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

by INKblOt32

Dedicated to 1st fan, Lucia Chloris. The heroes lost, and Jump is overrun by Slade's eyes and ears on every block, bent on taking the city by storm. Overcome with the desire to remold his captured protégé, the test begins...but is Robin all for it, or is he living a big lie? When will an empty promise get to be too much, especially with the Titans' lives on the line? Find out!

37. Chapter 37

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

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Chapter 37: Of Order and Chaos; Welcome to the Demon's Head Sanctuary

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The copter they'd swapped to and the shock collar Dick woke up to sans protests, allowed for Slade to transport his unabated cargo a safe way across the mountain passageways that lead to a space in solid rock. Dick was blindfolded on the way up, seeing as he'd tried to escape with the enemy to piss off his rather forgiving master.

However long it took, Dick was in his care yet under her house rules…

/

The boy was let to see again only once they'd entered the great halls of the temple at Nanda Parbat. A neo – anarchist's paradise with cultural twists; the clan of Ra's was a wandering type at one time, until the king in his stronghold had been overcome with the powers of the Lazarus pit. A watery grave and re birthing pool of the soul standing and residing on the current lands of, Laazarus island. The bearded sire with his cane and green cloak stood beside a woman in tight black with hair and eyes just as dark as he father's greying sides.

His beard was not as dull as Slade's without the mask, yet the goatee and his reputation pegged him as the ultimate villain to the bat and JLA. Bruce had trained as Ra's pupil in the beginning of his search for justice before becoming the bat in question, he'd even been offered the title of successor…that was not until Ra's and Talia's work had been, unveiled to the man.

Slade was also a candidate for the lovely daughter's hand. It was no match, yet being here with such a work to be done and the bat's, well.

She was oozing creative juices by her stare at the bewildered and anxious protégé at Slade's side.

"He is the one and only." Slade displayed Dick as a trophy for now. The Bat's protégé, now Slade's protégé. Dick tried to stay together, knowing Talia knew torture as well as Slade held it as his number one tactic to gain an obedient soldier. Whatever they were planning, he'd have to stage a break out and call his –

"The bat didn't come to call, yet we'll see…. if he's not taken to your ways then what makes you think that boy will want to become an assassin, Deathstroke?"

"He has the makings of one, and we are in agreement." He nodded mostly to Talia, Ra's knowing he'd confront the bat's adopted child sooner or later. On his own time. "Then we welcome a new addition to your, legacy if he should be an exception."

Dick was led along with a maiden of war at his right, and two monsters on his left. What else could go horribly wrong –

"The training ground was moved temporarily underground; I hope you don't mind the mindless seclusion of you or your pupil." Ra's informed the merc, who seemed not at all displeased at the fact they'd be back in this new haunt.

~ I've been carted from an underground sub lair, a sewer system of gears and machinery, and not to forget a safe house in the worst neighborhood in SHANGHAI! This would be a mini vacation compared to the vitamin D deficiency he's given me…~

And without Vitamin D?

He would slowly turn into a puddle meant for molding back into a perfect clay figure. There had to be a door, a way to the surface…

Unless.

Dick looked up at Ra's, while Talia surveyed the two men chatting, the boy scanning them for a weak spot.

She hid her smile beneath her long dark hair and simply watched the boy wonder in action.

Ever the thoughtful detective…just like her beloved.

/

Batman geared up in the Batwing. They'd be expecting him and he'd not even go as Bruce yet for other reasons to meet and speak with Ra's. The man was old, yet he understood more than Deathstroke was hoping he should. Sly enough, Slade was after something, he bet it had something to do with his past as a student in the same dojo as Bruce Wayne no soon after his leave.

Talia was still pining for him to this day, and in some cases he'd never –

"B." Jason, Tim and the Titans with Babs and Joey all stood by as the man came to the cave entrance.

"What is this –

"We are going." Cy told the dark knight. "Our team is here for Robin, an if he needs savin –

"This mission is bigger than before, only by where he's landed himself. Ra's Al – Ghoul is not a Jump city target. He's bigger than the League and will not hold back. I can't allow you to take –

"Then let us go." Grant and Joey were side by side as the two just made it even clearer that they'd not listened to mommy dearest for the exact reason B was expecting.

"Deathstroke is in a complicated location that could be used to HIS advantage. If you both end up –

"I forgot ta' tell you, ah…I ran into the LOS and we hit it off, even got to know Jade; A.K.A Cheshire? Sportsmaster? That load a crap for me is easy, but Joey has the power to trick daddy into letting go of his old on your heroes."

