Hello all!

I won't be shipping Kole and Jericho- sorry- but I read through their relationship and it never went anywhere even though Kole wanted it to, and yes rereading it all now I realise how much of a player Joey is. omg, he is with a different girl every day- but I think most of it is for work and he's just close friends with most of them.

But yes this is chapter seven with Robin as the main character. please tell me if you like the flashback or not, I'm not sure about it. Have fun!

Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans or DC Comics cause if I did I would ask Marv Wolfman to write more and there would be a 6th season of Teen Titans.

It hadn't taken very long for the Teen Titans of Jump City to get the media's attention with the mass amount of teen super heroes that had taken up root in the huge tower on the main island overlooking the city. Of course they had no idea why the Tians had gathered again and could only assume that it wasn't good and Robin couldn't help feel like they were right. Only after Joey's disappearance had it truly dawned on him: Slade was alive.

If Slade was back they would need help, not just to find him but to bring the mute Titan home. Robin had called the Titans who not only could help with the search but who knew Jericho and had become friends with him upon meeting him.

In the end he had decided on the Titans East, Herald and Kole to call to the western tower to help with the search. Jericho was a Teen Titan first and foremost, Robin couldn't ask the Justice League for help. That would be counterproductive to what they had achieved the past years as they were still trying to demonstrate their independence to many of their former mentors.

Kole had come straight way after hearing about her friend. Robin hadn't really taken notice of the two when they had met at the tower after the defeat of the Brotherhood of Evil but it seemed that they had become close friends although Jericho had never said anything about Kole when he arrived at the tower. She seemed to become hysterical after hearing about the disappearance of the silent blond and Raven had to sit her down with a cup of chai tea before she calmed down fully.

Robin spent most of his time with the rest of the enlarged team. He had learnt over the years not to push his friends away and he was sure that if he tried to retreat to the evidence room for any long amount of time Star would drag him out but not before half destroying the article-covered room.

He laughed every time he remembered that that had happened before. It had taken him weeks to get the room back into respectable shape. Star, of course, had not been apologetic about the matter. She had said that everything in the room was just a reminder of his time with Slade. This was true, he had even made up a glass case for his old apprentice outfit. His friends had all but begged him to destroy the thing but he had said that it was a reminded of something that he wasn't but something that he could become if he wasn't careful.

It was late and he was taking newfound evidence to the evidence room. He unlocked the door and stepped in. The room was dark and smelt of dust.

"Robin, may I ask you something," someone behind asked shyly.

Robin started and whirled around to see who it was only to breathe a sigh of relief to see Kole standing wide-eyed behind him.

"Kole, God, you scared the crap out of me. What is it you want to know?" He asked, smiling at the Northern Titan.

"Sorry, I just… Whoa, look at this place," she stared around and the dim room in wonder but her eyes quickly stopped on Robin former apprentice uniform, to Robin's dismay. "What is that?"

"It's just something that reminds me what Slade did to this team and how past choses are carried with us for longer than we know," Robin said, his voice fading into memory.

Kole stood there looking back and forth from Robin's face and the suit. She looked like she didn't really understand but at the same time Robin knew that she knew that that suit was his in his darkest days.

"I… I just wanted to know if Joseph said anything about me." Kole asked, scuffing her foot on the ground shyly.

"Oh um, sorry, Joey didn't really say anything about you while he was here," he said awkwardly not really knowing what to do, it was obvious that Kole really wanted Jericho to notice her. He knew exactly what it was like to like someone and have it be unrequited like Batgirl or to be so awkward around the girl in question that the relationship never went anywhere like Starfire. Lucky Star and him had become closer and started a really strong relationship. "But then again he was really freaked out about Slade threatening him so he didn't really have any time to mention you." He added trying to comfort her.

"Yeah, that must be it, but Robin, I don't think he likes me, I don't know what to do. You've been with Starfire for a while now, how did you know she liked you."

"Why are you asking me? Why can't you ask one of the other girls- Starfire or Bumblebee or something, I'm not very good at relationship advice, I mean I was raised by Batman after all," he laughed, scratching the back of his neck.

