Second Chances

DarkWarlord

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the teen titans, they are the copyrighted material of DC comics, (go DC its your birthday…) but I did create , Deathwing, Stars in, TIMEFRAME, Fire Bee, Duelist, Deadshot please don't use them without my permission. Now that we have that unpleasant business out of the way, on to the story-

Chapter 7: Apprentice

Titans Tower

Beast Boy paced in front of the TV in his Sherlock Homes outfit, contemplating the titans next move. He was deep in thought when little Jenny walked in font of him and thus was nearly trampled. "AAHH, Beast Boy yelled as he tripped on the little girl who was afraid that Beast Boy was going to land on her, she closed her eyes and clutched her teddy and awaited the fall. It never came, slowly she creaked open one eye and saw a green ferret sitting in front of her. She giggled and picked Beast Boy up and walked over to the couch and started to watch cartoons.

Raven had seen the whole incident and it was all she could do to stop from laughing. Jenny was watching TV holding Beast Boy on her lap. Raven decided to go and save her green furry friend from the grasps of 'My little ponies' she shuddered at the thought of the strange colored horses and their insignificant problems.

"Hello Jenny, how are you today?" the girl looked up at Raven with big eyes, "Good, how bout you?" 'she's too damn cute' "I'm fine, but I think you're choking Beast Boy." she pointed down at the ferret who was turning blue. "Ah!" and she released the animal. While still remaining a ferret he shook his head and tapped his foot repeatedly, paws on his hips. Jenny laughed and was about to pick him up again when Raven picked him up and placed him on her lap, much to the surprise of all parties involved. Beast Boy looked up at Raven in surprise and Jenny was a tad bit jealous.

"Hey no fair Rea Rea." Raven shuddered at the nickname that Jenny had given her. "Why Jenny," Raven said with a smile, "Whatever do you mean?" Jenny pouted playfully, "You get BB all to your self," Just then Jenny's bear floated up to her, squealing in delight Jenny grabbed the bear and continued to watch her show. Raven absent mindedly scratched the top of Beast Boy's head, and Beast Boy who liked the attention got comfortable in Raven's lap (not in a perverted way).

"Hey Rae Rae, guess what." Raven looked over at the little girl and inwardly sighed, "What?" "Now you and BB get to watch my little ponies with me!" if ferrets could grimace, this one surely would, "OO yay!" Raven said in her sarcastic monotone. "it's great isn't it?" BB stifled his laughter into his paws, and Raven playfully slapped him on the head. Raven looked at her watch, 7:46 pm, 'great, after her show, she goes to bed.' Raven's mind drifted to what she thought it was going to be like after the little ball of energy settled down for the night, quiet time. She scratched Beast Boy's head without thinking.

After eight o'clock Cyborg took Jenny upstairs to tuck her in. "Hey Cy, when am I gonna be a teen titan?" "Jenny," he motioned for her to sit down next to him on the bed, "Tomorrow morning we're taking you to Wayne Manor, where Mr. Wayne is going to take care of you." she looked very sad. In fact they were all surprised that Wayne had offered to take Jenny in, he was already raising a boy named Tim Drake, whom Cyborg suspected to be the new Robin.

"But I wanna stay here with all of you." she cried into his arm, "Jenny," he said with a hint of sternness, she dried her eyes. "you know that we can't let you live here with us, you need to go to school and be raised by an adult." he patted her on the head, "and besides, in all that time you'll have time to train so you can be a teen titan. For truth, justice and all that." he was smiling until he saw that the girl was angry, "I don't want to be a titan for that, I want to be a titan so I can beat those two who killed my parents." she crossed her arms.

Cybrog took a deep breath and decided that he had to teach her one last lesson before they left the following morning. "Jenny, what Robin and Starfire did was wrong, but beating them won't make the pain go away, and more importantly, your parents wouldn't want you to, they'd want you to be happy. Don't you think so?" she cried into his arm again, but this time it was for shame and knowing that he was right. She went to sleep soon after and Cyborg walked back down stairs, troubling thoughts forming in his mind.

