Brittle Glass

By: Pakkrat

Chapter 9: Gifts from the Cruel

Note: I do not own Teen Titans, Deathstroke, DC and Marvel characters, nor do I own this taco… That's right, this taco. I do own The Brood, The Kagejin, and Akaige, also some other crap! I still do not own this taco. You will understand much later… or maybe never.

Raven was worried as she sat outside the medical center. Not for the wounds that had already healed but that power. What was it, where did it come from? How did he use it?

Robin and Starfire also were there, Star tried to explain all was well as Robin was wondering where all this leads to Joker. Beast Boy was not here he was actually kind of happy to see that Will guy was not so great, but he still didn't want Raven to see his pleasure. Raven now hears the door open and Cyborg motions her in. The others wanted to come but he ordered them to stay there. When she entered she found Will with his shirt missing, bandages were covered on his abdomen and wrapped along the one shoulder. "The bones are healing at a remarkable rate… he is actually." Cyborg looks to her and she was not really talking "There is a strange energy field around him that I can't seem to recognize. It's not magnetic, or anything scientifically explainable. I wanted to know if maybe you could find out what it is."

Raven rises her head to her friend "What do you mean?"

"You know the whole magic thing, and more important I have a feeling his mind may hold the key to…"

"I'm not going to intrude his mind! First, I could damage him and myself, and then the second reason I'm not going to betray his trust in me for that."

Cyborg sits down crossing his arms "I guess he's screwed either way, huh?"

Raven looks to Will then to Cyborg "He'll decide when he wakes up… he is going to wake up right?"

"Oh yeah he's just a little tired. No problems with that I'm sure."


Will floats in what seems nothingness. He floats, and floats. The sight of him with the wings, the flames, and the man in black filter in the world sometimes "Wow… tired…" he is then slapped and wakes as his head bangs off a wall of stone.

"…Awake are we?" The three fingered claw reaches out in a gesture to rise Will up. "You seemed to have trouble finalizing your mind to this realm. An interesting problem I do have to think of better ways to get mortals to this plane."

Will stood up holding his head asking "What was that for?"

"…." Akaige shifts his head "To wake you up?"

"Oh…" Will now looks around to realize they were in some kind of rock room with a throne. "What is this place?"

"My throne room actually. I did not bring you here to see my décor Slade I wished to find out how you liked my gift."

"Gift?" Will thinks back and nods "The flames?"

Akaige moans "No the sweater last Christmas. Of course the flames how did you like the power it gave you?"

"It was interesting but whatever the catch I don't want them. I know how demons or any creatures work."

Akaige turns shifting his shoulders with a little chuckle "You don't trust me? You are a smart man after all. Those powers won't be so easily disposed of. You have to do something for me first." Slade narrows his eye asking "What?"

"Why, nothing more than use those like you did today. You can't honestly expect to have the ability to kill demonic beings with staffs and explosives it goes beyond such things. The power you have actually works to assist in defeating those creatures."

"So you want me to kill more of those things? What if I say no? Will you take these powers back then?"

Akaige turns up his head, Will notices the fact this creatures' face was free and exposed aside from a strand of fabric that floats over the head. The fabric hides the upper face like Raven sometimes, and the hair with ears seemed covered too. The nose and fangs, several wicked fangs curl in a pleasure all their own "I can't take the power. It's not mine to give. You ever hear of Enchantment spells? They offer to enhance preexisting power or abilities. What I used was a special Enchantment that causes the flame of one's soul to manifest in the presence of demonic energy. However, it must have a trigger and like the soul one's emotions like rage and so forth cause the fires to grow to full aura." Will nods "Then why don't you remove the Enchantment?"

Akaige shakes his head still smiling "Now why would I do that? I mean a waste of my time and what precious little time you may have left too."

"What?" Will gets irritated, little time left? "What do you mean?"

"Any spell has a kind of repercussion. For example, your Enchantment has the effect that it will keep rising the fire in your soul again and again. Eventually the flame will rise to a certain height of power and well…" Will is struck with realization as Akaige slaps him on the shoulder, "Ashes to ashes, and dust to dust."

Will gets a strong snarl and turns on Akaige "I'll use this power on you then!"

Will got angry, but nothing happened "I made the spell so it can not be used against me, duh. Also, the spell will only settle off and return you to normal if you finish what was started."

Will scream as he threw a punch "I'll use my bare…" Akaige's force launches Will onto a wall holding him there. Akaige steps up to Will saying "Look, it's not like you have no choice. You could always not do this simple task of putting your life on the line and being ripped to shreds by horrid hell beasts and allow yourself to combust in a large flare of soul fire." Akaige hears the growling of Will and chuckles, "Oh, well I guess you don't do you?"

"Okay I'll do it. Of course I won't exactly like it."

"I really didn't think you would Slade." Akaige whips his claw allowing Will to drop down. "Now that you understand what's going on I guess there's no need for you to be here."

"Wait! Why me? What do you need them dead for?"