"I was really asking you because you're a boy and I wanted to know what a boy would think of this conversation, you know, since you can understand sign I thought Jericho would have confided in you out of anyone else here."

"Well, err… she always showed it and I always felt it but I just suck at telling people how I feel about them, I guess if you're asking for my advice I would tell you to tell him how you feel because that was what was holding us back for so long. But we have to find him first so go get some sleep because tomorrow we'll be heading to Steel City to start more searching there. I'll see you tomorrow Kole, good night."

"Okay, I really hope he's okay. See ya, Robin." Kole said before walking down the hall to her room which was next to Jericho's empty room.

Robin turned and stepped further into the room and closed the door. He hadn't been ready for Kole questions and it shocked him how much she liked the blonde boy and how much she was worrying. As soon as the news had gone out to all the other Titans of Jericho's kidnapped she had left Gnarrk with the Titans North and came straight to the tower to see if there was any way she could help in the search and rescue of the boy she had only met once before.

She was a nice girl but Robin had a feeling Jericho didn't feel the same way she did. He could remember how Jericho acted around her; that they were friends and in Joey's eyes would never be anything more than that.

He walked over to stand in front of the glass case. It was a ugly, dark, twisted version of his own Robin uniform but obsessively branded with Slade's mark; he might as well branded him on the forehead instead of making him wear this. Just looking at it made him feel dirty and weak.

He turned away but something in the case catch his eye, a piece of paper. He quickly unlocked the cabinet and picked up the sheet. On it was a message written in neat, formal writing.

Dick, I hope you don't mind but I'm taking back my son, you have already been marred by horrors and the tragedies of your past and I will not have Joseph getting hurt in your annoying and pointless crusade against the crime element of Jump City. He is worth more to me than you will ever know. I have no intention of making him my apprentice so I expect you to be waiting for me. And don't worry, I'm not going to use any overzealous punishment on him like I did you. He is no longer Jericho and therefore in no longer none of your concern. I don't expect you to believe this, in fact I would be mildly astonished if you left Joseph to me without a fight. As you know I am his father and therefor objectively know what is best for him. Stay away from us until I came for you again, Robin, you will just be making it harder on him if you don't.

Slade.

Robin wanted to scream, laugh and cry all at the same time. This note had only raised questions and answered none. The boy still had no idea where the hell Slade could have taken Jericho and no way of tracing the man who had been extremely thorough about the kidnapping of his own son. Judging by what the man eluded to it seemed like they weren't in the city anymore which would give evidence to Cyborg's calculations.

Another thing about the letter that made him want to cruel up into a ball and start crying was the fact that Slade sounded like he wasn't going to give up on making Robin his apprentice. He said he would come back and take him. Should he show this to the team? He had no idea if this would help or hinder the situation. Robin felt like if he showed the letter to the Titans they would try and wrap him up in bubble-wrap and lock him up in the tower. Robin didn't want a repeat of last time but he also felt like without him the Titans would have a hard time locating Jericho, after all he was the Boy Wonder and he was trained to be a detective by the Dark Knight himself.

Robin ran to his room and shut the door, locking it behind him. He grabbed the suitcase from under his bed. It had a red Robin logo imprinted on the side but otherwise looked like a normal metal case. He quickly unlocked it. His teammates had seen what was in this case when it was stolen by a villain no one really cared about catching. He had felt like it was time to open up to his team and family, they, up until then, didn't even know who he really was. Granted Raven had seen his past as if it were her own and therefore knew his identity but the others were oblivious of his past.

Inside with a few things from his past; a rolled up poster of the flying Grayson's, a stuffed elephant he named Zitka from his time at the circus, a batarang and a photo album.

Photo album in full of photos from both his time with Haley's Circus and his time at Wayne Manor, he was in the process of fulling another section of the book with pictures of him with the Titans.

Instead of looking though the book like he did sometimes, he throw the letter into the case a slammed in shut. The Titans didn't need to know about the note and he certainly didn't feel like being bombarded with stupid questions. The note held nothing important in their investigation and it was meant for him and him alone otherwise Slade would have left a recording on the main computer for Cyborg to find. At least that's what he told himself to try and calm his nerves.

