Disclaimer: I haven't found BUTRH on DvD yet. OH! And I don't own the Teen Titans either.

A/N: The re-written chapter one is up. I'm so excited about it so let me know what you think. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Hanna Sedai for being my Beta. I know I've been updating a lot. But then again it's Christmas break and I'm fixing stuff not just writing it. So here we are Chapter 11: Retrieval.

-Ana Uzumaki

Chapter 11: Reclaimed

Richard Grayson

Location: The Haunt

Date:December 17Time:22:26

I leaned up against the wall waiting for Slade to come across to come back so that I could be dismissed. That's the way it was. Unless Slade was on a contract I would report back to the haunt with a detailed synopsis of what had happened. Slade would then match up my account of what happened with either the audio or video from my headset in order to verify.

"Robin, Slade is back and is waiting for you," the old butler announced making his presence in the hallway known.

"Thanks." Wintergreen may have been nicer then Slade but he was nothing compared to Alfred. I ignored the pang of homesickness as I walked down the hall. By now I had memorized where most of the hallways led so finding my way around was almost easy.

"It seems as if Terra has left the Titans," he reported, his tone nonchalant as he heard me walk in.

"Good for her," I nodded sarcastically.

"Like it or not Dick she will be joining us here." I flinched at the sound of my name.

"While she's here could you refrain from using my real name?" I asked swallowing my pride.

"Why is that?" He knew damn well why. I remained silent refusing to answer a question he already knew the answer to.

"If you're not going to give me a proper response then I'm not going to attempt to follow your request."

I hesitated, not knowing whether or not I should answer. "I don't need anyone else knowing my secret identity," I answered finally.

He didn't bring attention to my explanation; instead he brought up the live video feed of Terra. Currently she was running through Jump, once again attempting to run away.

"Go retrieve her."

"What?" I asked in disbelief. "Why?"

"Excuse me?"

"What are you playing at? We don't even need her. She can't fight. She can't even control her powers. It'll be almost impossible to train her, especially if she has to go through what I do every day."

"Go retrieve her," he responded ignoring my outburst. His impassive tone was driving me insane.

"God damn it Slade," I yelled stomping out of the main room.

What the hell? He blackmails me into becoming his apprentice, turns me against my friends, and turns me against Bruce. Then he tries to bring in some girl who has absolutely no control over her powers. Powers, that are unstable to begin with. What did he need with so one so weak anyway? It was so frustrating.

I weaved through the halls in the haunt angrily as I made my way out to the exit, stopping only to grab my backpack and remove the armor from my shoulders. If I was going to have to do this stupid mission then I was going to do it my way. If he wasn't going to listen to me then I would just have to give him a reason to.

This would have been so much easier if I had the R cycle or at least some other form of transportation, I thought breaking out into a run. It was so much easier to move without the armor restricting my movements. I felt free for once. Yes, I was still subjected to completing the job assigned to me but I wasn't given any guidelines. I was free to complete this operation however I wanted. A smile appeared my anger defusing as I flipped and twirled down the path.

As usual within minutes my wrist beeped with coordinates.

"She's heading south," I mumbled. I changed direction accordingly running until our intersecting paths crossed. She was sitting underneath a local overpass only becoming visible by untrained eyes when headlights veered too close. I grasped onto one of the bridges high bars climbing until I was positioned right above her.

Tears were streaked down her face and she sniffled. Her appearance was cleaner then the first time I had encountered her. She looked confused and miserable content with sitting there listening to the cars passing over head. But the longer she sat here, the longer I would have to be out here. Not that I minded being outside. The air was cooler than usual but not unpleasant. I sighed. Time to stop moping, I informed her silently.

"Are you done yet?" I asked releasing myself from the beam. She jumped taking up a defensive stance, a rock hovering beside her.

"What do you want?"

"Okay, this is going to work one of two ways," I shifted my weight from on foot to the other. "Either you come willingly or I knock you out with chloroform."

Taking out a cloth from my pocket I held it up for further emphasis. She flung the rock in my direction.

"Alright, have it your way," I mumbled dodging.

Her aim was way off. Normally I would have given her the benefit of a doubt, contributing her lack of control to being physically and emotionally exhausted, but I knew better.

Within seconds of fighting she gave me an opening. If she had been with the Titans capturing her might have been a challenge. But, here one on one? I was easily the winner. Not that I would count it as a victory. Kidnapping isn't something I was interested in. If it wasn't for the fact that she was going to accept training from Slade willingly, I would've declined accepting my punishment with pride.

"Don't let anyone get behind you," I whispered placing the cloth over her mouth and nose. Seconds after inhaling the toxin she went limp in my arms. I placed her down gently walking over to her backpack. In the front of the pocket someone had slipped a yellow and black communicator under the flap. I unclasped the hook placing the device in my hand. My heart jolted longingly. Who was she to trade the life I had given up against my will in order to pursue the distraught life I lived now?