"Because you're the best at what you do Slade!" Akaige pushes Will into a portal, "That other question is nothing you need to be concerned with. After all, you need to worry over not having any sudden hot flashes any time soon!"


Will shoots up startling Cyborg. Cyborg was so surprised he prompted his cannon making Will kick up the arm having it miss-fire to the ceiling. With rubble flakes bopping Cyborg he coughs uneasily, "Sorry about that man. Sort of caught me off guard is all."

"Quite understandable. Where's Raven hiding?"

Cyborg looks up saying "Well, I convinced her to go get a little rest or something. She was stressing out from you way too much."

"I never intended on making her worry." Will sits up and grabs his shirt "Did she see me like this?"

"She brought you like this except you did have a shirt before." Slade shifts his coat to the side seeing all the damage "Okay you want to leave but wait and talk to…"

"I can't." Will stood up flexing his arms, his eye looks as he seems to sense a fire in him literally burning through his own veins "I know it's sudden but right now I must work on something. Can I use your phone?"

"Sure." Cyborg gives a phone to Slade before turning and trying to hail Raven with the intercom. "Wintergreen? I need you at Titans Tower yesterday. It's urgent." He listens, "No… I didn't do anything unusual… No that's not it either… She is fine too so stop…" Will sighs before hanging up "He needs to calm down."

Will steps out the door now noticing the titans all here, his stare fell on the eyes in a hood. "Why are you leaving so soon?"

"Because I choose to." Will walks past the teenagers making to the door. He notices the more annoyed stares but now was not the time. Raven however was not going to just let him leave. While the others stayed back and stare she follows after down the steps letting her cape flap over the steps. Will makes a sort of dash but the need and concern of her voice speaking his name strikes him hard, turning he finds her one hand on the banister and one foot ahead of the other. The face, though shrouded in the darkness still found so magnificence with her worry a contrast to the beauty shown through her eyes. Steps from the door Will merely stopped and now in his own defeat, he sighs to lean off his last foot to the exit so he could be there fully.

Raven was somewhat surprised he seemed more determined to leave than that. She did not realize the comfort her being gave him. How in all his life the world has been cold and dark and yet her own darkness acted as a fixture to allow some good, light to shine on him. The moment gave way to calm and Will offers a smile "My dear?"

"…." She was quite in the moment as she noticed his body gave to her fully. Instead of his own wish, he surrendered. This man of excellence and precision gave on his will for hers. It now struck her how humorous it could be he was Will, in form and definition he was not just a man called this but in truth, the essence of Will.

Will figures if he stayed it would complex things but in truth he did not want to leave "Rae I must leave but only for now. In time you will understand. Until then I will call you later to let you know everything is okay."

Raven is silent but her head nods. Somehow this was enough. "Please do."

Will shifts to the door and opens it; his eye was placid and calm. The view of a limousine made Raven pop her head up "Is that a limo?"

"Yes my butler is driving." Will steps out into the sky; he looks up noticing the blackness of the night and soon clouds. "It's going to rain tonight. I'll make sure not to stay out too long."

Wintergreen walks over to Will and offers a new jacket; Will sweeps it over his shoulders and nods "Thank you Wintergreen. Oh say hello to Raven."

Wintergreen has a slight smile "Raven, a pleasure to meet you finally."

"The…" She seems in awe with the limo and a butler "Pleasure is all mine."

The two prepare to leave and Raven watches them drive off. Turning around she closes the door to hear a knock. Raven was startled, but she guessed Will returned for something. Opening the door she finds a man in all black in a long brim hat. With a black scarf covering the lower face he seems more hidden than Raven, his eyes in darkness all that seems to peer into her startled face was the same darkness. "May I speak to Will?"

"Will just left."

The man stood there, he was motionless. Until he faults over smashing his head down and feet up, "D'oh!"

Raven jumps back from the sudden action, "Are you okay?"

"I missed him!" The man props up on his legs crouched over and holding a fist at his front tight enough to make it shake "Every freaking time I miss that one-eyed ragamuffin!"

Raven was a little confused but she sees the bag "That's my bag! You brought it here?"

"Huh?" The man looks to the bag and jumps up squealing, rushing over he flings out his arm like a boy scout doing a good deed, "Tee-hee! Here ya go little lady! The least I can do for my old pal Will."

"Thank you…" Raven reaches out and realized what he said "You're a friend of Will's?"

"Yep." Raven takes the bag and motions him to follow her, "We met after some big project he went into." The man lowers his head saying so only he could hear "Also after the one I was in."


The room is filled with screams, obscenities, and most important… laughter. The Preacher was knelt as he heard Joker swing his chair and then other un-nailed objects across the room. His mind in a blind rage Joker soon slows down taking heavy, heaving breaths. Preacher stands asking "Are you…" The Preacher raises his staff and a field blocks the boxing-glove on a spring. The Joker heaves more breaths before detaching the glove from his vest and straightening his hair "Okay, now I think I'm done."

