Disclaimer: No, I don't own the Teen Titans. I'm just a kid who thinks that she can do a better job than the TV writers. ;) I do however own Ell. She's mine and has been so for three years. Back off.

Persona Non Grata

Ell froze in the doorway to the living room in complete horror and shock. This could not be happening. He could not be here! Titan Tower had security systems! This was impossible! Slade could not be standing at the living room window looking out on the bay.

"Hello, Ell," Slade said calmly.

Ell just stood there. She was basically defenseless. She was at his mercy.

"How's your leg? Is it still broken?" He turned around and looked at her. "I see it still is. How sad." It was said mockingly. He had the upper hand. They both knew it.

"Get out," Ell ordered rather stupidly.

"Red X did a good job."

"Didn't you hear – Wait. What the hell do you mean 'X did a good job'?!"

Behind his mask, Slade grinned mischievously.

"You hired him to do this to me?" Ell shot daggers at him, but then smirked. "What, couldn't do it yourself? Pathetic, Slade. You actually have to have someone do your work for you. Oh, wait, you've always been like that. How utterly pathetic." She knew that saying this to him was a bad idea, but if she could insult him she would. He has everything he gets coming to him.

He narrowed his eyes. "Have you thought about my offer?" he asked coldly.

"Yeah. I'm not joining you. Ever."

Slade chuckled dangerously as he walked around the couch. "You will eventually. You've been a villain too long to be a hero."

"Shut up and get the hell out!"

Slade just kept walking. "You enjoyed being with me. Being able to do what you want with whom you fought. Being able to ki —"

"SHUT UP!" The lights began to flicker, but still Slade walked toward her.

"Kill. The Titans won't let you do that will they?" He stopped because by now he was at the foot of the stairs.

"That's it," Ell spat venomously. She gathered some energy up and fired at Slade who dodged it. In retaliation he whipped out his bo-staff and swept her feet out from under her. Ell screamed in pain as Slade walked up the rest of the stairs.

"I'll ask you again," he put the butt of the staff against her neck, "will you join me?"

She glared at him. She couldn't think straight enough to blast him. "What happens if I say no?"

Ell could hear the grin in his voice. "What do you think?"

Ell considered her options. She could say 'yes' and live, or she could say 'no' and die. Would he really kill her though? If he wanted her back as badly as it seemed would he really kill her? Was she willing to take that risk? Was her life more important to her than her friends? Was she really that selfish?

'You've been a villain too long to be a hero.'

Why did Slade always have to be right?

Ell sighed sadly. "Fine. Now get your damn stick out of my face and help me up."

Slade put his staff away and helped her up. "I knew that you would agree."

"Shut up. I'm only doing this to save my life," she said as she grabbed her crutches.

"What about your parents? What about vengeance? Some of this is about them."

"I would have given them what they deserved eventually."

"Eventually may be sooner that you think." Ell could hear his sadistic smile in his words. She had forgotten how much she hated it.

And loved it.

"ELL!" A voice rang throughout the house clearly displaying the worry and concern of its owner.

"Robin," she whispered hollowly.

Slade grinned beneath the mask. Ell could hear it. "You said you were doing this to save your life. Start saving it."

"ELL!" The voice was more strained this time.

"No. I can't! I'm –" in love! she finished in her head, but aloud she finished, "—injured!"

"And yet, you had no problem firing a shot at me. Do it," Slade commanded.

"I can't. You knocked the wind out of me."

Ell and Slade could hear the footsteps of the other Titans running down the hallways. They were close.

"Do it," he commended again, this time with an edge.

Ell groaned in anger. Now she really hated Slade. She powered up as slowly as possible to give the Titans a chance to get to them. Lucky for her they did.

"SLADE!" Robin roared in anger as he and the others rounded the corner into the hallway leading into the living room.

"DO IT!" Slade hissed at Ell.

"NO!" she yelled back with confidence.

"Duck!" Cyborg yelled to Ell. She ducked just as he fired a shot at Slade. Slade's eyes widened in surprise as he jumped out of the way. The shot hit the couch.

"Traitor," he hissed to Ell. As the dust settled Slade scrambled to the window, broke it, and jumped out.

He was gone before any of the Titans knew what had happened.

Ell looked up and saw the five other Titans on the far side of the hall running to her and she started bawling. She could not believe what she had just done. Robin grabbed her, and held her in his arms as she cried and mumbled over and over again, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It's ok," he said softly. "It's ok. Slade's gone now." What happened? What did that bastard do to make her this upset?

Robin and Ell sat there for at least an hour. All the while she cried. During the hour she cried herself to sleep. Robin picked her up, carried her to her room, and tucked her into bed.

"Slade's going to pay for this," Robin vowed as he looked at Ell's sleeping figure. She had been hysterical the first time she had met Slade as a Titan, and should have been able to handle it by now. But this time was different. There was something about this time that had been much worse. This time it wasn't her getting something off of her chest, but this was something that Slade had personally done.

The 'whooshing' sound of an opening door brought Robin out of his thoughts. "Robin, you need to see something," Cyborg said from behind. His tone didn't sound very good. It almost sounded angry.

