A/N: Okay, it's been a while I do realize that. BUT not as long as last time so HA! Yeah so I had most of this chapter written for a long while, at least the beginning portions. I'll be brief, so go read. Please review you little munchkins. I see you out there!

Disclaimer: Idk if I've done this yet, and I think it's stupid but I'll just do it once. I dont own teen titans, yada yada yada. ENJOY.

-2021-

"Goodnight Grandpa!" Mari said as Slade pulled covered up to her and tucked her in for the night.

"Goodnight Mari, sweet dreams!" He said as he laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. He looked around the modest room; Dick clearly made sure to not spoil her but also made sure she had everything she needed. What Slade also noticed immediately was the color palette of the room, red, yellow, and green. He wondered if Dick did this subconsciously, placing his childhood on his daughter, or if he just enjoyed the irony of it all. Nonetheless, he closed the door and thought no more of it. Slade congratulated himself for surpassing the paranoia that would have once caused him years ago when he was still cautious about Dick's loyalty.

"She is beautiful, just like her mother."

"I know a spitting image…" Dick said as little bit of sadness washed over his face.

"I miss her every day."

"I would surmise you do." Slade walked over to the fridge and pulled out two beers.

"And every day I have to look at that smug bastards face." Dick took the beer from Slade's hand as leaned against the island in front of which they stood.

"Watch him laugh and enjoy himself as if he didn't kill my wife."

"I told you, you only have to say the word and I-"Dick cut him off.

"No. That's my responsibility, I need to do it. He needs to know that it was me."

Silence washed over the two men for a short period of time as Dick began to calm down. He then burrowed his head in his hands, dragging them down in a dramatic motion.

"How have you been Slade? How is Gotham treating you?"

"I am okay. Actually I am doing quite well. I have an iron grip placed upon the criminal underground."

"I've noticed, there have been significantly less crimes going on across the city. You're going to put me out of a job!" He chuckled at that.

"Don't worry Dick. No matter what we do, crime will exist and it will escape our grasp. Only for us to come back, and crush it."

Dick and Slade clinked their beers together in agreement while outside a man stood on a rooftop watching the two men, one of whom was still a boy in his mind.

"You know he is going to kill you one day?" A soft purr came from behind him.

"I realize this."

"Then why come?"

"Because he is my son, and she is my granddaughter. No matter what he does or says, I will still love them."

"You have a biological son of your own to worry about at home, who just needs half of the attention you are giving Dick right now to truly feel like he is your own."

"I realize that Selina!" He said.

"May you should act like it then. Grow up Bruce, he has."

"I don't care what you say Selina, and I don't care what you think. But I love him and he is a danger to himself, and more importantly to Mari. I can still save him from himself."

"I'd have to say I disagree with that. He made his choice Bruce."

"I can still save him, and I can save her."

"And how do you plan to do that Bruce? Slade has his people everywhere; they protect him and watch over her. You can't get close to them and if you could Dick would take you out."

"He could try."

"He would. He has all the reason in the world to, Bruce. Honestly, I don't even forgive you for what you did."

"It wasn't on purpose Selina! I had no idea what was going to happen."

"But you still went through with it. You threw caution to the wind and not only did you fail him once, you failed him twice. That's disgraceful Bruce."

He stood there silently not willing to respond and if he was, he certainly did not know how to respond.

"Disgraceful."

With that she left him standing alone in the dark as he looked in on his granddaughter who remained blissfully unaware of his presence."

-2015-

A bell rang as Dick walked into the small diner. The sharp noise contrasted the 'plips' of the rain outside. He lightly shook off his umbrella as he look around the dinner. It wasn't busy nor was it empty.

"You looking for someone honey?" The hostess asked him from her stand.

"Yeah I'm looking for... Wait I see him."

Dick walked off as the hostess returned to the crossword puzzle on her stand. Sitting against the wall was Slade, unmasked and sitting reading the newspaper. Dick wasn't sure how to approach the man but he knew he had to.

"You know everyone just uses their phones nowadays to check the news." Dick said walking up to the booth.

Slade did not look up and he did not seemed surprised one bit.

"What can I say, I'm nostalgic. I like the smell of the paper." Slade folded the paper neatly in front of him and motioned for Dick to sit down.

"You knew I was coming didn't you?" Dick asked.

