Teen Titans Presents; Robin – Torn Legacy of a Prodigal Son –

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Chapter 36: Fire at Will

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Slade stood in a more stoic performance of his stability. He did know how to control his rage, because his "perfect" apprentice had just made one imperfect error…

If he ran now, he'd miss the action.

Hot Spot sent his fire to collect in a ring around Slade. Slade didn't fight, he knew he was going to win this as the boy shouted from his levitating space at the merc. "You won't come any further; stay here and deal with your loss. This is our victory, tonight!"

"You really think any of that, matters?" Slade chuckled and stepped through the flames.

Hoy Spot was gaping as Wildebeast was still getting Dick to focus. "On his back…Go!"

"He won't be going anywhere…"

Slade leaped from the dangerous embers and pounced, grappling Hot Spot's leg and tossing him in a spin through the air to the dirt of the savanna. "You thought you'd pull a move that was so very predictable? Renegade, we still have much to address with your planning….AS FOR YOU." Slade pulled out a small device, a mic that was by his ear that time…no, his suit beneath showed gear.

He was prepared for war. He KNEW that he'd be the one to stop a fight…

Dick's teeth gritted as Wildebeast dragged the teen hero up onto his shoulders and got ready –

"That will cost you; the life of one other, Robin."

Dick flailed and forced Wildebeast to drop him. "You aren't holding the trigger! How?"

"From this microphone to my safe - room. Of course, it's not IN the shed if you were wondering." The man smirked as he slowly began to ready a new command.

"Stop…. I'll… -

"No way!" Hot Spot shot at Slade, his hand protecting the tech as Dick ran at the meta and his darts were shot off, Wildebeest dropping his weight onto the boy wonder.

It was too late.

/

It was a failure. A mission flop…." Jay waited for Grant to lose his cool, to break something in their apartment.

"Naw, it wasn't."

Grant shook his head, not at all frowning. Nor was he…what was he though?

There was one bite of pie in the fridge from last night…. Should he, ask or let it drop.

Grant just moved into the living room and opened the door to terrace, the sliding glass quiet as the merc's son kicked a nearby part of the rails with a grunt, looking over them. He was gonna be like his old man. The assassin panting, eyes wrung red. "I'm getting that loser shot; and you out of my life…if it's the last thing I do, papa." He put a hand up to his ear, the comm hidden as Jason went to scope out the container Alf had sent home with the words; "pumpkin" and "pie" on a label he'd posted.

Damn, life was just as bitter.

The comm crackled, a voice flooding through as Grant responded coarsely. "I got a proposition for ya, princess. Wanna take home a new trophy? Get back to me once your midterm is up."

The link's recipient nodded he was sure, not having anything else on their mind until when.

~ Sure, but call me princess again and I'll cut off your last link to my associate's other important connections... ~

"Shit, Jade…Do you want the job or not?" Grant ran a hand down his face, voice lowered while the ex – Robin inside…. began to choke. "Trouble, gotta call you back –

~ I'm in. I'll call in the next few days. Make sure my room and board is paid for. ~'

"Huh, yeah sure…. but are you talking in Africa?"

She smirked over the line, lips covered by a mask as the Cheshire grin made sense, Grant running to find the stupid sedative to keep his dad from making well on another death….

"Damn…. he DID infect you with those bugs… fuck !"

/

Slade had pressed it; Dick was left speechless as he turned to the grown man.

"Nnnmm….my arm !!"

The hero HS gritted his jaw and seethed through the pain. The dart was plucked as red blood began to drip out quickly.

Dick shoved himself back away, away from the darts and what he had just done to a fellow, future Titan.

"No…no…I…. I didn't –

"I know you're afraid…. but…. why?" The wild meta looked at Dick as he put his head down. Slade's eye was on him, pride in the toss. The lesson was finally starting to sink in….

Dick dropped to his knees. "The Titans…tell them, I'm not going to see them, tell them to, take care…" He shoved away his blurry tears as Wildebeast and Hot Spot glared at Slade. He came to his protégé's side and lifted the hero's arm up, high enough to breathe fire into his student's ear. "Well done, now they know the truth…" Slade looked to the two. "Do as he requests. Go tell the Bat and your employer as well that if he ever tries to send others to do his dirty work – especially children, that we'll be meeting face to face… VERY soon."

/

Addie slammed down the cell into her desk and then took up a glass of red wine to dissolve her angst. Slade, had beaten her. With tricks and cunning and all of the worst possible words! UGH!

The cell rang again as her eyes spied the caller ID and cursed.

"Pick up the damned device and I get shot tomorrow, your call…." She sucked in a deep breath and relented. Picking up the damned device, the drawl of her familiar ex – partner did not put the ex-army gun in a good mood.

~How's the Big Apple? ~

"You still have your damned facility underground." She huffed and gripped her glass in the other hand. "What did you call to do? Threaten me? Say you'll be back to put out a hit on your oldest child?? Grow up!"

~I'm actually calling to thank you, Addie. ~ Slade grinned on the other line. Dick was back in his room, new codes, bushed and sleeping with tear streaks running down his face. Probably. A tantrum, he however refused to throw. Such was the pride of a former Wayne boy.

"You are certainly NOT welcome. That boy was pulled into your fanaticisms with those…. god damn it! Just end this, Grant can't be your number one and this game has to end eventually –

~It's not a game, Addie. ~ Slade scoffed, looking at an image on his wall of the family on safari. Joey was too young to recall, and no killing had occurred…. until Slade went with Grant to swap gears.

