A/N: WAIT! If you have not read Heritage, I ask that you please read that first, otherwise you'll have no idea what's going on.
...
Once they were out of the Brotherhood's base, Slade directed Robin to a chopper fueled and ready to go. The boy wonder hesitated for only moment before he climbed inside, followed quickly by the mercenary.
"Where are we going?" he asked as they left the ground. Robin briefly noted the League of Shadows' insignia on the pilot's sleeve.
"My clients would like to make sure that the job was completed personally," he replied vaguely.
Robin sighed in understanding. So he was going from one villain get-together to another, only this time the stakes were higher.
He was no fool. Robin always understood that Slade was selfish when it came to his apprentice. There was no way he could imagine the man just handing him over, even if it was either to the Shadows or the Court.
And deep in his heart, Robin knew that if it came down to a choice, he would pick Slade over Ra's and Cobb any day of the week. It was a sad day indeed when the teen realized that there were things far more evil than his rival. Either of the three roads would include things he never wished to do, but at least with Slade, he could one day fight under his own banner and possibly escape the hunt all-together.
"Why are you doing this?" the ebony asked, "Why can't we just ditch the whole lot of them and go somewhere else?"
Slade made a noise that could be interpreted as a snort, "And just where do you think we could go that they won't find us? Tonight, you must face your fears, Grayson."
"Can we at least stop for a snack first? I kinda missed supper."
Robin couldn't remember exactly when he had grown used to the assassin, only that it was sometime after Trigon and the Dust, when they had crossed paths. He had already been dealing with the fates and pacts thrown at him from the Shadows and the Court, and the responsibility of getting Bruce and Damian to accept each other, so he was rather done with it all by the time Slade resurfaced.
A granola bar almost smacked him in the face before Robin caught it. The young acrobat absently opened it with a smirk and nibbled at it. The gesture honestly reminded him of how Bruce was always prepared with all kinds of snacks, whether it be for famished speedsters or starving robins.
"You just carry those around with you?"
"You're a growing boy, and Wintergreen insists on me being prepared for everything when he's not around," the man argued and leaned back to get more comfortable, muttering something about impossible butlers.
Robin bit back a grin only for the sake of his pride and nibbled on the granola bar tossed to him. The old Brit reminded him so much of Alfred; it was uncanny. And during his apprenticeship, Wintergreen was a stability Robin could rely on, even when they were on opposite sides. The fact the man could also make a mean beef stew had nothing to do with it.
But what would the Titans think if they saw him now? Robin, protégé of the Batman, leader of the Teen Titans, and Golden Boy of the Justice League, lounging in a chopper with Deathstroke the Terminator on his way to meet with Ra's al Ghul and William Cobb. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
"Why the long face?" Slade asked, breaking him out of his spiraling thoughts.
Robin glared at his snack, honestly not hungry anymore, "What do you think?"
"I can take a pretty good guess, but I thought you might want to tell me yourself."
"Why on earth would I want to talk to you? After what you just did?!"
"If I recall correctly, I saved you from becoming a popsicle. And I shouldn't have to remind you that the cold isn't exactly healthy for your species."
"Sheesh, you make me sound like a zoo animal," Robin grumbled.
"Well, you're not exactly human."
With one fluid move, Robin ripped off his mask, and golden eyes glared at the mercenary, the veins in his neck glowing blue through his skin.
"Don't you think I know that?!" he glared.
However, before Slade could offer a reply, the pilot interrupted, "Coming up on our destination, sirs. Landing now."
Robin growled and snapped his gaze to face the window, where the desert palace of Nanda Parbat loomed on a solitary precipice outside. This was actually happening. He was meeting three of the most deadly crime lords in the world. There were no Teen Titans and no Batman. There was no backup coming this time. He was alone.
The helicopter landed too soon for Robin, who had once again donned his mask, more for his own sanity than anything else. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Slade and Robin were led into the fortified palace. Everywhere he looked, Robin could see soldiers and Talons lining every window, door, and possible escape hatch. He wouldn't be getting out this if he tried.
The mercenary and hero were led into a grand meeting hall, and in its center stood two of the most powerful men Robin had ever met. Ra's Al Ghul stood in all of his glory, garbed in his typical green and gold robes with a katana hidden in the folds.
To his right stood his daughter Talia. Robin had never really liked her, especially after what she did to Bruce and Damian, but he was always cordial with her. He was only polite because, when the time came, he didn't want her stabbing him in the back, literally and figuratively.
The third and final figure was a man Robin detested more than anything. He was the Grandmaster of the Court of Owls, a secret society that had ruled Gotham from behind the scenes for generations. A former Talon, this was William Cobb, Robin's grandfather.
"Deathstroke, I see that your mission was a success," Ra's greeted. All eyes landed on the teen standing just behind the assassin's right side. In the world where even the most subtle clues held great importance, the teen's position did not go unnoticed.
"Everything went exactly as planned," he replied cooly.
Robin could sense the tension between the three men as though he could reach out and touch it, and he had to fight the urge to squirm. They all wanted him for the same reason, and he had agreed to all of them. A stupid move, in hindsight, but he wouldn't take it back. Each contract he made between the three was to protect those he cared about. And if he had to be the one to take the fall then so be it.
"Richard," the Grandmaster snapped, "please remove that ridiculous mask. We are all on the same side here. There is no reason to hide."