"I knew you'd show up one day soon, but i just had a good hunch that would be today."

"Why?"

"You were shivering so violently after we departed that I figured you must've come down with the flu."

"You were watching me?"

"I wanted to make sure you arrived home safely."

"Like you care."

"Believe it or not, I do. You have amazing potential and I cannot sit by and let that go to waste."

"I'm just another investment for you. Your worry is out of self gain, not for my well being."

"If it were for my own gain we wouldn't be here right now..." There was a glint in his eye as he said it and Dick knew it was true.

"I was once like you, a young kid trying to fight the good fight, manipulated by others for their own gain."

"And who besides you is manipulating me right now?" Dick said becoming frustrated by this banter.

"I'm not trying to manipulate you, just enlighten you. Tell you truths that have been hidden from you."

"Like what?"

"Like your parents' murder being a hired hit and posed as a mob hit."

"Zucco told me that, not you."

"And I was the one that brought you to Zucco. I was looking into the crime and found some discrepancies. Zucco confirmed my findings when I interrogated the man myself. I knew you wouldn't believe me so I brought you the one man who could convince you of the truth."

Dick sat silently as he took it all in slowly. He repressed his body's natural instinct to convulse from sitting so close to Slade in such a casual setting.

"I still don't understand what your game is Slade. Aren't villains supposed to love to talk about their master plans?"

Slade laughed at Dicks comment but came serious again moments later.

"There are questions with my past as with yours that need to be answered. It's time you began to find the truth out from those hiding it."

"And who exactly is that?"

"You once told me that you already had a father. Ask him."

"He has nothing to do with this. He took me in, raised me as his own."

"The world isn't so black and white, Richard. If you continue to live in this bubble where good and bad are defined like the sides of a coin, you will never learn the truth."

"You keep talking about the truth but everything you are saying is ambiguous! You keep talking about the truth behind my parent's murder and you seem to know something but you aren't willing to say it."

Slade was silent for a long while and Dick knew that the next thing the man said would impact him for a long time.

"I was there the night it happened, the night your parents were killed. I was a long time friend of your father from the brief time he served in the military. We parted ways for a long time but reunited just after he met your mother. When I met Mary we became close friends. I was there when your mother went into labor, drove her and your father to the hospital. We were in Spain at the time. They named me your godfather in the case that anything ever happened to you. I saw them on occasion after that, and that night was such occasion. I came to see your family and you. They wanted to formally introduce me after the performance since I was your godfather, but they never got the chance."

"Bullshit."

"Watch your mouth boy! Your parents were my friends and I grieve their deaths too! That night I told the officers I was your godfather, you were supposed to be released into my custody, but Bruce Wayne stepped in and made sure the police station never received the necessary papers to prove that I was your godfather." Slade had the look upon his face of someone who had just remembered a painful memory. It was the same face that Dick had after he thought of that night, and it was one of the reasons Dick decided to find truth I what Slade was saying.

"When I was young, Bruce was constantly told that I had another person ready to take care of me. Everyone assumed Bruce would grow tired of a charity case like me but he never did. So that's how Bruce knows you..."

"We've met on several occasions both in uniform and in our daily lives, but yes; first we met that night when he decided to take the son of my best friend away from me. We have quite opposing views to say the least."

"So my parents wanted YOU to raise me? Did they not think about what kind of person I would have become under your supervision?"

"I have no doubts that you would be the same person, Richard, but I would not be so reserved as to not say that your morals and values would be different, if not better."

Dick inhaled and exhaled, and repeated that singular motion while he tried not to imagine a life with Slade as a parental figure. It gave him chills to say the least:

"Zucco was just the beginning to something larger. I want to know what happened. Out of respect I thought you should know also."

"Why does my past matter to you so much Slade?"

"They were my friends! In many ways your father was like my brother. I should've done something, but I couldn't. So I want revenge, and I know you do too."

Dick felt conflicted on the inside. Slade's words resonated with him too well on the inside. He felt it was unnatural, that he could see, and understand Slade's motives. In some ways Dick wanted the same thing. He wanted revenge and he didn't want it the way Bruce did. No matter what Bruce said or did, Dick wanted to cross that so fragile line Bruce had set for him. In particular moments Dick wanted to rip the line apart, into shreds, but every time it caught him by the throat and pulled him back to the pre-assigned side. Dick had never felt as controlled as when he was forced to be Slade's apprentice. Now the man who had once blackmailed him wanted to help set him free from a cage Dick was not entirely sure he was encaged in. Dick did not know if he wanted to be let go, and in him filled a nasty feeling that he just could not shake.