When he came downstairs Raven and Beast Boy were still watching TV. They were watching some B movie on SCIFI (I love those), Beast Boy had resumed his normal shape and had his arm draped over Raven who was leaning on his shoulder. Smiling quietly to himself he sat on the edge of the couch. "Guys, I really worried about Jenny. I don't think we can just leave her with Wayne." Beast Boy looked over at Cyborg quizzically, "Why? I heard that this Wayne is a nice guy. I mean, he did a good job with Robin." Cyborg appeared to think hard, and he looked at Beast Boy equally hard.

Beast Boy was squirming under Cyborg's glare unsure what he was supposed to say, luckily Raven was there to save him. "He's right Cyborg. Bruce Wayne is a decent individual and he is good at raising young people." She looked around, as if she expected someone else to be there, but finding no one she turned back to the others. "But its not Wayne that bothers me, its Jenny." Cyborg looked both surprised and angry, but he quickly put himself under control. "Explain." Was all he said.

"I sense a strong sense of hatred in her. Which is to be expected from someone who's been through a similar ordeal? Robin was able to keep himself in check for years because he thought his family had died in an accident. As soon as he found out they were viciously murdered, well he's still on his rampage of vengeance.

"But with Jenny, she saw her mother and father brutally murdered in front of her very eyes by our friends. I'm curious if she'll listen to us at all." she paused, and then continued her speech, looking right at Cyborg. "No Cyborg I think the best thing for her is to go live at Wayne Manor." Cyborg hung his head in defeat, and Beast Boy tightened his grip on Raven's shoulder, and grimly watched the movie.

Up stairs Jenny had sneaked down to get a glass of water but had instead overheard Raven's little speech. 'They were their friends?' she quietly sneaked back up to her room, 'he was raised by Mr. Wayne?' Anger washed over her. "No, I won't go. I'll get those two, I promised mom and dad! And I'll never come back here again." She moved over to her backpack and began gathering her belongings.

A silent shadow watched from the far end of the room in a darkened corner. "Well then my dear," Jenny jumped at the voice and almost screamed. "Don't worry my dear; I'll help you get your revenge. I'll train you to be a fighting machine," the figure rose and stepped into the light, his orange and black mask shimmered in the dim light. Jenny had no recollection of how they left the tower without notifying the others, but what he said as they left was burned into her memory for the rest of her life, "come, there is much to be done, my dear apprentice."

When Cyborg entered Jenny's room the next morning and found a scribbled note, his heart fell.

Dear Titans,

I'm sorry I can't stay with you or Mr. Wayne

But I have to beat those two villains you call friends.

I am now an apprentice, don't worry about me and don't get

In my way,

Love,

Jenny Redding

Ten Years Later

A tall thin woman stood on top of the tallest building in Jump City, she wore a white leather trench coat and a white and black mask and there was an S on her belt buckle. Deadshot looked out over the city, searching for her target, for a brief moment however her eyes lingered on the T shaped tower that made its home on the small island off the coast. All of the lights were off; its halls empty except for the kind robotic hermit who resided there. The titans had disbanded about five years ago, after the death of their leader The Changeling (Beast Boy) at the hands of Nyte Shade. She had spent the happiest week of her life in that tower, and she never forgot the Titan's kindness, but she had not forgiven them for their ties to Deathwing and Starsin. She fingered her plasma pistol, a wicked looking device with a long barrel and a large scope. 'The alien dies first.' Soon mother, soon I'll dip my fingers in their blood.' Her hand reached up towards an eye patch covering her right eye.

She still had the eye, but the device was one of the reasons she had her name. There was a satellite uplink that would allow her to shoot with 90 accuracy without actually aiming, and even before she got the gift from her 'father' she never missed. She remembered when she had first received the patch, 'here my dear, you may find this to your liking.' he had tossed her a jewelry box, the type you might keep a necklace in. She opened the box gingerly, but had stared at the patch in confusion. 'But father, what is it?' 'It was one of Darkk Agent's little toys, put it on.' She had. She found the uplink invaluable, and the infrared sensors, and the night vision even more amusing. Smiling under her mask she resumed her search.

Slade watched with grim satisfaction as his apprentice spoke into her watch communicator, telling him she had spotted Death Wing's lair. 'Tonight is your last chance my son, replace her at my side or die.'