He yarned loudly as he got into bed and switched off the lights. He would have to remind himself that he was safe, Slade couldn't get to him when he was surrounded by the ones he loved nor could he use the same tactic he used before. Slade couldn't get to him, by he could get to Jericho.

I was curled up into a ball on my bed, his bed, I didn't own anything anymore. The one thing I had was my name, my identity and now he owns that as well. He knew all along who I was he was just lying to me, like he always has and always will because that's who he is.

I had been lying on the hard bed for what seemed like hours now, I couldn't get to sleep; I didn't want to sleep, not with him in the same building as me. He had taken Robin away from me and although some aspects of Robin were still showing though they would soon fade and he would be the emotional wreck whose parents were killed in front of him.

The door opened but I didn't look around, I don't care who it was or what they wanted. If it was Wintergreen, he had just showed me how little he truly cared about my wellbeing and if it was Slade he was probably here to beat the snot out of me anyway so there was no point in trying to talk to either of them. I was too full of a mixture of anger and depression. There was no point in anything anymore.

I felt a hand grab my shoulder and squeeze it comfortingly and a weight pushing the bed down to the floor with a squeak of protest.

"Dick I just want to see if…" Slade voice came from behind me but I didn't feel like turning around to face him.

"I don't want you to call me that… Please." I mumbled into my knees.

"Why? It's your name, I thought you would want me to call you by your name," he sounded like he actually cared about my opinion, he sounded nice and fatherly. He wasn't really, he was just lying again.

"I don't want you to because that's what my dad used to call me. Only Bruce is allowed to call me that. It's what close friends and family call me and you're neither." I said, my voice hitching at the mention of Bruce.

"Oh, I'm more of a father than Wayne will ever be for you, I know all about you, I know everything about you." The man above me purred, pushing my bangs away from my face.

With that I sat bolt upright and back-peddled until my back hit the wall, trying to get as far away from him as possible.

"You're not my dad and you never will be, you may think you know a lot about me but you know nothing. I'm not like you, Robin may have shown qualities that you also have but you are nothing like me." I said, glaring across at him, disgustedly.

"So you and Robin are different?" He didn't sound surprised and I had the feel that he knew that Dick Grayson and Robin were different.

Robin was fearless, determined and laughed in the face of the Joker whereas Dick would cried at his parents funeral shamelessly and although he flew thought the air above crowds of shocked onlookers he cared about how people saw him and therefore wasn't a big fan of Bruce Wayne's fame.

"Yes, but I hate it here and that doesn't change whether I have a mask on or not. I don't want another dad, I already have one and he's one thousand times better than you. You are cruel and sadistic and I don't want anything to do with you." I cried, pushing him away weakly.

Slade didn't move. I could tell he hated being yelled at especially since I was yelling about how much I hated him and how he would never be anything more than my captor.

"Dick… Richard," he amended. "Bruce Wayne let you leave him, he never adopted you as his son and he never really cared about you, you know that right? You were always a charity case to him, someone to keep the tabloids happy and preoccupied and Batman used you as a pawn in his dangerous game. He put you in direct danger with little to no training or protection in an overly obtrusive costume he made you go up against enemies Batman himself would have a hard time defeating. I would never do that to you Dick, I will only give you missions I know you a can handle and I will train you to be able to protect yourself properly. I can be the father you deserve." He whispered softly, reaching his hand out towards me, offering it up in the hope that I would take it.

I didn't want to, he was everything I wasn't and he was lying to me, trying to get me to believe that Bruce was the evil one. I knew that wasn't right, I knew that Bruce loved me as a son, he had told me many times before I left. And that was who I believed, Slade was trying to manipulate me, get me to focus all my hate and anger towards my former mentor. He was wrong, I loved and trusted Bruce far too much to let that happen, I wouldn't let him twist my words or play mind games with him.

"That's not true. I don't want you in here, I don't want to talk to you. I want you to leave." I muttered, looking under my hair at him, waiting with baited breath for his reaction.

