Man, it's taken me forever to get this chapter up, since I've been kinda grounded, but finally here it is.
-T-
Jericho took an uneasy step backwards as he stared up at the masked face of his father before him. The cool breeze swept through the boy's wavy blond hair and rolled in thin clouds over the full moon above them, softening the reflection on the ocean water and dimming the shine on their surroundings.
"Jericho," Slade said calmly, the name he had never had to call his son before rolling off his tongue without effort, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I see you've already made a few friends while you've been here." He scoffed slightly. "That's a first, isn't it? You've never seemed to make friends that easily before."
He knew he was expected to answer, but Jericho had a strong feeling that is was best not to say anything for now. He backed up slowly as Slade came forward, and heard the slight splash of water as he took a step back into the shallow part of the ocean behind him. He glanced back quickly, then focused his eyes on the man in front of him again. He wasn't sure what Slade had in mind to do, but he wondered how a father, in fact, his father, could do something like this to their own son. Jericho had always thought of Slade as a loving and caring man who would go to extremes to protect the people he loved, but now he wondered if his father loved at all. Look at the things that had been revealed just with the moving in of Rose; Slade was everything he had seemed he wasn't. And what about the reports of Grant's death? Was his father responsible for that too? Jericho wanted to ask, but he was uneasy and it felt impossible to raise his hands and sign his question, so being trapped between the cold water and his menacing father, he froze.
"Do you really think the Titans are going to befriend you for long?" Slade continued, his hands clasped behind his back. "As soon as they find out who you are and where you come from, you'll be their enemy before you've even figured out what's going on. You need to learn not to trust people so easily, Jericho."
Jericho tried to force himself to use his hands and ask his questions, but it felt like he had lost all physical control of his body and that it had a mind of its own. So this was probably similar to what it felt like when he possessed someone else; only right now his body was being controlled out of fear. He had never been afraid of his father before, but that had all changed after their first battle a little while ago. There was no predicting what the man would man do now.
Slade's voice randomly changed its tone and hit a careless-sounding note. "I was going to tell you about Rose before, but I thought it would be better if you two just met in person." He suddenly reached out a hand and lifted Jericho's chin, who was too scared to even flinch. Slade's voice changed back to its dull and taunting monotone, and he spoke as if telling a bedtime story. "You don't have to worry about me, Jericho. I'm your father." A quick but expected punch caught the boy in the jaw and drove him backwards, slamming him out to the surface of the water but quickly submerging him as he nearly drowned trying to catch his breath from the blow he had just taken. Being punched by a person your own age and size was bad enough, but by a grown man who was very experienced in violence- well, that was different. It felt to Jericho like his entire body had been bruised by own hit. He groggily got his bearings and surfaced, gasping for air.
"You're going to have trouble in the real world if you can't even take one hit," Slade teased evilly. "I told myself a long time ago that I'd make a man out of you, now get up and fight me like one, Jericho."
Why didn't Slade get it? Jericho didn't want to fight, especially not with his own father. He breathed shallowly and moved his hands slightly to keep his head above the water. He'd swim to the other side of the shore before he got out and fought Slade. He squinted and glanced around at his surroundings, scanning the buildings and the streets for any sign of the Titans, but they were nowhere to be seen. Wasn't it always like that? Just when you needed help.
Slade walked towards Jericho again, ignoring the water as if it wasn't even there, his hands still clasped behind his back. Jericho looked around frantically for any escape route, but before he could move Slade grabbed him by the arm with one hand and by the hair with other, then lifted him out of the water without effort and tossed him up onto the dry rocks beside them. "You have a lot to learn, Jericho. Even the Titans will put up a fight against me, but you won't even try." He walked past his son and stood up on the shore.
Jericho tried to catch his breath again as he sat up. He glared at Slade and finally managed to sign, "I don't want to fight you."
"Is that so? Things don't always go the way you want them to."
"What makes you hate me so much? And Grant? What did you do to him?" Jericho narrowed his green eyes and managed to stand. "I don't hold against you what happened a few years ago, but what you're doing now is deliberate. Why didn't you just tell us in the first place that you were a mercenary or whatever you are?"
"You can probably tell that I didn't come here to talk," Slade said. He glanced over his shoulder and said, "Ravager."
The masked and armored form of Rose jumped down from the top of a building and landed lightly beside Slade. She held two discs between her fingers and stared challengingly down at her half brother. Jericho met her gaze and was surprised to see that she her mask was very similar to Slade's (except that it showed her mouth), even right down to merely one eye hole. He wondered what was up with that, but with a nod from Slade, she was on him and kicking him in the stomach before he even knew what was going on.
Jericho had been knocked around quite a bit by his sister and his father before he could gain his balance and have a chance to attempt to block, but with both of them on him, it was nearly impossible. At a point where Slade was coming at him at his right, and Ravager in front of him, Jericho's eyes started glowing and he threw his gaze at Ravager, who didn't even break stride as he possessed her only briefly enough to pass through her body and out to the other side to avoid the oncoming blow from Slade. His two attackers nearly crashed into each other, but turned the stumble into a move where Ravager kicked off Slade's open hands and came whirling back on Jericho, who had barely had time to escape three steps, no less get out of range. She tackled him to the pavement and wrestled only briefly as she yanked his arms behind his back and drove her armored knee between his shoulder blades. He would have cried out if he could.
