Teen Titans – ReBeL Yell; If I Had Stayed a Renegade –

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Summertime Sadness

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" Earth is full of amazing things too…"

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Dick Grayson sat atop a table in the earliest of mornings; the pier as quiet as a pleasant farewell.

His ear scratchily was alive again, the units in the two lobes picking up a signal as a voice, broke the sound barrier of his breathless silence.

~ Renegade; report. ~

Dick clicked his tongue. Typical; Slade had tabs on his protégé since day one, when Dick had finally caved.

That's not who he was anymore.

Not where they were, or she was.

"All clear, sir. The shipment was received; the buyers are on our end…"

~ Then, why do you not sound so, happy. ~

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It was a few years ago. The heroes of this city called Jump had packed up, left and had new recruits in charge of the old T – tower by the bay. Dick Grayson used to be their leader. The best and brightest, yet…

Those days, in the sun together.

Were ever so far along.

Dick opened the door to their safe house. A resting flat that held more than enough empty spaces to fill and memories to squash, in the living room right on the sofa, was a one eyed monster on two legs. A sharp shooter, a cut throat, and quite the diabolical mind.

A twisted and brilliant being filled from head to foot in an aura of impatience, he'd needed to be here. He'd not wanted to, yet it was to keep his eyes as sharp as the man's favorite twin katana he wielded on each mission.

"You're late. I told you to never complicate things. Especially." The man went on, "Especially, while back in this city." He reprimanded sharpest of all, the man in his dreariest apparel. Dick didn't want to be remembered, let alone spotted among the night owls of Jump's rave -loving night life.

"Even once you took your last fall as a hero, I'd expected you to keep up and warn me, Richard." The man's icy tone let on too much, as his angsty accomplice only wandered into the kitchen to fix a bite. In moments, the older, one eyed killer was behind his protégé. Hands to the counter as Dick turned around to duck. Instead, he was rammed into the counter, seeing stars.

"I've had it up to here with your impudent behavior. You've gone too far. Running into them now won't change what you've done to keep them at bay. Not even if you made a pact with the legion to stay out of the Titans' future affairs. They don't care, Dick." It stung as the kid's cheeks grew too red, his breathing rough. But…

He didn't try to leave before – not until he had heard of Kori going to New York city to pursue her new career as a model.

"She could be anywhere…"Dick seethed through the pain, eyes puffy from a lack of shut eye for so many nights.

"He took her heart, and I have it?"

The man's question had the young man's heart patter in his chest. Like before, when he'd sworn away any good left in his…

"You, have my word. I won't go to the tower, but –

"How can you still be so blinded, boy?" Slade let go as Dick cradled his poor scalp, rubbing it to reduce the treatment by a mad man's cold hands.

"She doesn't want to see you. She left that city TO forget!"

Dick fought back tears as he always did. Leashed to a life that yes; he'd chosen, he'd for certain ruined what he and Kori had for all they were then. In their youth.

The sunshine and the bay gleaming back, rooftop volley ball sessions under a setting sun, and her smile as they –

"You need to give that alien up, for good."

The cloud of Romeo's lament was made to disperse as Dick blinked away tears he had left unshed for too many months. Too many times, and now in the summer, he longed to take it all back.

"I'm sorry…"

"To whom, Dick?" Slade almost seemed concerned; arms crossed, yet in a manner very overwhelmed by something Dick had believed it impossible of such unmatched fury.

Guilt. Maybe, more? Resentment?

Denial.

"I ripped you two apart, and it was for the best that you'd later finished things with that princess. She's not going to see you as her knight sitting atop a white stallion." Slade remarked with a harsh, gruff tone. Too blind to see what havoc he'd wrought upon a hero of the shining cross he'd been burnt upon.

So, what was he after this time?

"We'll be leaving for Bludhaven by five am. I don't want our tracks here to become public knowledge too quickly." Slade scanned the outside through his safe house windows. He'd had this place up and running in a heartbeat. Dick had joined him once he'd been sent for, yet the kid had taken on a job so soon, and without Slade to give his say in the matter.

He'd thought it was no big deal.

A bunch of two bit smugglers and a key card away, the boy had brought a few assassins out of hiding.

He was trained for this, yet Slade knew Richard's goal was to be good enough to leave.

He wasn't about to say no.

Yet, they had a contract of their own. The probes were no more. Dick had just, caved eventually. Raven had dismissed the search and the Bat…

The Bat, was never the same until he'd gotten a new side kick the following year.

And he'd lost that one to Al – Ghul.

Then the third had caught Two – face's eye, and the rest?

He didn't care to delve as Slade knew what the boy in front of him was after.

They keys back to HIS city by the bay.

The one that didn't even belong to the true Titans.

"You can say your farewells some other time."

Slade said this as Dick rolled his shoulders, slouching down into his seat by the kitchen island. His appetite mostly ruined, there was nothing else to discuss.

To Slade, he'd never be ready enough to take over the family business.

DEATHSTROKE.

There was a long pause between them until Slade raised up a finger to speak lastly on the issue.

"You wanted to play the hero; doesn't mean you won't get your chance to when we get to Blud –

"Blud has nothing for us there." Dick grumbled. "It's a problem city, just like Gotham."

"Perfect for a distraction?" Slade snaked in the question as Dick's ears perked up instantly.

Dick blinked up at his master. "Why? Should it be…sir?"

/

A month later in Bludhaven, Slade had left Dick in a safe house – one with a temporarily broken AC unit.

Sweltering hot that time of the year again, Richard through on his lightest set of clothing he could manage. Hand to his forehead, Slade had promised to start over, to help erase the past.

Was this environment then, intentional?

" Slade….get your butt back here and…ung….fix this…" Dick groaned and draped himself onto his bed within the flat. So tired….but -

A sound erupted from down on the ground level that rocked the young renegade to his feet. Despite the whiplash of heat pummeling his dark brows, Dick looked out the sunny window in time to see a fight breaking out.

Against two; an anarchist named Red Hood and…

He grabbed his boots and ran. Tank top soaked near through, but he didn't care.

She was…so used to fighting the flames that it baffled the young assassin.

"Star…" He gasped and looked up from the doorway. " Wait!"

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