I clasped the device firm in my hand. Even now, how easy would it be to contact the Titans? Contact Bruce? I hurled it against one of the pillars watching the pieces sink down into the dark water. Even if I did call for help, I wasn't one of them any more. They would want nothing to do with me after all that I have done and will continue to do. I wasn't a hero anymore and I most definitely didn't deserve anything my former life had to offer.

I laced her backpack on her shoulders before I picked her up, carrying her in the piggyback position. Even though I blamed her fully for her decision to join Slade she still deserved some comfort brought to her by her own possessions. It was more then I was given. It was comforting to know that it was my compassion was one of the only things left that separated Slade and I.

Slade Wilson

Location: The Haunt

Date:December 16 Time:22:34

"It seems as if Terra has left the Titans," I informed him keeping my tone neutral.

"Good for her," he answered sarcastically. Is the tone really necessary? I mentally scolded him.

"Like it or not Dick she will be joining us here," I turned so my back was towards him messing with some papers on the desk.

"While she's here could you refrain from using my real name?"

"Why is that?" It was a question that I already knew the answer to yet in him answering it would verify whether or not he still cared for Batman's welfare. "If you're not going to give me a proper response then I'm not going to attempt to follow your requests."

He remained silent for a minute before answering.

"I don't need anyone else knowing my secret identity."

Without his mask, Dick was an open book. His large blue eyes conveyed every emotion. Now that I was engaged with him on a daily basis even with his mask on his emotions gave him away. His tone inferred that it wasn't that he cared anymore that Will and I knew his identity but he was worried about the girl knowing. Up until now only a select few knew his identity and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Go retrieve her," I ordered an idea occurring to me.

"What? Why?" He stared at me in disbelief.

"Excuse me?" His reaction surprised me. It wasn't unexpected; I was used to him fighting me on some aspects that I expected him to complete. This should've been no different. But again, he didn't react the way I expected him to.

"What are you playing at? We don't even need her. She can't fight. She can't even control her powers. It'll be almost impossible to train her especially if she has to go through what I do every day."

To be honest I never expected this. He wasn't worried about her well being. He was worried about being replaced.

"Go retrieve her," I repeated ignoring his reaction.

"God damn it Slade," he yelled stomping out of the room.

"Why do you dismiss him? You know he hates it. As you heard just now he identifies himself as part of our group now. You only have a small window. He's in his final transition," Wintergreen informed me speaking up for the first time since retrieving Dick from the hall.

He was right. Dick had asked why we needed her. He was upset because in accepting his apprenticeship he expected me to do the same. Not take on anyone else. Though he would never admit it, especially to himself, but in my introduction to Terra he became jealous.

"Slade, you need to do something to comfort his fears. He left Gotham because he wasn't treated as an equal. When Batman does come for him, you need to make sure he remains loyal to you. He's already unwillingly become influenced by you. Dick has this need to be the best at everything he does, similar to you. You tell him you are similar but you do not treat him like it."

Will understood personalities, the finer details. I was in charge of strategy, looking at the big picture. In working on my plan I forgot to treat Dick like a person. His relationship with Batman and even Bruce Wayne was tenitive at best. I had been playing on that for months slowly breaking down his relationships in order my own. I was going to have to think of something that would sever the last connections he had with his morals and turn them against him, in turn allowing him to realize his true potential.

"Sir," Wintergreen addressed pointing to the door. Obviously he no longer has any conviction about kidnapping. Dick was standing in the doorway an unconscious Terra being carried on his back. I motioned for him to come in and put her down. Even though he had disagreed he had preformed the order I had assigned to him.

"Robin," I paused letting him know that I was agreeing to his request, "Good job."

Before returning to the hallway I saw the tips of a half-smile unwillingly spread across his face. Dick had reclaimed Terra fixing his earlier lapse in judgement. It was time he was rewarded. Terra was only a pawn in the overall game, someone I would use for the sole purpose of winning the game. I slipped a box from underneath the desk taking out a small syringe. I inserted the needle into the small bottle filling it with the clear liquid. Walking over to Terra I inserted the needle into her arm.

"What are you doing?" Will's face held its neutral disposition but his voice was filled with concern. Naturally he disagreed with some of my methods. This was no different.

"I knocked her out until the day after tomorrow," I informed him placing the syringe back into the box.

"Why? Sir, is that really necessary?"

"I'm taking Robin on a field trip."

A/N:There we have it folks. Slade is taking Robin on a field trip… And Terra is knocked out on the floor… And Batman is on his way to Jump. This is an interesting set of developments. To those who know what happens next… Don't spoil it for those who don't.

One more chapter and I'm all caught up again. And then ON WITH THE STOY!

Have a wonderful night. I'm going to fix Chapter 12 now.

-Ana Uzumaki