Preacher nods and Joker sits into his little throne chair rubbing his chin "I expected things to get interesting with all the commotion that guy made with me. The fact he killed two of you guys, some of the best assassins in the world makes me wonder how that could be." The Joker pines out his smile to Preacher "Unless you guys are not so great after all. Which now makes me wonder why the hell," The Joker raises his gun firing "I'm paying you idiots?"

Preacher deflected the bullet with his powers, "I understand your rage."

"Oh you do, do you?" The Joker hops up and steps down several steps to the knelt Preacher "So what are we going to do about it?"

"The Brood will continue working for you until the matter has been settled. Also, the senior members will arrive with two more members soon. Not to mention all further dealings will be free of charge even the senior members who come. This is only a small way of apologizing for the mistakes of our former members."

The Joker nods and raises his head up going "Hm, that all seems like a good apology however…" The Joker latches his hands onto Preacher's scruff and pulls him into facial contact. With the green eyes mixing with a red type of color, hate bore from his snarling grin as he screams "I don't want apologies! I want freaking results!" The Joker tightened the hold choking Preacher before tossing him to the ground hard and painfully. Joker grabs his collar and straightens it letting a slight laugh go "My, my this matter does have me in a tiff. I do believe I need to let some steam out of my system. Get the boys we're heading off to do a little bank heist!"


Will stood at the side of a pond in the park. He simply was thinking on everything that's been going on in his life. "These new powers. If I didn't have them I could have…"

Will realized soon after his little trip that touching Raven could set off his new powers. They act on the trigger of demonic energy. Will figured it out that her demonic energy would trigger off his powers especially since it burns more around her, most likely from her demonic essence. When he stood here he figured he could have time to himself. The park was very nice, but soon it would rain. Looking up Will sighs a little thinking on the weather and yes even Raven.

"Now and again," Will's eye shifts over to the young man in a black coat who instantly Will recognize from the bathroom at the movies, "Men seem to look to the sky in search of answers. You have to admit that's not working is it?"

"I was trying to figure out the weather." He smiles a little as the man shrugs and looks to the water as well "So you came here to look at the waves over the water too?"

"Waves over the skin of the water, the breeze flowing over the limbs of the trees, things like that everyone should try to enjoy at least now and again."

Will looks up to the sky once more "I'm not really in the mood to talk about spirituality."

"Then what about problems; or perhaps not problems but more concerns?"

Will narrows his eye to the waters "My problem is very complicated. I never should have allowed myself to fall in love."

"You think it's so easy? To just not do something like falling in love?" The man spits into the pond rippling the water "Tell you what since the day of love is coming so soon, February, I'll tell you my little love story and we'll see where it takes a man like you."

"Why the hell should I care?"

"You don't have to. I just find it's nice to get this thing off my chest near Valentine's day. A month or less away and I'm already feeling the effects of this damn holiday." The man shifts uneasily "So you want to hear or what?"

"Unless it starts raining."

"Alright let me fill you in on my little sad romance. Oh, and uh by the way," The man lets out his hand and shakes firmly with Will, "Nice to meet you again… Mr.?"

"Ah, Will, but my full name's Slade Wilson."

"Well than Will allow me to tell you my story…"


Raven stood in the shower letting the water stroll over her, breaths deep and hectic as her mind was now buzzing "Why did this have to happen?"

Earlier, Will's friend sat down and ate with the titans. They had normal conversations, Robin asked Star what she was doing with her hair as it seemed nicer than usual, Cyborg was bragging about his mad skills as Beast Boy corrected he had madder skills, while Raven was talking to their new friend about Will. "So you met him in a café? That's not too uncommon for him. He's always been a bit anti-social."

"I noticed, but so am I. It's why we get along so well."

"Hm," The stranger did not take his hat off he ate through the collar of his coat and over the scarf he pulled down to munch under it. "I can see that so have you ever been in a relationship before?"

"Yes," She seems to turn her head a little "I was in one before."

"Was it an older man?"

"I guess so."

"Your father, how is your relationship with him?"

At this point Robin has noticed the change in their guest's voice. It seems more playful, like the playful a cat becomes with a mouse. "I… I don't really get along with my father."

"I kind of expected that." The man sips a long bit of his drink, placing it down he pants and speaks up again "The psychological profile of girls who have relationships with older men have been found as those with poor father relationships. In a way they say those girls are trying to replace the role model in their lives with an older man sort of displacing affection, that's what they call it I believe."

Raven has her head tilted down thinking about it "I love him."

"Perhaps my dear." The man lifts up his glass "Just like he loved his Ex-wife."

The titans have silenced from the sound of Raven's fork clicking on her plate, "Ex-wife?"

"What?" The man slaps his cheek in 'stunned' awe "He never told you he was once married? Why, next you'll tell me he didn't tell you about the kids!"

The table cracks as did Raven's dully stunned eyes now cracking wide in more horror "Kids? He has kids?"

