dates, information and random trivia. Slade was impressed; the serum had indeed done a fantastic job.

"Take a break. We'll meet back here in thirty minutes for the last leg of the physical test." Robin turned silently and stalked towards the exit so he could make his way to the kitchen for some refreshments.

Slade was unhappy with his apprentice's attitude, but only slightly so. He wasn't getting the respect he'd demanded last time around but he knew Robin better than anyone, alive or dead, and he could sense that Robin was undergoing some internal struggle, an identity crisis perhaps?

Robin stalked into the kitchen. Something was wrong. There was no way he should have been able to go that hard for that long with almost no recovery time. His memory was far better than it should have been, his focus was phenomenal.

He rummaged through the pantry, disgusted by the massive selection of Robin's favorite snacks; he opted to make a simple three egg omlette with mushrooms and onions. When he was done he cleaned up and got a glass of milk out of the fridge and caught his reflection on the stainless steel door. He was dressed in normal work out clothing, except for the weights and that stupid mask that was itching around is eyes. Realizing that he had been wearing the mask constantly for nearly two weeks, with no reprieve, he tore it off and looked in the reflective fridge door again; he saw how much more natural he looked, despite the rings left by the mask. How happy he looked. And how free he felt. As though some weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

-0-0-0-

Slade came out of the training room, his temper rising, his Apprentice was late. He started towards Robin's room, thinking that perhaps the boy had fallen asleep or something, and was about to round the corner when he came face to face with Robin, sans mask.

"Richard Grayson." Slade stated after a minute, carefully steeling his voice against the surge of glee he was feeling. He'd known of Robin's secret identity for some time but wanted the boy to reveal it himself.

"Richard Grayson died when his parents fell from the high-wire," Robin spoke in a matter of fact tone. He walked back towards the training room. Slade turned just in time to see his apprentice toss something over his shoulder and caught the black mass that was rushing towards him. Holding it up for inspection, he saw that the black mass was Robin's mask. The last physical symbol of his resistance.

Break through.

Robin ran the gauntlet once again, this time with the added twist of having to dodge randomly fired projectiles. His time was twenty two minutes and he had only been hit a handfull of times.

"Excellent apprentice, get some sleep. We'll continue your evaluation tomorrow." Robin silently turned and headed for his room, relishing the thought of a hot shower, even as his breathing returned to normal and his fatigue receded to the very edges of his psyche.

After his shower he checked the clock. It was a little after four in the afternoon. He got dressed and headed out of his room to make himself at home in the kitchen for a while, deciding to put some of Alfred's cooking lessons to use.

-0-0-0-

The next day Robin splashed water on his face to push the final vestiges of sleep from his mind and walked from his room wearing a fresh pair of track pants and a dark tee shirt. He walked into the training room expecting to see Slade waiting for him. Instead he was greeted by darkness. He wandered through the underground facility, lamenting the lack of windows and slowly growing restless with his subterranean confinement even though he hadn't actually been forbidden to leave. He passed by countless rooms, wandering aimlessly, when one caught his attention. There was something different about it, he wasn't sure what it was but he knew beyond doubt that Slade was in that room.

Beyond the door Slade was sitting in front of a monitor and waiting for his Apprentice.

"Very good Apprentice, you've made it. Sit in the chair and place the helmet on your head." Robin moved to comply, not needing to wait for his eyes to adjust to the near pitch black of the room. Slade's eye narrowed. "Now look at the screen and follow the instructions." The only indication that Robin had complied was the slightest tilt of his head.

Slade watched the screen as the results of Robin's brain scan began filtering across it. It was amazing, his mind had found a way to become more efficient, operating far beyond normal human ranges. A sudden drop in mental activity caught Slade's attention.

"What's wrong Apprentice?"

"I'm bored," Robin answered, his voice cracking like he hadn't used it in a couple days, "and I'm getting tired of these tests. I want to go out for a while."

Slade was overjoyed that Robin had practically asked his permission for something. He'd made real progress with his apprentice in the last couple weeks, but not allowing him certain freedoms could be detrimental to that progress. He was beginning to doubt whether he could stop Robin if he decided to go, the distilled serum having skyrocketed his physical and mental ability to astounding levels, easily rivalling Slade's own.