"Why are you doing this, Slade? Why are you being so human?"

"I want to know the truth."

"So do I."

"But I'm going to pursue it." Slade slid out of the booth and readied himself to leave.

"Why'd you tell me this?"

"Out of respect."

Slade then began to walk away but Dick jumped up knocking the table hard hurting himself slightly.

"Wait!"

Slade stopped...

"I'm going to regret saying this but I propose a temporary partnership."

"You want my help?" Slade looked shocked and then returned to the booth.

It pained Dick to say it, "Yes, I believe I'm out of my depth here. I'm going to need help and I can't trust Bruce. You are my next best option. I need someone to be able to reel me in if I go off the deep end."

"If you want my help we have to do this my way."

At those words Dick was beginning to change his mind.

"What is your way?"

"While we work we also train."

"No way."

"Then there is no deal. While we investigate this ordeal you must train once daily for 2 hours. You will follow instructions and do what I ask of you."

"I'm not doing this. I won't be your apprentice."

"Well if you change your mind." Slade placed a card that held 7 digits on it onto the table.

"If you change your mind." Slade then left the dinner after picking up the bill. Dick sat there for a while thinking about the conversation, unsure of his past and of his future.

Dick felt completely at peace to spend the rest of his evening with Kori while actively avoiding Bruce. Together they laid in a bed in one of Bruce's guest rooms in the guest house a separate entity. Far from Bruce or Alfred's reach and ability to walk in on them when they were otherwise occupied. They were wrapped up in the cloths of the bed more or less clothed if you could count the bed sheets as clothing. Kori's face glowed with sweat and with love as she looked at the man she loved. She knew he loved him in return but she knew something was bothering the man she loved.

"What has been going on Robin? You seem more flustered over something than usual." She asked him rolling onto her stomach and leaning her head upon her arms.

He kissed her head and let out a heavy sigh.

"You always know don't you?"

"Not as much as you think, but your worry is all over your face." She spoke softly as she took his hand and kissed it softly and compassionately.

Dick did not hold back, nor did he lie or fudge the truth. Of many people on this Earth who Dick had the pleasure to call his friends only few had earned the right to the unadulterated truth. Kori being the woman he loved above all else was one of those people. She was kind, passionate, and deserved everything he could give to her, even all of himself that he could give to her. Dick in many ways was sure that Kori was the one, and in a couple of years Dick hoped to marry her when their situation as heroes was a bit more stable. Until now he just held her in his arms as lovers do and told her the truth has lovers do.

"Do you believe what Slade has told you? He is not to be trusted Robin, you know that."

"I know that Star, but what he said about being friends with my parents that was true. Before I went Bruce said something like that too, but Bruce didn't tell me everything. I could tell he was hiding something. In fact I believe that he is hiding a lot from me. The only difference right now was that my arch enemy is willing to give me the answers that my own adoptive father wont. I don't know what to do Star."

"He may be trying to manipulate you again?" Star inquired trying to show him a different way of seeing thing. Star despised Slade to a level unknown to much off the Titans, with the exception of Raven. None of the other Titans knew to what lengths she truly hated the man, and what she was willing to do if he ever hurt Robin again. Yet at the same time Starfire tried to keep herself calm and try to view things as Robin was, since she trusted his judgment greatly. It was only times when his obsession outweighed his judgment did she not trust his actions. Of course that obsession always seemed to surround Slade.

"He didn't manipulate me last time, he blackmailed me. Slade doesn't have the time to manipulate someone when he is too busy trying to take over the world."

There was silence between the two as Starfire thought about what Dick had said.

"What are his motivations anyways? Are we sure he wants to take over the world?" Star asked genuinely unsure of the answer.

"I- I am honestly not sure…" Dick stared at the walk curious himself. "Well we know he has an organization, but I'm just not exactly sure what he wants."

"And why does he want to help you. All you have ever done for him is tried to stop him in whatever his goals are."

"If what he s saying about my parents is true maybe he wants vengeance, or this is less likely, but maybe on some twisted level he cares."