"E-gad! You mean he didn't tell you that either!" The man grabs his fork and shoveling in more he munches before saying "I guess that makes sense. I mean he is a deadbeat dad. He never takes them out or nothing from what I remember his wife just wanted away from him. He is a bit on the violent side anyway." He eats the last bit and motions his fork to Raven's plate, "Uh, you going to eat that?"

Raven's eyes had shaken up till now. "No…" The man grabs the plate and she scrambles to the bathroom crying fiercely. The lights all blew under her storming run and the man devours the meal before the table collapses, "Gee… she seems a bit emotional."

The titans look at the man with a large bit of anger. Robin pushes away his seat asking "Who the hell are you?"

"Like I said I'm an old friend of Will's, back when we called him Deathstroke."

Cyborg glares asking "When you say that, were you a friend or a nemesis?"

"Hm, I guess if you want to get technical," He glares his brow from the hood "I was a rival. He and I fought over contracts for some of the biggest criminals and others like that all our lives. He got the good jobs, I got the semi-good jobs, but in the end we never did get the one we wanted most." The man stands up and tugs his hat down a little "Well best be off. After this I can't wait to hear from the old-boy! I bet he's really pissed when he finds out Dead Man made his girlfriend bawl her poor little eyes out," He rubs his eyes in jest "Boo-hoo-hoo my boyfriend is a divorce."

Robin swings a punch but it never hit, the man seemed to just appear behind Robin and even the others were stopped in the speed, "Uh… a little more to the left maybe?" The man walks around Robin tapping his still startled shoulder "Relax kid these things happen. You just need a little more practice." The man opens the door and leaves. Robin simply blinks with his fist at his chest "I never saw him move."

"Neither did I and I have animal sight! He was as fast as… as…"

Robin's teeth grind as he hisses out "Slade…"


Will listens to the story for a while. From sixth grade up to eleventh this man had a girl that seemed obsessed with him. In sixth grade she talked to him trying to make him her friend, but if you couldn't tell he never made many friends with his colder attitude. She eventually told him about her emotional problems with her mother leaving her with an abusive grandfather. It was weird because most his life the boy didn't seem to get along with others but when this girl sat down and forced herself into his life he did seem to find some common ground. Even though he never talked about his life she seemed more than happy to have a person to just talk to without being afraid she might be turned in. Well, this lasted a while but eventually she wanted to be more than friends. He said no because he still didn't find himself too thrilled with people so when she disappeared he felt he was responsible. The truth is she told another boy trying to get back at him but the other boy instead told the counselor and so she was taken away. They were supposed to help her but the incident only made her more unstable.

Normally the story would end here, but by some weird twist of fate the two meet yet again. In ninth grade she reappears and the boy wasn't as anti-social as before. He still didn't get along with most people but now he was… dealing, with them batter. The girl and boy didn't even notice it was the same person from before so when they did talk it wasn't until she started telling him about the time she was with her grandparents and always feeling upset. The boy talked to her a lot like before, she mostly told him about her problems and he listened. Thanks to the 'help' she got she was now slightly suicidal and even had an eating disorder. She had some bad relationships with some guys from her previous school. The boy helped her out and soon they got sort of close, so much she even asked if he wanted to be her new boyfriend. This time he thought about it but somehow he came up with the idea that with everything that happened to her, with others and her family, that if something went wrong between them she might not deal with it too well. It wasn't like he didn't like the girl but he felt this was the better choice. It was too because she liked more having the guy around as her friend than a boyfriend.

For a while it was like an unusual bliss. The guy had no more problems with people; he even became nice to most. The girl became more confident and soon she became even popular, tried her chance at cheerleading, and she had almost everyone's ear. The boy was pretty popular too since half the damn people she knew also knew him, which annoyed him since people called him by his name but he had no clue who the hell they were, even less he cared. The girl often asked the boy who he liked, or if he was even thinking of dating but each time he merely brushed it off. It was only after she had a really bad break up with one guy that he did something stupid to ruin both their friendships. It was sad seeing her cry over this one because he was a real jerk from the get go. The mistake was seeing her like this made the guy finally lean over and grab her chin, when she looked at his eyes she had a sort of want in them that he maybe mistook and when he leaned in he kissed her. She seemed kind of stunned at the moment but when she realized what happened she stood up straight and got really excited. It seems that she didn't break up with her last boyfriend, but after the kiss she did officially dump him. Now the two were together, and it went really well. For so long the girl smiled like never before, and the guy even gave an occasional smile he didn't normally have.