Deathwing's Lair

Deathwing stared at his lover. She was wrapped in only the bed sheets, breathing evenly. 'So beautiful, so peaceful.' he thought. And indeed she was, over the past ten years she had grown to be almost seven feet tall, (she's 6'7) her hair had grown down to her ankles, and her breasts had grown considerably, (if you ever read any of the comics, you know what I mean…). And she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever set eyes on. He reached over and brushed a stray hair out of her face. She stirred for a moment and then woke.

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sighed, "good morning my love," she looked him up and down, his lean muscular torso was bare, he was sitting up, his long hair was in tangles. Star giggled and moved up to him and kissed him full on the lips, her hand wandering under the sheets. Deathwing leant back, his hands behind his head, ready for whatever happened next, or so he thought. Laughing Star jumped out of the bed, and into the bathroom. Leaving a stunned Deathwing. Smiling he walked up to the door and tried the lock, which was indeed locked, but no matter; he walked over to the dresser and picked up his tools.

Star was in the shower, lathering herself up for her lover, (OK JUST FOR A NOTE, THIS IS NOT A LEMON, IT DOESN'T GO MUCH FURTHER THAN WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SEEING- thank you, this has been an announcement from your pilot, please return your trays to the proper….) she heard the lock give way and felt a brush on her back, "you missed a spot" he whispered huskily in her ear, she sighed and then one thing lead to another (I think you get the picture) and they made love in the shower.

The two dressed each other lovingly, ten years had passed and their affection had only grown. But other things had grown during the past decade as well, Dick's alter ego, Deathwing, had slain many villains over the time period and with each act of 'justice' his mask became more and more a part of him. More than once Deathwing had thought that the mask was for him what beer is to an alcoholic, an addiction. He had never expressed these thoughts to Star, but he felt she might well know, but thankfully she had not made those thoughts known.

Star watched him out of the corner of her eye, she watched as he buckled his utility belt around his waist and as he shakily placed the mask on his face. This was the first time they had gone out on a mission for a month, and each day she had caught him staring at the mask, and that frightened her. Whenever he put on that mask he became, cold and distant, and only the mission mattered. 'well almost only the mission,' she remembered when she had been harmed three years ago, he had been the old Robin, heroically swinging out of nowhere to save her, almost blowing the mission.

She never told him, but she didn't like killing these people, she would rather hand them over to the authorities, but as soon as he wore that mask, there was no talk of the police, only justice. Star wanted to retire, more than once she had wanted to ask him to return to her home planet of Tamaran, but there had never been time. 'I'll ask him as soon as we get back.' but she would never get the chance to tell him.

Titans Tower

Cyborg walked around the tower, as he always did. His solitude was only broken by the random memories of his friends. Under Changeling they had known a golden age of the Titans. It was different than when Robin had been their leader, not better or worse. New members had joined, Fire Bee, the Duelist, the teleport named The Spot and the dangerously powerful TIMEFRAME. They were all gone or dead now, Fire Bee had died on the same day that Changeling had, they had both fallen to Brother Blood, TIMEFRAME had died when he attacked Brother Blood alone and Blood had turned TIMEFRAME's own power against him, causing him to age beyond three hundred years.

Cyborg shook his head, the smart-ass Spot and Duelist had gone solo and last he had heard Raven had gone insane from solitude somewhere. He shook his head then looked up. He found himself in the living room, and for some unknown reason walked over to the window. He didn't know what he was looking for but he knew after a second or two. In the sky he saw two shapes, very familiar shapes, 'Deathwing, and Star too.' He looked at them thoughtfully, then turned heel and for the first time in years, left the tower.

Jump City Cemetery

She stood in front of his grave. The rain had started to fall, but she stood there still, her white cloak had turned gray from the rain and was tattered from neglect. She was mumbling under her breath, something about the time was coming and that all would be set right, but after the tragedy. On top of the grave stone a bust of the Changeling stared at Raven. She moved up to the bust and kissed it on the lips. She remembered the passionate nights the two had spent together, and the love they shared, but Brother Blood had destroyed that love, but he too was destroyed, just like those who followed him. The fearful faces of Gizmo, Jynx, and Mammoth appeared in her mind and she remembered the way their blood flowed when in her anger she had literally torn them limb form limb. It wasn't exactly something she was proud of, but for some reason she smiled whenever she thought about it.