"That's my girl," Slade said from behind them, laughing almost silently. For some reason those three small words of praise cut Jericho to the heart; if he would have been anyone else, it would have been jealousy, but he wasn't that kind of person. It only seemed to hurt his feelings, and he stopped trying to wrestle Ravager off his back and gave up the fight.
"I've got him," Ravager said, dragging his soaking form to his feet.
"Good," Slade said slowly. "Bring him to me."
Ravager roughly grabbed Jericho's arms, who didn't even bother to resist, and shoved him in Slade's direction. Jericho wasn't sure what was in store for him next, but it didn't look like it was going to be pretty, whatever it was.
SLAM! Ravager was suddenly thrown violently into the nearest wall, letting out a cry of pain and surprise as she went. A cloud of dest rose where she made impact, and while she was busy with that Jericho and Slade looked up to see who had attacked her, and Jericho sighed with relief when he saw Raven.
"Let himgo," she demanded fiercely, her hand raised and glowing with her black telekinesis power, her eyes glowing pure white. The other four Titans dropped down around her with their powers charging and their weapons drawn.
"Listen to her if you know what's good for you, man," Cyborg said seriously, aiming his sonic cannon squarely at Slade's face.
"Yes, or you shall have to answer to us," Starfire said, her hands glowing green with starbolts that were ready to fly.
Slade chuckled dully. "I have answered to you before, Titans, and it hasn't done you any good. By the way, I want you to meet my new apprentice. Ravager?" He looked over his shoulder as she came forward, brushing herself off. "These are the Titans." Slade spread out a hand for mocking effect, and Ravager grinned.
"I've heard a lot about you losers," she said. "Now get out of my way!"
Robin twirled his bo staff and yelled, "Titans, go!"
The five shot forward as Slade and Ravager ran to meet them, and there was a huge clash of flying powers, punches, kicks, and weapons. Beast Boy, in tiger form, went careening across the pavement and accidentally took Cyborg down with him. Robin and Ravager were in a deep battle of bo staffs and martial arts, but both of them were so well trained that the fight seemed to be going nowhere at all. Jericho spent most of his time quickly dodging all of the flying dangers, then turned around and almost came face-first with a flying explosive disc. In the split second that he had to think, he prepared himself for the explosion, but almost faster than humanly possible Raven materialized out of the ground beneath him and threw up a shield that protected them both from the blast.
"Thanks," Jericho signed quickly, though he really felt like hugging her for what she had just done for him.
"Don't thank me yet," she replied, then grabbed his hands and levitated out of the way of Slade's oncoming fist bo staff.
Wow, Raven's a big help to me, Jericho thought. I wish I could find some way to thank her more.
"You don't have to," Raven suddenly said, looking down at him.
She can read minds? Jericho exclaimed silently.
"To a point, yes," she said. "But I really think it's more important if we conentrate on the problem at hand, okay?"
She was right. She let him drop gently to the ground, and he signed, "I want to help you guys, but nobody will stand sitll long enough for me to make eye contact."
"We've got your back. Maybe you should just sit this one out."
Jericho shook his head. "I really-" He moved quickly as Ravager took a hard fall at his feet, moaning slightly. He glanced up in time to see Starfire throw a massive punch and plant it square in the middle of Slade's face, cracking his mask and hurdling him through the window of the building beside them. With both of their enemies down for a second or so, the Titans let their guard down briefly and rushed over to Jericho.
"Are you okay?" Robin panted, his hair shining with sweat.
Jericho nodded but touched his ribs tenderly. He wouldn't be surprised to later find out that one or two of them were broken.
"We have to keep Slade away from him," Beast Boy said. "For some reason, he's got it out for him, dude."
"I'll take him back to the tower," Raven said quickly. "The rest of you should stay here and fight this out for as long as you can." And with that, she turned into her soul self in the shape of a black raven and swept Jericho away along with her.
-T-
"Looks like you have a few fractured ribs, but I can heal them," Raven was saying after she and Jericho had reached the tower and she looked him over as they sat at the table. "Whoever she is, Slade's new apprentice is stronger than she looks."
Jericho cringed as Raven gently touched his side. "So I noticed. Have you had any update with the rest of the team?"
"I'd say they'll probably handle theirselves well," she said absentmindedly. "Now hold still." Jericho did as he was told, and Raven's hand glowed a sparkly purple this time as she touched his ribs, and the pain seemed to be immediately gone. "How does that feel?"
Jericho moved to test the pain level. "I don't feel anything. You're pretty amazing, you know?"
Raven smiled slightly. "I guess I have a lot of hidden talents. But anyway... how long had you been fighting Slade and that girl before we showed up again?"
Jericho got serious and frowned. "A few minutes, but not too long I guess. I'm just glad you all got there when you did."
"Starfire heard a lot of noise and said that we should go see if you were okay. Good thing we did."
Jericho swallowed and looked down at the floor. He tapped his fingers on the table and cleared his throat.
"What?" Raven said flatly.
"Well," he signed, "there's... there's something important that I have to tell you."