The time came for him to meet her parents. She was so excited as was the boy, but he didn't have a clue what he was going into. Her parents adopted her a while back and seemed protective of her. They saw his black trench, slicked hair, and defiant stance and walk instantly making him into a 'punk' in their eyes. The mother even asked him if he was a drug peddler, he was not and took it as a joke but her parents meant it. A little after the date, the guy was told he was never allowed to date her anymore which began the real problems. The girl started dating again and the guy did get a little iffy about it. Mainly he didn't want to hear about how she felt about the new guy, at least not two days after they broke up. She did that a lot, after a break up she found a new boyfriend in under a week. He was not upset she found someone, he was even slightly happy for her but you could at least give a guy some buffer room. She had him at her hip all the time, and at times she seemed to shove it in the guy's face how she had a new boyfriend. One of her friends said she liked making him jealous, but she soon pushed too far. She one day noticed all his friends moved to another table, she told the guy if he did the same they were not going to be friends anymore. They left because they hated seeing the guy being put right there seeing the girl with another guy. They knew he wasn't one to show emotion but he had tells, like when he was pleased and especially when he was miserable. The guy didn't leave her though, not at first. His friends kept telling him she was playing sick ass games that she was taking too much pleasure in seeing him get upset. He didn't believe them until finally she said it was nice to have such a loyal friend, like a good dog only better. This caught the guy, he was a dog? He was just some pet? Some form of freaking support for her own pleasure at will? The hell with that!

"So…" The guy tosses a stone watching it sink "The end result I stopped being her friend I loved her, and in a way it was probably her just trying to keep things from being too hard on her." The guy starts to leave "She once said I was the perfect guy because I could be one of the most understanding guys but I also had something around a mystery to me. Maybe my mystery was I never really told her about myself." The guy kicks another rock before pulling his coat closely "Maybe since I kept myself so far from her I also was not able to notice the truth. I spent all those years with her but never could I have seen her doing something like that to me."

Will looks from the guy and to the pond still rippling "It's a sad story but where does it help me?"

"Where does it not? Now since I made my mistakes I learned some things. Mostly I just learned one thing is trust you need some honest trust when you want to make a relationship."

"Oh well thanks for nothing." Will was turning to leave when the guy was up to him close "There was something else Will. A relationship is two things, wondrous and dangerous. You can love a person with all your heart but if they don't love you it's not beyond love to turn to hate. When a person thinks you are perfect, you are everything, the moment you prove them wrong is the moment they hate you." The sky now begins to let drips of water free, "Glass turns brittle in the rain. Love, turns brittle when weathering storms. If you're not careful like glass it will break and become jagged. If you hurt her she will most likely hurt you back." The guy begins leaving but he looks up "Actually, I often wonder if she ever truly loved me would she be so easy to hate me for failing her? I really wish I understood this mess more. Maybe your girl won't hurt you like mine did Will. Maybe you'll get a happy ending that I never was able to get."

Will watched the guy leaving with the rain falling slowly, "Who are you?"

The guy merely looks overt his shoulder, "I often go by the name Pakkrat. I hope you like my story it all was very true."

Will feels the water now beating down harder, "Hey!" Pakk turns around and Will nods "Thank you."

"Anytime. I actually enjoy talking about it. It reminds me I'm still human because usually after that ordeal," Pakkrat walks into the darkness of the falling rain "I have trouble remembering that."

Will looks back to the water before turning to the man that left "I guess we all have trouble in love someday. But luckily my luck seems to be changing."


Robin slams his fist down as Beast Boy says 'I told you so' for the fifth time "You have to do me one favor shut up!"

"What? I told you the guy was no good!"

"I do not understand why friend Will would not inform us of previous mates as well as his offspring!"

"Because the guy is a low down, rotten," Cyborg slaps Beast Boy speaking up "He has his reasons like anyone else. The thing really bugs me is can we trust the guy who came here and told us all this stuff?"

"Yeah he didn't seem the most trustable person. The only reason he even got in was he said he knew Will and he brought Raven's dress."

Cyborg has the bag looking it over "Nothing odd here either so he's not one of our villains in disguise."

"Could he be Will's? Will was a vigilante at one time in his life." Robin thinks about this idea "If so we best keep an eye on him. He only seemed interested in seeing Raven."

The alarm goes off Cyborg looks at his arm and snaps out "Another Bank heist Robin. This seems like a no-deal job you want us to get Raven?"

"No Raven is too emotional. This news, I think she needs a bit of time alone. I'll take Star with me to see what's happening you stay here with Beast Boy and watch over Raven."


"Oh how glorious it is seeing the fear upon your own misfortunate hostages?" Several men and women look up to the pale faced villain who gloats over their own capture. Joker was pleased with this heist though it seemed a bit tacky. Joker never did something only half way he would make it much more fun later. His long cane with the laughing golden head of his own visage made the men move more in each clack. The second one man began stuffing his pockets with dollar bills Joker snarls slapping his cane over the man's back "What the hell are you doing?"

"I was stocking up on money! You know, the idea was…" another slap the man hits the ground "I know the plan I am the plan!"

Joker kicks the man and screams "Listen here you idiots! I want only that which dignifies me! I want pearls, as in pearly whites; I want diamonds, as in sparkling gems; I even want silver and gold, as in a silver smile and golden grin. I don't want greenbacks because," The Joker pulls the man up and shoves the dollar bills down the man's throat, stuffing deep the man begins choking and eventually as Joker shoves more bills down the man gags and falls over pulling out the bucks to breathe. "It is too much like spinach always getting stuck between your teeth." The Joker twirls and smiles "Really nasty stuff isn't it?"

