Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.

a/n: I'm happy you guys like the story so far, it's been really interesting for me to write. Again, just a quick reminder that I am adopting some of the DC Deathstroke history for Slade's character. You can find it all online if you're not familiar with it.

Also, I'll try to update as fast as possible, but I do have school, work, and other things in general. So if I don't update right away, please be patient. I'm not abandoning the story.

Reviews, sharing, etc. are greatly appreciated.

"People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere, and then lost each other, searched for each other, found each other a few feet away."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Slade: Trust is easy to destroy, yet, takes time to build.

- Masks

Chapter Three: The First

When Raven re-entered the Titan's tower, she had half a mind to teleport back to her room, rather than face her companions. In spite of her intentions, the slightest bit of guilt poked and prodded at Raven's conscience.

Don't be ridiculous, she chided herself. As an enforcer of the law, I'm making an educated choice that I believe will benefit everyone in the long run. Besides, Jinx got an exemption for her past crimes. This is...close enough.

Somehow, it didn't seem the same.

"Hey, Raven," Robin said from the kitchen, smiling as he opened a soda can. "Where've you been?"

"Out." Raven managed in her usual, indifferent monotone. "I'm going to my room."

Beast Boy, playing a spaceship-oriented video game with Cyborg (who, Raven assumed, had forgiven Beast Boy for the card mishap this morning), stuck his head over the couch.

"I thought you said you were going to the market! I've been starving over here!"

Damn it.

Raven flushed, glaring at the little green changeling. "Well, I didn't. Stand up and get something from the fridge."

And with that, Raven made her escape, only half-listening to Beast Boy's cries of: "But everything's blue!"

.

You know, Robin's going to kill you when he finds out, Timid said sadly, peeking out from behind a floating gray boulder.

"Azarath, Mentrion, Zinthos." Raven replied.

Oh, who cares? Lazy yawned, picking aimlessly at her orange cloak. Raven, this whole Slade thing better not mess up our sleep schedule. Count me out if you ever plan on "checking in" before seven in the morning.

"Azarath, Mentrion, Zinthos." Raven answered.

Ha-ha, that's funny! Happy nudged Lazy playfully. You know, if Raven keeps popping up in and out at weird times of the day, people are going to think she's a -

"Azarath, Mentrion, Zinthos." Raven cut Happy off through clenched teeth.

Timid is right, Intelligence pointed out, adjusting her glasses. When Robin finds out that you're helping Slade stay out of jail, he's never going to trust you again. He'll probably kick you off the team.

"Azarath, Mentrion, Zinthos."

He can't do that! Timid protested weakly, then paused, reconsidering. Can he?

"Azarath, Mentrion - "

Duh! But so what? I still say we keep tabs on that sick-o. Brave rolled her eyes at Timid, who'd chosen the edge of a gateway to hide behind after her boulder had drifted away.

"That's it," Raven fumed at her emotional counterparts. "If you guys keep talking while I'm trying to meditate, I'm going to throw you all in the maze and create a new statue to chase after you."

For a moment, this threat seemed to have worked. Raven's mind was silent, and filled only with the image of a star-speckled sky and a landscape of gray mineral.

Then -

Why would you do that? We already know the way through the maze. Intelligence's expression was incredulous.

Bring it on! Brave added excitedly. Eight-Eyes was a piece of cake. Give me a challenge!

Ugh, do we have to? Lazy whined. I don't feel like doing anything right now. Can you punish us tomorrow?

Raven opened her eyes, shattering the visualization of her mind and returning to the dimly lit space of her bedroom. Disgruntled, she unwound her legs from a meditative pose and flopped back on to her bed.

Meditation was primarily used to keep the intensity of her powers - i.e. Rage - under control. Her entire upbringing had been founded on the principle of emotional suppression; most of the time, meditating helped maintain Rage's unfortunate tendency to lash out during times of duress.

However, that didn't stop other parts of Raven's psyche from running rampant while she tried to soothe her personal demon. Occasionally, they chose to take Raven's time to herself as an opportunity to converse about current issues, especially when said issues were bothering her more than the norm.