"I was thinking the same thing." Slade lied smoothly, giving away nothing of his excitement. "You have made fantastic progress; it's time to test it in the real world. See if you measure up as well as I expect you to."

Robin went to prepare, searching through the armoury until he found something suitable. Not the least bit surprised that Slade had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of armour and combat gear in his exact measurements. He decided on a tight fitting Kevlar and titanium bi-weave body suit. To the unknowing eye it looked to be solid black with a blue design across the front, with no other distinguishing marks, save a small 'S' in a circle that is synonymous with Slade's name and is worn by his Apprentice's. Robin knew that the suit was actually a composite of various dark colors, which would allow him to blend cleanly into the night without leaving a darker silhouette like pure colours are prone to doing. He also selected a near-black, faded duster for his armour to hide beneath. He was about to leave when he spotted a mask similar in design and appearance to his old one, only this one was sterling silver, tarnished to look nearly black, with sharper, more deadly looking eye pieces and no lenses, so his hard cerulean eyes could be visible to his prey.

Robin was sprinting across the rooftops and leaping alleys with effortless ease, almost doing a patrol like he had with Batman in the old days. Usually when he thought of Batman it was in the context of a father figure and mentor, but this time there was bitterness to the memory. Who was Batman to deny him his freedom and revenge all those years ago? Who was Batman to force his own idea of justice upon others? Who was Batman to still treat him like a child?

Robin continued across the cityscape realizing that he had no actual idea where he was, and for some reason he couldn't bring himself to care. He had no real reason to go out tonight other than for a change of scenery, somehow he felt no obligation to protect this city's inhabitants, a foreign feeling for him. He roamed the rooftops knowing that Slade was watching his every move as he leapt effortlessly between buildings, rapidly becoming accustomed to how the trench coat like cloak differed from his usual cape. He heard a terrified scream shatter the almost peaceful silence of the near moonless night. The hero in him sparked to life and compelled him to investigate.

From high above the altercation he could see three men accosting a pair of young women, their party clothes torn in places and they backed against the wall, trying to shrink from their attackers in fear. Robin dropped into the alley, falling three stories with only the slight rustle of his coat to announce his arrival.

"Leave them alone," he commanded from the shadows, the street light not doing the best job of illuminating the alley. The three attackers turned as one and gazed into the darkness, his camouflage doing an excellent job of blending him with the urban night. A satisfied feeling welled in Robin's heart when he saw the fear in their eyes, something he had never even seen as the Boy Wonder when Batman wasn't around. The now forgotten women ran away when one of the men noticed the slightest glint off of Robin's new tarnished mask. Robin stepped to the edge of the light, so his outline was partially visible, a dark ghost in the night.

Suddenly two more men showed up, drawn from their post at the mouth of the alley by the fleeing women. One man bore a small golden cross on a chain around his neck, his body language speaking loud and clear that not only was he strung out on some drug, but he was also a recruit new to this gang.

"We told you to watch the alley!" one of the original three yelled.

"We were!" Shouted one of the new comers "Who's this freak." He gestured to the still motionless Robin.

"Wait, if he didn't use the alley entrance where the fuck did he come from?"

"Up there," Robin pointed before gliding into action, stomping one of the gangster's knees. A satisfying crunch met his ears and the man fell shrieking to the alley floor. A second man moved in to attack, throwing a powerful hay maker at Robin's face. Suddenly Robin's right arm came up and swept the incoming fist off course, holding the wrist tightly, his left hand smashed into the gangster's clavicle, the force applied causing him to scream in pain as his collar bone shattered inwards. The last two attacked together in the hopes of catching Robin off guard, leaving the rookie rooted in fear.

Who was this man? He came from above, doling vengeance on behalf of the two women. At first he though the man had come from a fire escape or something but the wall was devoid of any such blemish. Surely he was an Angel. An Angel of vengeance. But he couldn't be an angel, he was too dark, a fallen angel perhaps? Suddenly it hit him. Before being seduced by crack he had been a deeply religious man. And his drug addled mind drew the only conclusion it could. This was either the embodiment of the Angel Za'aphiel, the wrath of God, specifically appointed to punish the wicked on earth. People like them. Or this was the embodiment of Azazel, whom Hebrew scripture said was cast from heaven for refusing to bow before man. Or a mixture of both?