Joker now notices a flier and pulls it off. His grin grew widely "Well hello, look what we have here!" Joker snaps his staff on the ground "Okay I think we're done here! Put these blokes into the vault."

"Sir why the vault?"

"Oh because," He holds a yellow container with the words 'Smilex' on the cover "After all I hate to leave anywhere without a smile."


Will was noticing the rain now falling fairly hard. He sighs and returns to the limo outside the park waiting. Sitting in the back he thinks about Raven, "I should call her."

Picking up the phone he calls her now knowing her number. She does not answer instead it was Beast Boy. "Well, well, if it isn't good old Will. How you been buddy?"

"You seem unusually happy with yourself. So where is Raven?"

"Oh she's been in the bathroom taking a bath, that and crying."

"Crying? Why is she crying?"

"Oh just the fact a certain someone never told her about his wife and kids. Tell me Will why did you forget to mention that to us?"

Will seems to get a slight growl, 'Who the hell told them that? I wasn't ready for her to know just yet!' "Who told you that?"

"Ah-ha! So you don't deny it! Luckily a guy in black came by saying he was your friend and he let us in on the whole thing!"

Will was confused but when his mind remembers he is gawking "Dead Man?"

"…." Beast Boy blinks "Are you threatening me?"

"No! The man, it was Dead Man! He's here, and if he saw Raven then…" The line goes dead. Beast Boy flicks his ears since the name Dead Man never bodes well "I have a feeling this is going to get worse."

Will tries to dial again, "I'm sorry, this line has been disconnected."

Will slams his phone down screaming an obscenity, now he opens the window to Wintergreen "Is my suit here?"

"The formal or… other?"

Will lays back into his limo letting a cast of the moonlit storm cover him in darkness "Which do you think Wintergreen?"


Robin enters the bank and notices the ransacking "This looks bad they left already whoever it was." He looks seeing the dollar bills all over the floor. Starfire asks with confusion "Why leave such quantities of money on the ground? They do not seem very logical if truly criminals."

"No!" Robin runs over to the vault and opens a panel to see the air consul was rigged with a Smilex canister "Damn it! He was here!"

"Robin! Do not use such…" She is handed a gun from Robin's belt, it was a vial gun with some strange liquid inside "This is batch number 13, Joker's little fun luck charm in Smilex. He knows I only carry so much in the anti-serum!" Robin offers a mask as well "Put this on Star! When it's open you have to inoculate any survivors and try to only go for the older members, younger people…" He puts the mask on shallowing his eyes "The younger generation can't handle the toxins and normally die soon after exposure."

"I can not ignore children!"

"Do it! That's an order! It's a waste of serum if we don't!" Robin readies to open the door "Now get ready."

Starfire holds up the gun as the door opens, she hears laughter from inside the vault unlike what she ever knew. It echoes out and Starfire grimaces as the first person falls out with the smile and tears, a man in his mid thirties. She notices Robin now readying his own device, "Starfire! Get to work! Every second counts!"

Starfire uses the device and the man slowly goes silent sleeping in some time. The two enter the vault and in hours they would finish saving lives, but also excluding others.


"So he was called 'Dead Man'? Sounds like he might just be an old enemy of Will's."

"Still doesn't mean he's not a good guy. For all we know Will is the real villain."

"You saw him save Raven and fight The Joker! Why are you busting the guy's chops?"

"Because! He fought Joker to save himself, as for Raven he may be trying to use her like Mal…"

"Don't even go there yo!" Cyborg places a finger in Beast Boy's face "I admit Will is a bit creepy but we need to give him a chance. You of all people know what it's like to lose someone B.B. think how bad it would be if it happened to Raven twice!"

Beast Boy shies his eyes and ears down, "Yeah, I understand."

"Good now let's go find Raven and see if she needs any words of encouragement." Cyborg cracks his knuckles "I mean encouragement too B.B.!"


The silhouette of Raven was within the glass wall steam rolling over the frame of her slender form. The door opens letting the man in black to enter glaring his hat on the girl in the bath. Making slow and silent steps forward he raises a small pistol with a silencer towards the glass. With that moment he readies to squeeze the trigger when he hears "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The gun breaks to pieces, and the silhouette disappears as a simple hallucination. Next he is flung through the door and into the hall where he lays on his back still. Raven steps out with her body wrapped in a towel tightly. Glaring her eyes glow replacing her towel with the leotard and hood, "Who are you really?"

Dead Man leaps up catching her off guard, he swings around her and latched his one arm around her neck the other over her waist "They call me Dead Man." A blue blast smacks the Dead Man off Raven and to another wall. Cyborg closes his cannon and asks "That's what you're going to be you ever touch Raven like that again!"

Dead Man stands up cracking his body and neck in a fashion only known to be Slade's "Aw, is that so? I must say so cute of you to think you can kill me." Dead Man makes a mad dash to the roof where the three titans begin following "So we can rule out him being one of the good guys."