With that Starfire sat up intently and gave him a stern look.

"Robin. I assure you that Slade does not care about you. This is Slade we are speaking of. He has blackmailed you, and poisoned you, and used you for his own nefarious gains. He brought hell to Earth and then dragged you with him through the deepest pits."

"I know."

Star adjusted herself and lay against Dick, snuggling into him for the night. The sun was down and the stars were up and neither had any intentions of getting out of that bed till sunrise. Starfire fell asleep quickly in the night but Robin was up for most of the night wondering what exactly he should do. Slade had always been his mortal enemy, albeit an enemy that confused him and made his question his morals. Slade's way was not the right way, but Slade made Dick realize that Bruce's way wasn't perfect either. In the beginning, taking up Bruce's morals seemed like a gift. He felt like he was one in a million. Then has he grew up Dick wondered how successful putting dangerous and vile criminals through the revolving door that Arkham Asylum had become. Bruce had assured him that it was for the best, that they must get the opportunity to change their ways. Dick slowly grew out of that belief, and the act of arresting became monotonous. That is what led to the rift forming between them. In some ways Dick could tell Bruce was slowly losing faith in his ideals but they had been ingrained so deeply into them he could no longer abandon them. It scared Dick and he didn't want to become that so he left.

The Titans gave him new hope for the system but after Slade, Terra, and Trigon. Dick felt his energy being sapped and he allowed himself to fall into the clutches of the Brotherhood of Evil. Dick was grateful towards Beast Boy for saving his life and the lives of his team mates but that became the first time Dick truly questioned his skills. Dick separated for a short time with the Titans, for two months he trained in the mountains with a grand master. It was when Dick was returning home did he fully receive the training he needed.

-2013-

Dick sat on a cargo plane returning from the Himalayas where he stayed for 8 weeks. He had been met with several challenges that tested him greatly, tested his endurance, strength, and flexibility. He had approved upon himself most certainly but as the grand master had said to him that the problem he faced could not be found in his own skill set, within his body, but within the limitations he had placed upon his mind. Dick felt at a loss as he sat in the chair hood over his head. His identity was only protected by the sunglasses and that hood. At the moment he was neither Dick nor Robin, but just a student waiting to learn what he could. The cargo plane was nearly empty except for the one stranger who sat across from him. He was lying back completely relaxed, not a worry in the world as the plane jostled. Dick himself was not usually bothered by flying but the turbulence was starting to give him a headache and the now beating rain.

The plane bumped abruptly ramming the man's head into his seat. He woke with a start and his hand immediately went for the back of his head. He was a Caucasian male with white hair, and a white goatee that seemed to betray his age. He looked young in contrast to his air and was quite well built up. Despite that odd feature it was the eye patch covering his right eye that drew Dick's attention. He felt a familiar feeling in the back of his head but that was lost as a laugh came out of the mans mouth. He had noticed that Dick was staring at him and Dick quickly looked away to look inconspicuous but he knew he had failed at doing even that.

"I don't think I'll be trying to sleep anymore after that." He said still rubbing the back of his head.

Dick didn't respond, he didn't know how to respond to that. He preferred to not speak at all, but sitting on a 10 hour flight only 2 hours in with a man meant that they would have to speak eventually. Dick did not intend to die of the awkwardness that would ensue if he did not.

"I don't think it'd be easy to sleep in this weather anyways." Dick said softly in response; still keeping his arms tightly across his chest.

"No, I suppose not. So what is a young boy like you doing in a cargo plane like this? What are you 14?"

"I am 18 for your information." Dick snarled.

"Sorry, you are just quite small of stature for your age."

"Genetics I guess." That was a lie, Dick knew that he was small because of his acrobatics. Doing such vigorous exercises prevented him from growing taller and gaining muscle similarly to how young gymnasts would stop growing until they stopped competing.

"Mhm, but you still haven't answered my question: Why are you here?"

"You tell me first." Dick said, eyeing him carefully.

"Alright then, I'm a martial arts teacher and I was checking up on a student of mine whom had gone a long way."

"That's a long way for a student."

"Well he is the son of a good friend of mine, he is like family. His father was unable to go so I went in his stead." Dick couldn't detect any lies in the mans words and relaxed a little.