"ZA'APHIEL!!!" he screamed "Azazel-Zaphiel!" he then tore out of the alley, hoping that he could outdistance this incarnation of heavenly, or maybe not so heavenly, vengeance.

Robin had thrown the second of his two attackers into the wall, a satisfying crack signalling that the man may not get up, ever. He was troubled by the thought, but not as much as he would have been in the past. The junkie grabbed his attention when he screamed and ran, but his attention was quickly drawn away from the fleeing man when the last gangster rushed him. Robin stood up tall and kicked straight out with the bottom of his foot, the blow connecting with the man's chest with enough force to send him on a collision course with the brick wall. He hit and slumped on the alley floor.

Robin reached into his cloak for the grapple gun he'd taken out of the armoury and launched the line into the sky, connecting solidly with the top of the wall, he pressed the retract button and was rocketed into the night sky. Slade's grapple gun had more kick than Batman's and when the line was fully retracted it disconnected from the brick and his momentum carried him, practically flying, over the edge.

"Well done Robin." Slade crooned as Robin landed lightly and stowed the grapple gun in his cloak. He was pleased with the efficient brutality of Robin's attack, but disappointed that none of the men had died, as he could hear all of them either sobbing or moaning. He was cut off before he could say more.

"Don't call me Robin." Slade was taken aback, but only slightly so.

"Very well, what would you prefer I call you?" Slade asked, curious to see just how much havoc this identity crisis was wreaking on the boys mind.

"What that junkie called me. Azazel-Za'aphiel. In biblical scripture they are both the names of angels. Azazel was fallen, cast from heaven for refusing to follow Gods will in regards to man. Za'aphiel was appointed to deal with the wicked on earth. Both seem sort of fitting to my existence." Robin reasoned aloud.

"So they do," Slade agreed, "but I find the obvious religious connection to be a touch gaudy. Maybe if we tweaked it a little? Something like Raziel perhaps?" Slade questioned.

"Raziel?" Robin tried it before shrugging, "it works for me."

"Well then Raziel, I'm going to have to ask you not to call me 'Slade' in public, I'm better known as Deathstroke. We have to call it a night. I have pressing business in Mordoza in three days and we have to leave at first light." Raziel turned wordlessly and streaked across the rooftops towards the out skirts of town and eventually the forest that hid the entrance to Slade's, and now his, lair.

Slade stood still looking after the direction Raziel had gone, the boys figure long since lost from sight as it blended with the night. He didn't actually have any pressing business in Mordoza, at least not for himself. It was part of his plot to get Robin, Raziel, he reminded himself, to break the one rule that Batman had instilled in him, the last link to his past. Slade would take Raziel to the capital city of Mordoza, named Mardasa, to see the horrors that the war had wreaked upon that country. Slade had been contracted to bring an end to the conflict. He would send his apprentice in his stead.

But he had more pressing business to tend to at the moment, he dropped down into the alley and a moment later he was back on the rooftop. The gangsters were dead, having never known what hit them or the exact moment it had struck. He would have liked to cause them more pain and terror before they died, but time was a factor so the pain and terror caused by Raziel would have to be enough to satisfy his blood lust. He depressed a button in his mask and the view through his lens flickered and changed to Raziel's view, Slade saw that his apprentice was swiftly traversing the city's roof tops towards his lair, either not noticing or not caring that Slade wasn't with him. The boys pace disturbed him, at this rate Slade would have to go all out to beat him there. But he did love a challenge. Slade switched off his connection to Raziel and took off at a dead run, his surroundings speeding by as he sprinted across the familiar roof tops.

A/N2:I hope you guys liked it! And just so you don't think I forgot: I want to send a thank-you to all of my reviewers, I do try to send individual replies to all of you but I think I might have missed one ot two. Anyway, you guys are awesome.

Like it? Hate it? Feel like I'm about as good a writer as a retarded monkey with touretts? Let me know! the only way I'm going to be able to crank out higher quality work for you guys is if I know what I need to work on.

Like what I did there? how I kissed ass a little bit before begging for feed back;)

Peace, health and happiness.

-Kobez-