"No duh! Why does he remind me of Slade?"

Raven snarls "Maybe it's his apprentice! Maybe their trying to break me and Will up and all those things he said were lies!" They break to the roof where the rain falls like mad. It makes the roof so wet and slick that seeing Dead Man with only the balm of his foot holding him up on an antenna confused the teenagers. "I was an apprentice in the fact I idolized the man you call Slade. I do not work with him anymore; he thought I was a bit too psychotic even for his tastes. As for what I said Will is all the things I said for him, Slade, and I all are very closely knitted together." Dead Man raises his head "Now let's see. I got you up here for a reason…" He slams his hands together "Oh now I remember! I brought you all here to kill you!"

"Easier said than done pal!" Beast Boy runs over turning to a wolf to lunge up attacking. Dead Man leaps off the spot and knees the lunging wolf while mid-air; even as the wolf was reacting Dead Man clasps another hand on its back scruff pulling it off while taking the one free palm to slam that into the wolf's side face. When on the ground Beast Boy lay still with a slight twitch spasm, Dead Man stands tall to step his one foot up and kick the wounded hound to the side with a whimper. "Seems as easily said and done."

The next thing Cyborg opens fire with his cannon but the Dead Man leaps over the blast to now run past and under each incoming beam. Raven flew into the air and ripped pieces from the tower trying to trip this enemy but he used them as vaults, hopping from them each like hopping stones until reaching Cyborg. Cyborg closes the cannons; in hand to hand he finds this enemy too fast to hit as he would duck and leap past any strong punch countering with slight flips of his fingers over Cyborg's body. Cyborg screams to try and fire but when he does the whole arm breaks off in sparks, his body goes numb and Cyborg falls on one knee.

Dead Man looks up to see Raven startled as Cyborg was trying to rebuild his broken arm. "How did you do that?"

"You think that was something?" Dead Man pulls out from his coat two semi-automatics and raises them up "Like shooting Raven's in a barrel!" he lets long sprays of auto-fire which Raven deflects with her shields. Dead Man strafes off behind some protruding vent shaft to grab out from his jacket to toss something after twisting it. Raven grabs the object in her powers but it flashes a bright light. Her eyes are dazed so when Dead Man starts firing again Raven was unable to block. She did raise her shields but some bullets did pass and her one left shoulder got hit. The impact caused her to loose concentration so falling from the sky she smashes hard on the ground.

Dead Man walks over with one gun on his shoulder vertically "This was a little bit too easy kids. I thought people who could slow down Slade would prove more challenge than this."

A blue beam hits the one gun at Dead Man's side, he turns having the other struck out as he pointed it. Cyborg fires a third beam hitting Dead Man across the roof some distance before soon standing and going to investigate "Cyborg! Don't do it!"

"Relax Rae! I used a full blast that would knock anyone cold for a while."

Cyborg looked to Raven and gave a smile, turning around he was not smiling as Dead Man was gone "Wh…" his eyes widen with a sickening sound of metal scraping metal, he screams grabbing his abdomen where oil leaks from a straight cut. Dead Man skids to a halt with a long shining blade dripping in crude oil. It was a katana sword; a strange wavy design separates the back and blade with a hilt of black leather crested with golden emblems. Dead Man stands up letting his sword lay at his side slightly, a breath of relaxation matches the strike of lightning behind him while Cyborg hunches on his side opening his cannon to fire. Dead Man stood still turning his face to Cyborg before another flash and he was gone. Cyborg twitches as he has a arm grasping over his neck pulling him up, and from behind the breath speaks into his ears "I'm not anyone boy. I'm the Dead Man." A surge in Cyborg's face showing pain as his chest spurts in the center, a blade exits straight through his chest making Cyborg release a long scream. The scream ends and Cyborg falls on his knees, now the blade exits before Dead Man pushes Cyborg out of his way. Cyborg fell and his hand reaches up to try and grab the coat of Dead Man to pull him away from the path he makes towards Raven but his body and mechanics grew weak. The hand falls with a loud slap on the watery rooftop and the red eye dies now only letting the human eye watch helpless as Raven crawls on her back from the now stalking Dead Man.

Raven stops a moment and turns to where the guns are. She raises a hand and calls the gun to her hand pointing it up at Dead Man he merely keeps strolling to her. "I'll shoot! Stop or I'll shoot!"

"Do it." He merely says it like nothingness. There was no emotion or response just an order. She holds the gun shakily as rain now begins to blur her eyes. Pulling the trigger bullets fly and riddle the Dead Man's form all over making holes and points where his outfit blew off. Shaking in the bullets he falls on his knees, and then to the front he drops letting Raven stop shooting and drop the gun to the ground. Raven lets her head drop taking a breath before hearing some kind of laughter. Turning up slowly she sees the body of black pushing up and standing on one knee before asking "Did you think a Dead Man was that easy to kill? It is much more difficult than simply a couple bullets in the torso."