"Good bye, my Changeling, it might be awhile before I can make it back. Please don't be angry, they're always angry, angry at poor raven, but never you, you only love your raven, and I'll be back as soon as I can. As sooon as I can." Then she used her power to turn into a shadowy raven and flew towards the heart of the city. And as she glanced back, for a moment, only a moment she felt that the statue was sad for her. She pushed this out of her mind; she had a job to do.

Somewhere in Jump City

Starsin and Deathwing stealthily entered the building and moved silently through the shadows. Expertly they moved like shadows of death through the corridors until they came upon a large closed door. "The targets behind this door." he said in the sign language they had created. She nodded and watched as he took out a device from his belt and placed it on the keypad next to the door. The door opened quietly, but not half as quite as the two who entered the room next.

Inside the room they found a winged chair facing a fireplace, it's back towards them. But they were both surprised when a voice spoke from the chair, and even more surprised when the chair swiveled to face them, "Greetings son, ten years is a long time." The door slammed shut behind them with a deafening bang.

Deathwing quickly scanned the room and immediately found who he was looking for. "Yes Father, ten years is a long time, but suffice to say, not long enough." Slade stayed in his seat, his legs crossed and his hands folded. "Richard, join me. Leave the girl and take over my empire." The fire's light danced over Slade's mask, casting light to the far corners of the room, where in the shadows Deadshot waited patiently for her cue.

"No." Deathwing said with a finality that left no room for discussion. Slade looked down at the floor. "Fine, if the wench-I apologize, if the girl means that much to you bring her along, I suppose that I can compromise if you can." In the shadows Deadshot shifted her weight from one foot to the other, she let her arm linger near her holster.

"You are evil father; I tried to convince myself otherwise for months after our last encounter. Star here can tell you of that, but more importantly, I think your apprentice has different plans." As he said this Deadshot rolled out of the shadows, gun drawn and aimed right for Deathwing. Deathwing threw a smoke pellet and rolled over to the side, Star flew into the air and readied her star bolts. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite alien. Time to die Starsin."

"Son, don't make me fight you, please just take over my empire, I'll step down." Slade sounded desperate. Deathwing charged through the smoke not with his Kamas, but with his scythe. Slade expertly pulled out his staff and the two fought furiously.

Across the room however, a different duel was taking place, Deadshot was leaping and rolling, expertly firing fiery plasma at Star, who deftly dodged and countered accordingly. But the duel of the range masters was cut short when both opponents were seized by an invisible force and crashed into separate walls. The two women were dazed at first but quickly regained their composure and faced their new opponent: RAVEN.

"Naughty, naughty girls, ruining such a pretty room." Deadshot was confused, 'she came here because were ruining the decorations?' But Star new better, she had seen this before, (Episode: How long is forever?) she knew that because of lack of friends and Changeling's death that Raven had gone quite mad. "You must stop, before someone gets hurt. It's all fun and games until some gets hurt you know, fun and games fun and games…" Deadshot looked over at Raven and aimed her pistol at her, "I'm sorry Rae Rae, but this is for your own good." A blue beam of sonic energy laced out and blasted the gun right out of her hand. She held her wrist in pain. She looked over at who disturbed her shot and made her miss. A second beam hit the gun, incinerating it.

"Cyborg?!" Deadshot was surprised; he hadn't left the tower in years, why now? 'It must be her doing!' she looked over at Raven who was mumbling about the dangers of playing with guns. Slade and Deathwing had stopped fighting and were both looking over at the newcomers. Star lifted herself up and cautiously moved over to Raven and looked her in the eye. Raven returned the look and then at the same time, the two embraced.

Deathwing looked Cyborg in the eyes, all that he saw was emptiness, with only a hint of sadness remaining in him. They held each other's gaze for a long moment then they moved closer to each other, and circled one another. They studied the other for a while and then came to a halt and then, they shook hands and embraced.

The four broke their bonds and stared at the two villains. Slade was barely standing, coughing violently. Deathwing saw why Slade was getting so desperate, he was dying. "Richard…(cough) please, (wheeze) I haven't much time left," he was clutching his chest. And feeling pity for his father, Deathwing walked over and helped the man into the comfortable chair.