"Dick, and I will be calling you Dick, you need to learn that no one is going to save you. You're here because you gave up your life to me. I won't leave because I want you to talk to me in a civil manner. I will leave this room when I want to." Slade said slowly with a hint of agitation. This would usually be the time when Dick would shut up but he wasn't ready to give in to Slade yet.

"You can't be my master and my father at the same time." I whispered quietly, hoping that he wouldn't hear it.

"I know and I'm sorry for earlier, I went… A bit over board," Slade chuckled leaning forward, he arms outstretched as if to hug me but I flinched away as if he had just raised a hand to hit me. He was acting weird and uncharacteristically out of character. Did Wintergreen badger him to come and talk to me?

"No you're not. You just want me to hate my friends and family so I'll join you. I won't do it," I huffed, sitting up straighter against the wall.

"That's your loss, Dick," he said as he got up a headed for door. "Just think of this; I have not lied to you in here, I haven't hit you and I haven't enforced my power in your room, and you lied to me." After that he left, locking the door behind him.

I was alone, right where I deserved to be.

They had decide that they would split up into two teams and work from opposite sides of the country, Jump and Steel, and asked every hero to look out for Deathstroke in their city. So far they hadn't heard anything back from any hero apart from a private com-link from the Batcave. Batman had been intent on finding out why the supervillain might be at large in his city. Robin had told him the whole story and quickly cut him off before the man could lecture him about taking down Jump's crime element as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Of course Batman knew everything about his time with Slade and knew what was at stake. Robin had even gone back to Gotham for a few weeks to mentally recover from the experience and Bruce had only been a little bit mad about the damage done to the Jump City Wayne Tec. building. But even after knowing what the psychopath had done to him he still let Robin go back to Jump. He only lectured him still because he simply wanted Robin to do his best but although Robin knew this was true they still annoyed him.

Robin, Starfire, Kole, Speedy and Aqualad travelled to Steel to continue their search for Joey there along with taking quick stops along the way to check in with each hero to make sure they were up to speed.

They were finally standing in the eastern tower and Robin let out a sign of relief, he had had a terrible night sleep the night before and it had taken a long time to get to the second tower.

"So Short-shorts,I hope we aren't going to do a round of the city because we're all tried as hell and I just want to go to sleep. If Jericho's survived this long then im sure he can last another night before we bust in a save him, right?" Speedy stated, lounging on the couch in the main room looking around at the others as if looking for them to agree.

"Who is Short-shorts? No one here is wearing such attire." Star commented, looking around at the group as if to see another member who wasn't there.

"Shut-up Speedy! I know we are all tried but we can't waste time, Jericho could be going though all kinds of terrible things," like Slade's strange sense of kindness. "If you were in that situation you wouldn't want us to leave you just so we could 'veg out' when we're tired."

"But that's just it, I'm not him, he's Slade's son. He's probably in league with the guy and just trying to play us for fools. He probably wants to be with his dear old dad. He's probably sending us on a wild goose chase." Speedy snapped back, waving his arms around wildly to emphasise his point.

Robin didn't say anything, on the inside he was fuming at the idea that Speedy would believe Jericho would turn on them but he needed to be the 'bigger man' as Batman would say. Kole stepped forward and without warning punched Speedy across the face, the sound of the hit echoed around the silent room. No one moved.

"Don't you dare even think that Joey ever wanted anything to do with his father! He hates his father. He couldn't say it but he loves you guys, you're his new family. How could you believe he's evil?" she yelled angrily, looking like she wanted to punch him again.

Okay, geez, I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry," Speedy muttered sourly, rubbing his cheek.

"Alrightty then, I think we should all call it a night and start up the search tomorrow. Is that alright with you guys, I mean, it's just that we're all a bit on edge and we all need to get some sleep."

"We should call his communicator before we call it a night, Robin, he might be on the other end," Aqualad offered, seeing that Kole wasn't happy about leaving the search until the next day.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Robin said, pulling out his own communicator.

They had tried this for the past week and had discovered that the signal was cutting off somewhere in Steel but as they gathered eagerly around the small yellow devise they were disappointed to find that the signal was still being blocked by an unknown source. They were still unable to reach the muted Titan but they were getting closer.