Robin seriously doubted that they were on the same side, but he complied, albeit slowly. He knew what Cobb was really trying to do. He was showing that he had the highest claim because of blood. Golden eyes stared back up at the three immortals. They were the eyes of a stranger when he looked in the mirror, the eyes of a Talon.
Richard Grayson did not miss the smug look his grandfather shot Ra's Al Ghul. If he wasn't careful, a fight could break out. And while he was perfectly content to watch his three greatest enemies duke it out among themselves and hopefully loosen him from one or more contracts, he didn't want to be caught in the middle and have to fight any of them.
"I trust you had a pleasant journey, Richard?" Ra's asked. The teen nodded.
"I would have enjoyed it more if my friends could have been released as well," he shot back, tone polite but the sting all the more prevalent, "They are still being held by the Brotherhood of Evil."
"Those villains are third rate at best," Deathstroke huffed. Robin fought the feeling to gawk. Those "third rate" villains had taken out Titans International. Granted, if he hadn't been so stupid as to give a communicator to a disguised Rouge, that wouldn't have happened. But at the same time, he knew they weren't to be messed with.
He had confidence in his friends though, and not everyone had been captured. Maybe they could pull off another last minute miracle and break themselves out. It was doubtful, but he held on to that hope like a lifeline.
"They are no longer your friends, Richard," Cobb stated evenly, "Your place is here."
"They are my friends," Robin replied firmly, "and they will continue to be my friends."
"But will you still be theirs?" Slade purred, "You've lied to them again, Grayson. And I don't remember them taking so kindly to your manipulation last time."
Richard grit his teeth and glared but said nothing. It was true. His team had reacted explosively when he went undercover as Red X, and they doubted his loyalty when he was forced to be Slade's apprentice the first time. Because they could see what Slade saw, what he refused to see...that they were similar in so many ways.
"They will come for me," he resolved, "That I can promise you."
"Then you will have to live with the fact that you caused their downfall," Cobb mused aloud, "We are fully prepared to take on anyone that will come. They won't even make it to this room."
"And now that it has been established," Ra's interrupted, "I believe it is time to resume negotiations."
"After I receive the rest of my payment," Slade added. The two men nodded.
"As we agreed. One hundred thousand each, and five years to train him as your apprentice."
"What?!" Robin exclaimed. The three collectively ignored him.
"And then he shall be returned here, where he will continue his studies under Talia and myself."
Cobb continued, "He shall brought before the Court on his twenty-fifth birthday to be given his inheritance and assume his birthright. We can discuss the specifics about the amount of time he spends as the Demon's Heir and the Gray Son closer to the date."
Ra's Al Ghul nodded. Robin noticed Talia had remained silent throughout the discussion but he was a little upset about everything to give it much thought.
"Don't I get a say in this?!"
"No," Slade addressed him with a warning glare, daring him to keep talking. Richard clenched his fists but wisely stayed silent.
"Richard will still go with me on assignments after the five year training period. You are not the only ones with an empire and reputation to uphold."
The Titans were still in danger, and here he was being bartered for like a new gun on the black market. He hated to admit it, but he needed to get word to Batman. He was the only one who could help him now.
Talia sashayed over to the distraught boy and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Come, Richard. Let's walk while they discuss the boring specifics."
Golden eyes glanced up at the single gray eye looking back, and the assassin nodded his permission. So Richard followed the female Shadow out of the meeting hall.
"Batman will be a problem when he finds out," Slade stated, though his concern was more on his apprentice being alone with the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul than bargaining. In all honesty, he could care less about the Bat as long as he stayed out of his way.
"No harm will come to the Detective," Ra's replied, ending any sort of discussion along that line. Bruce Wayne may have turned down his offer to become his heir, but he still held great respect for the man.
William Cobb did not hold the same opinion, but he knew there would be no reasoning with these two, so he mentally prepared to make his own plans for ending the Dark Knight.
The three ringleaders spent the next hour discussing the specifics of their arrangement, all of them filling in any loopholes the other could potentially find. They may have codes of their own, but none of them were above twisting the facts to suit their purpose.
Richard Grayson returned when they finalized the deal, but he did not look the same. His brightly colored Robin uniform had been replaced with a black Kevlar suit, complete with a new belt, wrist and shin guards, and straps for a variety of weapons.
The buckle to his new utility belt bore the crest of the Court of Owls. On each of his shoulders, the insignia of the Shadows had been sewn into the material. And where the "R" of his uniform once was, the single, sharp "S" of Slade took precedence. His new suit was a reminder to them that he belonged to three syndicates, not just one. It also served to show others, that he was not one to be trifled with.
He wore no mask. He had been told that that piece would be his own creation, which he would make when he returned to Slade's base. It would be the final seal, and he knew it would be the heaviest piece of armor he would have to wear. Once he put it on, he knew there would be no going back.
The three leaders wore similar expressions of pride. Talia and the Shadows had done well in designing his new uniform. Now, everyone would see what they always saw. Not a boy playing the hero, but a lethal and dangerous weapon, someone who could grow into becoming something extraordinary.
"Who are you now, Richard Grayson?"
The young teen took in a deep breath, pushing Robin down for the first time ever. He wasn't a hero, not anymore. That choice had been taken from him.
"I am Renegade."