Bruce stood and said not a word, eyes narrowed below the cowl. Kori thought it looked exactly the same as her leader's scowling complexion during his fight with…. Slade…and her.

"Why does he get ta make the rules?" BB whined. "We all wanna stop Slade, together! Grant is just tryin' to go after his dad but I smell trouble…" Growled the now Rottweiler BB as her snarled at Grant's deceptive stare.

" What are you hiding from us?"

/

"Jade's in on the plan; she's going to get close to your boy and get him away as long as she can, but I need to be there!" Grant told the bat, his keeper's eyes widening a bit. "The cave, thanksgiving. You ordered the –

"Nope. Mom did but I got a drone party to capture you, footage. Thank you!"

Bruce turned to the computer, calling a command as an image of Slade's estate in Mozambique popped up, half in shambled from the back.

"He's got it all rebuild, but this was taken a few days ago, no clues left. Market price went up to –

Bruce stomped up to the unruly boy scout. "Your methods HAVEN'T changed. Beastboy is right. You want to stop Deathstroke, yet he has a device that hurt Jason and the Titans because YOU followed his orders. Your former teammate is infected like the Titans with a device that could cripple our chances at ever recovering what we intend to find. You'll stay as back up here in the manor, and Raven? Cyborg? You'll watch him. Joey. Go back to your mother –

~ But! I can help –

"You can't handle these league villains and this crisis is because of your father's lust for control. He's not the same person, no matter what you think he's done…and this is going to end. So, I advise; order you all, to stand down."

Batman just shut them out, Grant moving past and grinning under his chin into the parlor on the first floor. BB saw this and tailed him. He really was getting some weird vibes from that kid.

/

Raven watched from the corner of her eye as a green fly didn't bother to wait, he just flew off which had her concerned. Bb was young yet he could be rather wary at times around the new kids – or he could invite them in, like he had Terra.

"Yeah, it's me. I need a favor. How's the suit? Oh, good…when should we meet…uh huh…. Mom is blocked; Joe has ta' stay behind. Yeah, telling Jay would be….eh, he was ok on our side but he's turning back into a Bat. Yeah, I know."

BB listened as Raven used her energies to see what Grant was planning, aura a slight tinge darker than before.

~ Beastboy. ~ She telepathically talked to the fly, his eyes going buggy as he hid in plain sight. ~ Rae? Wha –

~ I don't trust Grant not to go against us, or Mr. Wayne. He's plotting an escape to the location of Ra's stronghold and the person on that line…~

BB listened in on the conversation; it was, a teen girl.

~ ROSE. ~

~ Listen, Ravager's legacy was because of Daddy's intervention. If we want to get back there and show him up, sure. I need to get my swinging arm just right. What about the heroes? You sure they're completely clueless? ~

Bb tried to maintain his form, a big longer…

"Can't say. Bat – brain told me to buzz off…Guess I can leave any time, right?..." Grant trailed off, eyes turning and with his gun; hidden IN HIS BOOT, he held it up towards the light fixture. Raven waited, BB trying to keep up his form for this long….as Grant held it, a few more as he dropped his arm, eyes back to the phone and walking from the room.

Gar wearily floated over to Raven on a prayer, lungs busted roughly with a gasp, all by keeping his cool over an allotted time.

He panted, Raven frowning as he harshly whispered out of anxiety his fears made into a reality, face lobster red.

" See ? What'd I tell you? Once a killer –

"He could be doing this out of revenge. We should do what Batman wants and keep an eye on him, in case he tries to meet up with his sibling." She nodded to Gar; they were in agreement. Grant was officially on house arrest.

Now, to look into the bat's gear for a set of powerful cuffs. (Arrest, duh.)

/

Starfire floated to be beside Joey as he got his items together, all of the suit and gear pieces that made up "Jericho" he'd carried with him all the way to Gotham from his secluded boarding school in the Alps. "I do not believe what the Batman said was not, partially the truth…"

Joey lowered his eyes and made no effort to see into her green orbs. "You….deserve other people who care for your state, and I too fear that Slade, may not be one of these people-

~ The serum changed him, and my brother. ~ Joey finally put down his suitcase and frowned, big green eyes of his mother's looking back. Defensively, he didn't like it when others talked poorly about his family's circumstances. They didn't even know the real truth, why Slade EXISTED, aside from his father's rougher- tongued alias, Deathstroke.