"Richard, help me with this mask, (cough, wheeze, insert other sick dying sounds…)" with his son's help, Slade removed his mask, and Deathwing looked upon his father's face for the second time in ten years. He made the old man relax, and he stopped coughing. "My son, promise me, promise me that you'll replace her at my side, that you'll replace Me." he roughly grabbed his shoulder and shook. "Father," Deathwing smoothed his father's hair, he could tell from the gray spots on his face that he was suffering from a rare disease. "I can't promise to join you, but I will end your suffering." The old man looked horrified at first, but then he visibly relaxed and tears rolled freely down his face. "Thank you."

Deathwing pulled out a small blade and quickly cut his father's throat. Slade made odd gurgling noises, but his son was smoothing his hair and singing a lullaby that his mother used to sing. He sat with the old man as he died, and the last thing he heard before the light left his eyes was "I love you Dad." in a voice racked by tears.

Deathwing stood and looked down at his father's limp form. He took his father's hands and folded them across his chest and closed his eye, forever. But he turned his attention towards Deadshot; she was on her knees, sobbing. She looked up at Deathwing, "YOU! You've stolen my father from me again! Why do you torture me so?" Cyborg walked over to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Star started to walk towards her lover when she heard something. She looked over in the direction she had heard the sound, and saw Deadshot's eye patch open with two angry lasers pointing at Star, one on her belly, the other on her chest and before she could comprehend was happening Deadshot produced a second pistol.

This pistol was smaller than the first, it had been hiding in the sleeve of her coat. she fired twice in rapid succession, no one saw it coming, Raven was trying to figure out all the emotions bombarding her, poor Cyborg had heard the same noise as Star but had no time to figure out what it signified, and Deathwing had been watching Cyborg's confusion.

Cyborg was about to wrench the gun free but Deadshot's arm was ripped from its socket by Raven's power. Deathwing bent over his lover, he had her head in his hands, and she was still alive but mortally wounded. She was trying to say something, in her native language, but Deathwing could speak the language of Tamaran. But long ago Star had taught Cyborg to translate. "X'hal, Mein ala carta, ser ala carta…" Deathwing looked on helplessly, "she said, 'my god, our child, save our child.' I'm sorry." he bent his head. 'That's why she shot her in the stomach.' he felt sick to his stomach, but pushed the feeling away.

"Star, Starfire," she smiled at her old name, he was pushing the stray hairs out of her face, "I..I…don't worry my love; I'll do everything in my power. I love you." "deor vyin tortor." "I will love you forever." She arched her back and lay still on the floor.

Deadshot had raised herself to her knees, the entire right side of her body was slick with blood, "now we are even Richard Greyson. We are even at last." Deathwing stood to his full height, "No Jenny. I killed your parents. I stole your life. I killed three members of your family, your mother, your father and I showed mercy to my father, the man who raised you, Slade. But your family murdered my mother, my brother, drove my father to insanity. And now my wife and unborn child who was completely innocent. No my dear, we are not even." Throughout his speech he had slipped a shuriken into his hand, and when he finished he let it fly, right into her throat. "We can never be even." Her body slumped silently to the floor.

He knelt next to her body, brushing stray strands of hair out of her face, salty tears stinging his eyes and leaving slick trails down his cheek. He turned to Cyborg, "My old friend. If they let me attend the funeral, I'll... I'll turn myself in." Cyborg said nothing; he seemed to think for long moments. He nodded and reverently knelt over to pick up the body of poor tortured Jennifer Redding. Raven hovered over towards Deathwing. "She would be proud of you Robin." All traces of insanity were temporarily gone from her voice.

He said nothing just picked up the fallen form of his wife and carried it outside.

True to his word, after the funeral the next day he allowed the authorities to take custody of him and bring him to trial, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole. But after twenty years in prison, the resurrected Brother Blood caused a world wide war, decimating the world and destroying entire nations, billions perished.

Richard Greyson escaped this death and became Deathwing once again. He sought out Brother Blood and fought him to the death.

But whose death?

END CHAPTER 7

Whoa, the end of chapter seven, the set up for chapter eight.

The hardest part of this story to write was the death of Starfire, she's one of my favorites, and I admit that that was probably once of the worst deaths I ever thought of, but please don't be mad at me!!

The next chapter: Second Chances Are Rare

Please tell me what you think.