~Dick threw a dart at who I believe was once YOUR operative, perfect aim. Same with the gun. The kid is a prodigy, more than Grant ever attempted without trying to shoot me in the back. ~

"They all will eventually, Slade." Sneered the dark-haired mother of two, husband of none. "Grant found out that he'd rather find you and take you out than do anything else. You made him into a lunatic while HELPING the HIVE to keep –

~ HE was sick because you didn't get the position until there was…. you and I both failed him, why am I at fault –

"Because you're trying to kidnap children now to fight as ASSASSINS!" She screamed in his ear. "Bruce Wayne is more than boiling in that manor, you need to stop –

~Should I call it a night, you think? ~ Slade lazily looked to the door as if he were doing something else. Addie kept shouting. Telling him he was blocking her just like his only friends. Just like a monster who didn't know how to love.

"I cared for the man who wasn't hell bent on doing things that could hurt himself and others…. others, like your own family…Slade, let the boy go. He's not yours and never will be. You don –

~I'm not the man I was before, and I had hoped you of all people would have the gall to classify me as exactly what you see…I'm a mercenary second and the enemy of the Titans and the Bat now, first and foremost –

"Slade!"

~Goodbye, Addie. Our time is now up, stay well. ~

/

Dick would be crying himself in a fit and the contractors wouldn't be here until tomorrow. Slade ran a hand over his white mop of hair and growled, growling at the fact that Addie had somehow been connected to this rescue operation while it was only to gather their location. He had to move again. The estate could wait.

He took out his burner and made a call, in hopes that the offer in another location that was easily as remote would not move him to piece. Well, Slade was a brat. An army brat, just like everyone he'd ever cared for. Will came around the corner at four am and just stared. "You know there is no way to decide if staying above ground will solve all of your problems."

"Time to go off the grid." Slade let the phone ring. "Ah, yes…. Talia….I have a question of importance and require, some assistance in handling a traitor. Too messy, has to do with family."

She was sure this would go down as ugly; the video of Richard, Wayne's kid…. her beloved's…turning into a criminal's underling. And yet….

Slade was also a long-time fling, even the thought of helping him gave her a reason to keep up with her generous bargaining. A life of another…

~How long do you wish to have the League in your favor… ~

"As long as it takes to become anonymous again, and to whip my apprentice into shape."

As he said this, the idea of hurting the boy, no. Coaxing him to trust…well, that sounded like a challenge from the get go. ~ When shall we be expecting your visit? ~

"Not long. We leave…" Slade looked at his watch. "In the next hour or so. Nothing standing." He nodded to Will. The man went to find out if he could have the Slade – bots cooperate. The call made, the truck arriving by that hour.

"All we'll ever need will be with the league of assassins. I thank you again, and under such short notice." The man seemed to flaunt his rather chivalric response, not even hiding a rather charming smile behind it all.

Talia laughed softly and knew he believed the same. ~ We shall prepare for your arrival. You and your protégé, that is…~

/

Jade walked the halls and had in fact heard at that very moment what was intended. The probes were already deactivated in Jason, the others not being Slade's target. "In WHERE??" Grant heard Cheshire deliver to him the worst news, worse than the legion of doom!

~Your Renegade is being wrapped up for Talia and her soldiers to look after as we speak. Tell your Titans to go to that terminal and stop –

"No."

Jade scoffed at Grant's disregard of her plan. ~Excuse me, rude boy?? How do you expect me to handle being found out –

"Roy and you…huh." Sniffed the merc's son. "That's why you didn't say no. I get it. Big ole' softy for a cat with claws."

~I'm a double agent, or was supposed to be. ~ She threw back her hair and huffed at Grant, Slade's son was nothing but an anarchist piece of filth right now. No better than his father, she wanted to add.

Yet, she couldn't.

~Okay then, genius. What do you suppose I do about your runaway mercenary? ~

"Get the bat brat's trust, be his bestie and get him out while the man is obviously thinking of that demonic witch." Grant slyly suggested back. "They used to have history, but my pop turned down Ra's offer to have the man's grandkids –

~ Are you telling me that…. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a darker past than taking married men to bed. ~

"Which is why I want you to be sure they stay out of your hair, and as for Dickie – boy?"

She raised a brow, hearing the faint click of a gun without the ammo going off.

Like a game of Russian Roulette.

"Leave his final execution, to me."

The last pull of the trigger was however, not so silent.

/

Grant does not trust nor like anyone. He hates his mom and double crossed her just now; he made his only efforts to care about two people. Joey and Jason. Anyone else? Well, he is a little homicidal to shoot a gun off in the apartment, isn't he?

Addie only sent the kids to help out Bruce, and to convince Dick to get out while he was able. However, Slade never leaves anywhere without the trigger; it was this time in an underground facility carved BELOW the shed, so that is why Slade vanished for long periods. Dick was able to get out of his room, with hacking or did Slade expect it to happen and he just made the code easy to crack to ween out his apprentice's old self and crush it underfoot. He said that they now know the truth, but do they really know enough about Slade's probes? Robin was mortified by the dart, and the fact Slade was glad once again he attacked the wrong person. How long will they keep running? To Talia Al – ghul, this is important and if Batman gets ahold of their location?

Slade will have an army to hold the bat back. Nanda Parbat is next. Dick meets the demon's head leader and Slade reconnects with a temptress and warrior baddie from his past. Will Jade be able to get Talia to let her stay by Richard as he learns the ropes or will she find out about the young teen's stint; the rescue of the boy wonder…

As before, I do not do well with action scenes and stick to dialogue or psychological moments as my medium so very sorry if this is a bit rushed!

Find out!