~ My mother allowed his changes and choices to shape us. I lost my voice and grew into my later abilities without knowing how to cope. They treated me as if I were nothing but a useless child. I was never incapable and I saw far more of what my family was more than anybody. You have no right to judge when you don't know my family or what it was like –

"I do care; yet your father is accused of a serious crime, we all do not care for what he was, only what he is becoming. The past will only overtake us if we allow it to, and your father has a lot to learn about battling his "mortars." She told the kid blonde with her eyes more serious than any time that entire visit. "I do in fact truly care, and we all wish that Robin too was not the victim in something that your family member has instigated to gain the approval of –

~ It was because of Grant. ~ Joey snorted and turned back to pack his case.

"Grant? Your oldest, brother?" Starfire blinked owlish back over his shoulder. "That would mean…that Slade still would not abandon h –

~ He's using your Robin, your leader as Grant's replacement. He's also telling Grant he's worthless to keep him away from danger…Robin is, a prodigal child of Bruce's teachings…so, he was…taken in –

"I do not care!" Kori blurted out. "Robin was forced into that man's world by the world he himself believed could keep him from any real danger...I was a princess of the planet Tamaran, and at a very young age since I was small…fighting to survive WAS not to be ignored. Slade dies so, yet Dick is not a mercenary with a "blood thirst" for the contracts. He is…a person who wants to live as HE wishes! Slade cannot control that. He shall never succeed at it."

~ He will, and I can't stop him…I can talk, all I can do is fight… ~ Joey cradled his head, his eyes watering as his chest got tighter. ~ His –

Joey's eyes lit up, going back to show only the white parts as Cy and Tim with Alfred slipped by, seeing the room and the objects moving around it. Kori had her limbs doing a dance, the power Joey (using Deathstroke Knights and Dragons movie where Joey has ESP) had was not only like Terra's lack of control. Her head was scorching as her yelped, the heroes all trying to get past the ESP and object flinging boy who'd been set to explode –

Knowing what to do, Babs ran in, her eyes on the poor kid, not caring if she got hurt. He was in pain, and his psychic abilities were unable to be countered by wherever Raven was.

"Shss…..shssh…..It's ok! Joey… I'm here, we all are…. Please…. shush…." She clung to him, his eyes watering and nose dripping once the episode had passed. Starfire had control of her body again and flew immediately out the door, upset that she had caused Joey so much pain even when his father had done the exact same. She could understand a meta in trouble, but not when they didn't know enough. Never would they, as Joseph had just told her.

"You…. you have psychic powers too?" Cy gawked and went to get a hand on the situation as the second in command. "Young Sir, would it be best to rest, maybe have a cup of herbal tea while we finish clearing up this small incident?"

Joey smiled a small, sniffly smile to Al. ~ You remind me a lot of my father's best friend…. Wintergreen…I miss them all…. I'm sorry, this is why I can't be much help. The Batman is right…I'm, just like them. My father, sister and brother…~ He wept a little, his green eyes going slightly lackluster. ~I'm dangerous, just like all of my family is…~

/

Addie had gotten the call from Alfred Pennyworth and her nails had inevitably, suffered the price.

~ Send him back, or better yet I'll send someone to escort him to the school he ran away from. They are the only facility that knows how to…handle his outbursts. ~

"Why in the world should he be troubled by his powers, Ms. Kane? The boy is as frustrated as the rest of u –

~Slade uses things like a crow with a few trinkets. He let Grant back in to "help" yet he never intended for that boy to become his student. Joey could be next and that school in the alps helped Joey to stay safe, to know that…. he's got a meta gene? Slade was to blame, and I didn't know until it was too late… ~

After the call, she'd gone out into the city to see just what the news was in the world, the reception choppy on the hill top estate that Slade had left her. She'd kept it, she'd gotten sick of it though. The memories of HOW he'd paid for this mansion….blood money, espionage and cleaning jobs.

Now, a new level of vile.

Slade was working with the king of thieves; Ra's. She had to spit, all because as a double agent of the HIVE and Interpol, there was no way he was going to get his life back together with a replacement for the man's loss.

That's right. In some ugly, disturbing way, Slade's protégé had become his Addie and his Grant. That made her realize what a mess the serum had already done.

/

This is about right. So, Jericho is more ESP rather than "only contact" and basically seems to have a weak relationship with his family that he'd tried to deny had hurt him for very long. Grant is a brat, he just wants Slade to call him "master" and say uncle, that's it. All bluff, and what about how Kori didn't handle the meta boy of Slade's? What about Addie not being a fan of pushing her husband due to an old longing – such as their bull soap in the comics. Will Raven and Bb tell the others about Grant still working with Rose? Will anyone save Dick in time before Slade delivers a message to the bat that it's over? Find out!! I did say Legacy and so, there will be a time leap as far as how long Dick is under the blackmail contract. Next chapter is a bit grim, and a bit messy too, nothing is going right for poor Robin!