"I told you why I'm here, now how about you?"

"I-" Dick didn't know what to say, because he really didn't know why he was there. Of course he knew he was there to train but he could've done that at home, with Bruce or with Clark. Yet he decided to travel to the other side of the Earth.

"I'm not exactly sure. I thought I was here to improve myself. Make myself stronger. I was afraid I was getting weak and I wanted to be able to protect my friends and those I loved. I trained long and hard but I don't believe I had made any difference."

"Your problem, my dear boy, seems to be not in your body but in your mind."

"So I've been told."

"And what have you done about it?"

Dick didn't say anything because he didn't know what to do.

"I don't even know what to do. I don't know what is wrong with me."

"What happened to bring upon this?" The man inquired. He leaned forward showing his interest in Dick's story, so Dick told him in the simplest terms.

"I failed my friends, I nearly got them all killed because I wasn't strong enough. A man who should have gone to prison nearly killed my friends and it was my fault because I couldn't take him out."

"Why not?"

Dick looked up confused but shocked.

"Because… Well because the only permanent solution would be to kill him."

"And what's wrong with that?"

Dick stared at the man as if he had two heads. He felt that the answer was obvious and that he man was even questioning it seemed a mystery to him. The man clearly saw the confusion on his face and spoke to it,

"If that man is as evil as you said, if he is such a danger… Wouldn't a permanent solution be better in the end."

"Well of course, but-"

"But what, you did just agree with me." Dick looked at the man slightly annoyed by the way the man trivialized his feelings.

"But murder is wrong."

"And who told you that?" The man said plainly.

"My stepfather."

"And is your stepfather always right?"

"Well no but-"

"So what makes you think he's right about this?"

"Because it's not about what he thinks, it's about the principle of the matter."

"Tell me, if a police officer shoots a man about to harm another being is that wrong."

"No, of course not."

"Then why subject yourself to a moral code that the men who are meant to protect us aren't even subjected to."

"The police can become corrupt, we must be better than them."

The man let out a laugh as if Dick were but a child.

"What is so funny about this?!" Dick barked at the man angrily.

"You clearly do not believe in what you are saying. You're like a puppet that has been told what to think and to say, and now that the strings have been cut you don't know what to think."

Dick sat back with a thud, feeling hurt and offended. The man clearly noticed this and stood up to walk around.

"I don't mean to offend you but I have seen this quite a lot in my life. Young men who have been told their entire lives what to do and what to think. Then when someone introduces them to a new idea that is equally as valid as their own, they don't know what to do and thus have a crisis of identity."

Dick remained silent because he knew what the man said was true to him.

"What would you suggest I do?"

"Try not to live such a rigid and idealistic life. Life itself is never that simple. There are many actions and inactions we can take in life and of course we can never know if they are right or wrong. As a people we must act truthfully to what we believe. If you believe killing will achieve the greatest end then so be it. It's okay to change your mind; it does not make you weak. Instead it just shows you are willing to grow and only through growing can you become stronger. In the end you can only do what you believe is best for you, do not bring anyone else's convictions into the matter; one day you must make your own."

Dick took in what the man had said before he spoke again.

"I feel like I'm standing at a fork in the road. I want to continue my journey but I'm not sure I want to continue down the one I am on, and at the same time I'm not sure if I want to go down the other one."

"Frost once said that he took the path less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Whether that choice was good was really up to Frost but I ask you to head those words, but don't feel like you have to make your choice right away. You have time to grow your ideas and change the way you think. One day you will know which road to take. Now if you excuse me I'm going to try and get some well needed shut eye."

The man slept for hours after that, nearly the entire plane ride, allowing Dick ample time to think to himself. In some ways what the man said disturbed him; in others it brought him peace. By the end of the trip, the man and him exchanged simple pleasantries before they exited. Dick felt like a new man and the stress that had been upon him was relieved. He thanked the man for his advice and they split ways, never looking back at another. Dick knew those words would stay with him for a long while, and they did. Two year later as he laid in bed with the woman he loved the words came back to him and led him to call the number of the man he held in the utmost contempt. Slade had told him to take the road less traveled by, and strangely enough he actually listened.

A/N: REVIEW PLEASE I BEG OF YOU lemme know what you think so far! Where you think this should go? I'm open to suggestions at this point. REVIEW.