"My head is not a morning talk show," Raven vented to the ceiling. "Can't I just have some peace and quiet?!"

As if on cue, a series of knocks emanated from the door. "Friend Raven? Are you there?"

Raven flinched. What she would give for ten bottles of aspirin. Raven would keep popping pills until the headache went away, even if it meant eventual hospitalization. She was flexible.

Another couple of bangs from the door, this time louder than the first few. "Raven?"

It took everything she had for Raven to drag herself from the comfort of her mattress to the door. If it had been Beast Boy, or maybe even Cyborg, she would have just ignored the knocking until they went away. But Raven genuinely cared for the alien girl's feelings, and knew that if she did not answer, Starfire would draw the wrong conclusion.

The few inches Raven allowed the door to open was nearly engulfed by a wide, green eye.

"Hello, friend Raven," Starfire chirped pleasantly. "How are you this glorious afternoon?"

"Fine. Is there something you need?"

"Oh, well, I was wondering if you would like to do the 'girl's night out' with me later today?

Raven could only stare blankly at the redheaded alien. Starfire, clearly noticing Raven's reaction, rushed to explain herself.

"It's just that, I have been spending so much time with Robin, and I miss your company, and I have heard that a girl's night is most enjoyable, and we could - "

"I'm busy tonight."

It wasn't a lie. Raven had wanted to leave for Slade's home around six o'clock, and she planned to do a through inspection of every nook and cranny of the place. Not to mention that if she arrived too late, Slade could be asleep, and Raven would have to wake him up if she had any questions. A six o'clock Slade was bound to be more compliant than a middle-of-the-night one.

Not to mention, Raven thought grimly. If I have to wake him up, I'll catch him in pajamas.

A vision of the armored, masked Slade she knew so well, suddenly stuffed in a onesie embroidered with ducks, popped into her train of thought.

Passion, who was usually not as vocal as the other emotions, snickered beneath her purple hood. Who said anything about pajamas? What if Slade sleeps in the nu -

"Oh." A disappointed frown bent Starfire's mouth. "I did not know you had other arrangements. Perhaps some other time."

She began to walk away dejectedly. Raven looked up at the ceiling, resigned.

"Star...fire?"

The alien girl whipped back around, hope radiating from her entire figure. "Yes, Raven?"

"Um...maybe we could go out...tomorrow...night?" Raven didn't even bother trying to keep the unhappiness from her tone.

The world went dark for a couple of seconds as Raven had every particle of oxygen squeezed out of her body.

"Oh, Raven, thank you, I am most excited!" Starfire squealed, and, if possible, hugged Raven even tighter.

Since the apocalypse, Raven had learned to appreciate all the idiosyncrasies of the four people she cared most about in the world. They had - quite literally - gone through Hell and back to save her. Raven would spend the rest of her life proving exactly how much she cared about them.

And if that meant enduring a night of clubbing and romantic comedies with an over-enthusiastic alien, so be it.

.

It took some time before Raven was able to find Slade's house, not because she got lost or merely missed the residence, but because she couldn't believe the enormous piece of property was his. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting the living quarters of Jump City's number one criminal to look like - maybe a dingy shack in the middle of nowhere, or an underground sewer with alligators to guard it - but it most certainly wasn't this.

The mansion was on the waterfront, part of one of the few strips of neighborhood in Jump City that constituted as a "wealthy" area. Most people lived in apartments or in the suburbs just beyond the city limit, but this block of homes was gated (Raven simply flew over it), and overlooked the bay where the Titan's island resided. Raven was slightly uncomfortable with this new information - Slade could probably see the tower from his backyard.

In the pink-and-yellow flare of the setting sun, Raven could make out the mansion's coloring as a sandy beige, while the roof was a much darker shade of brown. There was a black van parked in the driveway; Raven stared hard at the license plate, trying to imprint the digits in her memory. Palm trees sprouted from the front lawn, and there was no sign of neglect anywhere on the property. The windows were all dark, unwelcoming, and Raven was wary of what awaited her inside.

What now?

She took a deep breath before striding up the steps and rapping on the large, cherrywood door. A burst of laughter rang out from behind her; Raven glanced back, only to see the backs of two blonde children zipping away on bicycles.