"Sure." Taking one last glace at Ell, Robin left the room and followed Cyborg to the security room.

"Take a look at this," Cyborg said sitting down at the console. He rewound the footage of one the security tapes at a point and pressed play.

'Have you thought about my offer?'

'Yeah. I'm not joining you. Ever.'

'You will eventually. You've been a villain too long to be a hero.'

'Shut up and get the hell out!'

'You enjoyed being with me. Being able to do what you want with whom you fought. Being able to ki —'

'SHUT UP!'

'Kill. The Titans won't let you do that will they?'

'That's it.'

Ell tried to hit Slade, but missed and found herself on the ground with a staff at her throat.

'I'll ask you again, will you join me?'

'What happens if I say no?'

'What do you think?'

'Fine. Now get your damn stick out of my face and help me up.'

Slade helped her up.

'I knew that you would agree.'

'Shut up. I'm only doing this to save my life.'

Cyborg pressed stop. "I'm so sorry, Robin."

Robin slumped into the chair behind Cyborg completely speechless. After everything that they had gone through as a team, everything that they had gone through as friends, and especially after everything that they had gone through that morning she had agreed to serve Slade again. She had betrayed them just to save her life. Just so that she could live.

'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…' she had sobbed. Robin hadn't known why at the time, but it made sense now. Her betrayal explained everything.

The more Robin thought about it, the more it hurt him. And the more it hurt Robin, The Boy Wonder, the more he found that it hurt Dick Grayson. He felt betrayed to the very center of his being.

Hours passed and Ell woke up at about noon. She felt drained. Not physically, but emotionally. She had only had a few emotional breakdowns before, but this one was the worst. She had been so scared of everything, felt so helpless. And so she had cried in Robin's arms. She had felt almost safe. She was so glad that he had just held her and not moved. If he had moved…

Ell shuttered at the thought. She didn't want to think about what would have happened. Right now she didn't want to think about anything. She still felt scared and shook up. She knew from experience that she would feel better and confident again, but that didn't stop her from feeling vulnerable.

Eventually Ell sat up and found that Robin was in her room. She smiled weakly. He did not return the smile. He looked upset. Oh no. Did he find out? The fear that she felt yesterday began to creep back into her mind. No. He couldn't have. How would he find out?

"Hey," she said weakly.

"Hello," Robin replied stiffly.

Fearing the worst Ell asked, "A--are you alright? D—d--did something happen?"

Robin took in a deep breath. He had to steady himself. If he didn't he was likely to do something very rash. "Something did happen."

Ell could tell from his tone that he knew. Now she felt scared. She felt like she had yesterday. She beck up the backboard of her bed, put the pillows around her, and cuddled up with her blanket. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

Robin breathed in again. "Sorry doesn't cut it. You betrayed us," he said his voice rising. "You –" He took another deep breath. "You were willing to join back with that monster so that you could live."

"Robin, I'm sorry. I – I –"I didn't mean to? she thought. That was a lie. She meant to.

He was threatening you! What were you supposed to do? Say 'no' and die? a part of her tried to justify.

Yes! You love Robin and because you couldn't stand up to Slade you've betrayed them! the other half reasoned.

You wouldn't do Robin any good if you were dead.

At least you wouldn't be a traitor.

"You what?" Robin asked. "You didn't have a choice? Didn't mean to?!"

"Robin," she began, but didn't know what to say next. What do you say next? What does anyone day next? 'I'm sorry, please forgive me,'? 'I won't do it again,'?

"No!" he said loudly. "You betrayed us! You joined Slade again even after everything he did to you! All to save your life!" Robin was yelling by this point. No deep breaths could stop him now. He was fired up and ready to go. "You're a traitor! What's worse you're a coward! You don't deserve to be a Titan or a hero!" he spat.

Ell did not know to say. Part of her knew that he was right and had no ideas as to how to handle this. That part of her wanted to cry and cry. But the other part of her was angry. The other part thought that the spiky haired punk had no right to say those things. The other side wanted to lash out at him and strike him down.

In Ell a mental battle raged between the two sides. After a minuet or two the victor had reasoned with Ell and won.

"Get out," she said softly.

"What?"

"I said, get out."

Robin looked at her dumbstruck. Was she really ordering him out? After everything she had done? "Where do you get off ordering me out of here?! You're not a Titan anymore! You get out!"

"Fine," she said coldly. Ell got up, grabbed her stuff, and hobbled towards the door. She handed Robin her communicator and walked out of the door. She strode down the hallway, but because of her leg tripped and fell.

"Damn!" she hissed. She stood up and using her power cracked the cast into two. She gingerly removed the two pieces and stood confidently on her own two feet. Ell then picked up her stuff and made for the entrance.

Well, I hope ya'll like this. And hope no one is out of character. Especially Slade. He is the most difficult character to write. Robin is the second most. Please tell me if either are OOC. I hate it when I do that. Ugggh. Anyway, please send me any and all comments, questions or concerns. I do accept (and quite honestly love) flames. But only if you can also give advice as well. Any and all advice is welcome and loved.

Pirate