Raven screams flinging her powers as claws but Dead Man grabs the claws with his hands to push against them on his heels. Raven strains with her one arm as the shoulder was bleeding but she screams to try one more push. Dead Man swings out his arms in a flexing press, she screams and her energy claws snap so he can rush in and press his one foot into her throat. Pressing her down he holds the blade to her nose "I am the one who will end his suffering Raven. His soul like mine will forever wander unless it is ceased. Only I can cease his wandering as only he can cease mine."

The blade glistens as trailing rain drips on her nose. Raven shook from the blade so close to her face but the voice screaming "If you don't back off of her you're going to be a real Dead Man!"

Dead Man retracts the blade and turns to the end of the tower before one twist of his foot knocks Raven cold "Slade I was wondering if I would ever get to see you." Slade stood with his arms behind his back a single eye staring down through the rain. Slade made a slight stroll towards Dead Man asking "Have you been in town long looking for me or Deathstroke?"

"I guess you could say I was looking for you both." He chuckles "Poor kids have no idea do they?"

"No, but that's not a concern for you. Now that you found me it's time we finish things."

"Why not?" Dead Man holds up his sword as Slade does the same with his own. With a sudden flash of lightning Slade screams while charging to clash blades with Dead Man. The two clash blades in a strike of thunder and lightning, the water splashes over their bodies emphasizing their muscles bearing on one another's might. Pushing off Slade stabs forward only having his sword clacked away, Dead Man tries a swipe but Slade blocks to duck under and split them apart with distance. The two held different stances, Dead Man a more eastern manner as Slade had a western type fencing manner.

"I always knew it was with us Slade. We will end each other's wandering. Only I can give you eternal rest," Dead Man screams in a charge, "As well you me!"

The two now spark blades across the tower's top, Slade and Dead Man pass one another, tangle a moment with flurries of the blades, than pass with another dash and slash. A few rounds of this and the two slow down to show bleeding arms and legs nothing serious as their bodies seemed to heal soon after each attack. Dead Man pulls out his gun and fires but Slade dodges pulling from his punches strange disks. The disks break Dead Man's gun, he now turns to his sword again this time making dotting stabs. Slade pulls back and deflects the stabbing attacks before sheathing the sword and calling out his staff. Bouncing the sword up Slade swings the staff's one end down pointing it on the enemy he twists a staff's end to make a barrel on the other end, and a handle. Slade pulls he handle and it fires on Dead Man.

Dead Man had sprung back trying to go flat but the bullet hits his hat causing it to fall and skid on the roof. Dead Man rolls on his back to his feet to stretch the blade out with his right arm. Slade saw his opponent and narrows his eye "So you're just as ugly as ever Deadpool."

Dead Man glares with his colorless eyes "You son of a… I don't go by that name anymore and you know it!" His eyes were dead in pigmentation but he could still see. The bald head was with marks over his skin where his skin seems scarred. The many marks seemed like those of Freddy Krueger, exactly as disfigured only as he removed the scarf his teeth were perfectly formed. "I'm the Dead Man, Slade. You know that I can't die until you kill me, and I won't die until I kill you!"

The two run at each other now sparking weapons, but Slade kicks away the one sword just as Dead Man kicked away his. The two now go hand to hand with palm strikes and punches. Their own speed was inhuman, their reaction time a marvel as each knew the other's attacks too soon. Slade makes a palm strike but Dead Man does a roll and kicks up his one foot. Slade stammers and has no time to react to the roll and leap kick to his own jaw. Slade sprawls on his back as Dead Man falls on his two feet. "That was a bit surprising." Dead Man runs over and kicks the scrambling Slade in the sides making him roll across the tower trailing water with his form. Dead Man walks slowly as a flash of lightning hides his sudden rush now kicking Slade again to the edge of the tower's roof. Dead Man chuckles before hearing something, "What happened here?"

Dead Man turns with Slade towards Robin and Starfire now coming. Dead Man sighs before kicking off one foot high up and to the ground he kicks the hat into one hand "I guess I can wait a little longer. What's another day or two compared to the time we've been mortal enemies?" Slade glares as Dead Man puts on his hat and trails the brim of his hat with one hand "Don't think next time I'll let you just leave so easily."

Dead Man runs off the edge and dives into the waters below leaving Slade to stare into the waters going mad with the rain. If it was a normal man he would have died and probably drowned. However, this was the Dead Man and he just complicated his life once more. Slade notices the sound of Robin and Starfire now at his back. He turns to see their stances "Help your friends Robin because this has truly become more difficult." He tosses smoke screens and escapes. Robin shakes away the smoke and finds his friends in danger "Starfire let's get them to the medical lab. We need some answers on what just happened."

Note: New chapter, more twists and a great new villain. That one segment earlier was a true story… not sure if I even should put it in just because I hate being bugged about how stupid I was. I really let myself be a tool but hey what you going to do? Deadpool is often a hero, but he's also a villain so in this story I use him as a villain. He makes a much more interesting villain for a Slade story. What do you all think? Until next time keep reading you all!