The door clicked open, swinging a few inches to admit her. Tense, Raven walked into the darkness, on guard for any surprise attacks.

"Slade?" Raven called into the dark. Aside from the tile of the foyer and what appeared to be the outline of a sofa, she saw no sign of life.

The door slammed shut. Raven practically flew back around, startled.

There he was, fully armored, arms folded, cloaked in shadow. Memories of battles and pain and frustration all flooded back to Raven - this man was her adversary, the Titan's number one enemy, the reason they fought for justice.

"Raven," he greeted her cooly.

"Let's get this over with."

"I couldn't agree more."

And with that, he clasped his hands behind his back and strode away, leaving Raven by the door. She scowled at his backside, but followed all the same.

The rest of the house was just a poorly lit as the foyer had been. Raven could make out the shape of a chandelier and a winding staircase, yet Slade seemed to have no desire to illuminate the space. She supposed she couldn't protest at the lack of light, for her own room was just as dim, if not equally dark.

Slade led her to (what Raven thought was) a living room. A plain armchair sat in the middle of the room, facing a flat-screen television. Raven could hear the hum of a fridge somewhere to her left, where she supposed the kitchen was. Otherwise, the room seemed extremely plain - there were no photographs, paintings, or anything to indicate Slade's personal interests.

"If you break anything," Slade warned testily, sitting in the armchair like a king would a throne, "our deal's off."

Raven folded her arms. "How do I know you're not just going to hide all your weapons and plans when I come to check on you?"

Slade's eye roved towards her. "You won't. I guess you're going to have to trust me."

Raven was unamused. "Weren't you the one who told Robin that 'trust takes time to build'?"

The eye didn't blink. "My dear, I think we've had more than enough time together. Wouldn't you agree?"

Tick-tock, Raven. Time's running out.

"Then why do you have your suit on? I know what you look like now." Raven reminded him pointedly, unafraid to flex the tiny bit of leverage she had.

"Child, I suggest you utilize your time in my home wisely. The Titans might begin to wonder where you are if you insist on interrogating me." She could hear the smirk in Slade's voice.

The Titans. Did Slade know the reason why Raven had been so eager to keep him out of their lives? She certainly hoped not; Slade would take anything he could use as an advantage against her. He was cunning, intelligent - everything that made him a good villain.

With a grimace, Raven turned from Slade and began her search. She went from room to room, seeking equipment, surveillance footage, or anything else that could pertain to the Titan's downfall. To her surprise, most rooms were vacant and dusty, save for a bathroom and an at-home gym. Raven lifted every chair and checked every cabinet, even feeling the walls for a secret compartment, but her investigation coming up bizarrely empty-handed.

Raven drifted up the staircase and onto the second floor, which proved to be just as uneventful as the first one. She did see a workshop in one of the rooms, filled with bits and pieces of machinery. A Slade-bot, torn in half at the waist, sat limply in one corner; Raven narrowed her eyes, daring it to move. But otherwise, there were no missiles or seismic generators lying around, and Raven supposed the room was clean enough.

When she reached Slade's bedroom, it was Brave who had to encourage her to enter.

C'mon, girl! It's just a room with a bed. No biggie, Brave consoled her with a thumb's up.

"Of course it's not a big deal," Raven muttered back. But the words helped all the same, and Raven stepped foot into the bedroom.

Once, after watching far too many late-night television specials, Beast Boy had adamantly made the case that Slade was a vampire. This theory was entirely based on the idea that Slade always seemed to keep himself (literally) in the dark, was comfortable with having bats in his lair, and always on the lookout for some healthy, juicy human to brainwash. Like always, Beast Boy's hypothesis was shot down by pure reason, but Raven considered the possibility of Slade sleeping in a coffin to be more probable than anything else.

Upon seeing the king-sized bed smack-dab in the middle of the room, she was mildly disappointed with the turn of events.

At least his boxers aren't everywhere, Timid sighed with relief.

What's wrong with that? demanded Lazy.

Yeah, what's wrong with that? Passion agreed, though with extremely different intentions than the orange-cloaked emotion.

"I hate all of you," Raven groaned, gingerly picking up the comforter for inspection.

Like all the others, this room held no trace of a life outside crime. There was a computer in one corner of the room, and a closet in another. Just when Raven was about to (grudgingly) conclude her search, a tiny face caught the corner of her eye.

Beside the bed was a wooden nightstand, with only a digital clock and a lamp resting on top. But squished underneath a leg of the contraption was a tiny slip of paper; hesitantly, Raven wriggled it out from under the table, afraid she would tear it if she was not careful.

It was a photograph, wrinkled at the edges, as if it had spent some time in a wallet. The picture was obviously once a group shot, but was cut on the right, leaving only the figure of a woman and a backdrop of grass.

She was young, perhaps in her late twenties, with brown hair and fair skin. Her arm was cut off at the cropped edge of the photo, but another, larger arm encircled her waist, leaving Raven to wonder who else had been in the picture. The image had sun-flare at the edges of the photo, and the woman was wearing a tank top, making Raven think it had been taken during the summer, or somewhere hot. Either way, the woman was beautiful, but unfortunately, entirely unfamiliar.

"Don't you know it's rude to pry?"

Raven started. Slade was standing in the doorway. She wondered how long he'd been there.

"Who - "

The picture was snatched from her grip. Raven couldn't imagine how it was important - once he had it, Slade crumpled the photo in his hand.

"It's nothing of your concern." he replied smoothly, calmly. But Raven could hear the anger in his tone, flickering just below the surface.

"I found your workshop," she said quickly, changing the subject. "You're working on robots."

Slade chuckled, a sound that was deep and dark and terrible. "My dear, when I said I had no intention of attacking the Titans in the near future, it wasn't a lie. However, I never said that I didn't have other targets."

Raven bared her teeth. "If you hurt anyone - "

"It will be none of your concern," Slade interjected. "Our deal entails the Titan's safety. Nothing more, nothing less."

He was right. Rage, who'd been blissfully absent, perked up at Slade's manipulation.

"Fine," Raven crossed her arms. "You're clean."

"How delightful."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'll be back tomorrow. If you're not here, I don't care. I see anything suspicious, I'll take it with me and ask you about it the next time I check in."

Slade deadpanned, good eye narrowed.

"Manners, Raven. I expected better from you." He twisted away from her. "Perhaps you take after your father more than I'd thought."

Father. Trigon.

You are merely the portal. An insignificant pawn in Trigon's game.

Then I guess we have that in common. And once he gets what he wants, you'll be insignificant too.

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Raven said bitterly. "I was right. You were a fool."

She had been sorely tempted to say are, but refrained. Raven was in no mood to bicker.

But Slade shrugged, once. "Perhaps I was, then. But I've learned my lesson. And I assure you, Raven - "

He turned back, eye sparkling with malice.

"I don't tolerate disrespect, no matter who it's from."

Not too long ago - or maybe an eternity ago - Raven would have been intimidated by Slade's display of dominance. There was a window of time, after he'd burned the inscriptions into her flesh, where Raven's nightmares were haunted by his flaming touch. Even when he'd simply held her over the vision of the future, Raven had been horrified of Slade's grip. Occasionally, Raven could feel the ghosts of his fingers, wound around her forearms, so large in comparison to her own. She could still feel his breath against her cheek, hot and smelling of sulfur and decay, as he hissed the prophecy she'd feared all her life.

No! I won't do it!

In a dark, private corner of her soul, Raven had been glad Slade tossed her off the tower once he was finished with his message. When they had been alone, above the fire and stone, she was mortified by the scene, no doubt. But during the vision, a new fear, a woman's fear, had emerged for the first time in her young life. Raven had been weak and nearly bare; Slade could have easily overpowered her then. Trigon would have thought it poetic - after all, wasn't that how Raven herself had come into being?

This will come to pass. I will make sure of it.

But she had eventually overcome her fear, and nearly re-killed Slade to prove it. Raven saw no threat in the man before her.

So she replied bluntly,

"That makes two of us."

The two faced one another, a mental war raging, to see who would break first.

What now?

Neither of them moved for a long, long time.