Into the Depths – Chapter Six

Chapter Six
One on One

April 28th, 2009. Tuesday, 10:36 am.

Dick had to count himself lucky at that moment.

He had narrowly evaded that frightening hand from giving him a good clout across the backside – not that this meant he was out of the woods just yet, so to speak – and Slade was now looking over each of his friends with that critical eye that was used when instructing and teaching.

It was going to be a good day – Dick just knew it.

Well, he was hopeful, in the very least. The two of them had come back to the group and Dick was very proud of the control his will had over the heat in his cheeks. Although, he didn’t know it, but there was still a flush of gentle pink gracing his cheeks. For the others, Dick was just going to act like everything was perfectly fine and normal between them.

And that Cyborg wasn’t giving Slade the darkest look known to mankind.

“So, how do you want to do this, Dad?” asked Dick, looking up at the man. Slade was still analyzing the teens that stood before him. Terra and Beast Boy were fidgeting underneath his stares, Raven was completely apathetic to him, Starfire was cheerfully smiling, and Cyborg was returning the stare with a scorching one of his own.

Slade was unaffected.

“I think some one on one time with each of the Titans would be advisable first,” said Slade, folding his arms as he began to circle the group. The two youngest were fidgeting even worse – Slade certainly circled like a frightening predator, like one of those powerful beasts of the jungle. Cyborg’s expression never wavered as his head turned with the circling man.

Then, Slade stopped and looked at Dick.

“This way I can ascertain what each of you need to work on. You’ll be last – you always train with me. Afterwards, we can do some group training.” The man glanced over the teens. “Sound acceptable to you?”

There were consenting murmurs to this, with one enthusiastic one from Starfire. With a smirk, Slade gave the entire group a smug expression.

“So, who wants to go first?”

Before any of the others could speak, Cyborg stepped forward; his dark air still flowing through his features.

“Me,” said Cyborg, his tone even; yet there was heavy suggestiveness throughout it. Slade merely raised his eyebrow, inclining his head to the side in acknowledgement. Dick could fully tell that his older friend was itching for a fight with his father. He sighed slightly.

Well, maybe it was for the best. Cyborg would see just how much Slade had changed through this, hopefully.

“All right, then!” said Dick, trying to sound excited and not the actual nervousness that was threatening to burst through his chest. “The rest of us will wait our turn.”

As the other Titans walked away to an upper section of rocks – one that was a small cliff face perfect for resting and dangling legs off of – Dick reached out and touched Slade by the arm. The man glanced back at him, as Cyborg walked away to a different section of rocky boulders.

“Dad, please try to be nice. Cy’s not exactly… pleased with you here,” whispered Dick.

“Really?” drawled Slade, giving Dick a light smirk. “I never noticed at all.”

With one last ruffle of Dick’s hair – which was growing messier and messier by now – the man walked off after Cyborg.

Worry pressed against Dick’s heart as he smoothed down his hair; not even the fading warmth that he had felt from his father giving him comfort. The section where Cyborg was choosing to train would shield much of the fight from the other Titans. Dick would see little of what went on between the two of them. He knew that the older teen was doing this for a reason, but it still unsettled Dick. He slowly walked back to the others. Raven was taking the time to meditate as Starfire and Beast Boy chattered happily with Terra.

Dick plopped back against the flat surface of the rocks and gazed at the receding backs of Cyborg and Slade. He swallowed once, his eyes softening as the two of them disappeared from view. The excitable voices of his friends and the gentle murmurs from Raven as she meditated melded together inside Dick’s mind; his worry and thoughts drowning out the ambiance.

He truly hoped nothing bad would happen.

ooOOOOOoo

April 28th, 2009. Tuesday, 10:45 am.

“I must say that I am quite curious to the reason of why you chose a location that is out of sight from your friends,” commented Slade, his tone light as he followed the teen into an area that was surrounded by tall boulders. He could hear the gentle crash that signaled the ocean waves were currently licking against the nearby rocky edge of the island.

The teen didn’t answer him right away. The furious attitude that Slade was getting from this boy was extremely irritating. It amazed him that children these days were so disrespectful to their elders and Slade hoped for Dick’s sake that he never showed this attitude to an adult. The boy would not like the correction Slade would give him.

Granted, Slade had a pretty good idea as to why the teen was giving him such a strong cold shoulder, even though he was somehow surprised by it. In some ways, he couldn’t blame the lad. But Dick had said when he returned to the Tower for the first time in months that everything was well. Was this just not the case? Had Cyborg been holding the bitter feelings inside to avoid upsetting Dick?

It was possible.

Finally, the teen stopped and turned around. Slade casually leaned against a particularly large boulder and folded his arms with an air of indifference. Cyborg cracked his neck in a show of power; flexing his arms and hands as he glared at him.

Slade wasn’t impressed.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for quite a while now, Slade,” said Cyborg, his voice snarling as a confident and dark smile filled his expression.

“Oh?” replied Slade lightly. “And what moment is that?”

“The moment that I kick your sorry butt and make you pay for what you did!”

Slade couldn’t stop the low chuckle that escaped his mouth at that statement. Good grief, this teen thought highly of himself. Slade couldn’t believe the audacity of the brat. He watched the expression darken on that face as he continued to chuckle. He let the light mirth flow into deeper sounds; shaking his head at the mistaken teen.

Of course, it was obvious that Cyborg found this insulting.

“Is that right?” drawled Slade, pushing off from the boulder wall. He slowly advanced towards the teen, who stiffened into a stance, those mismatched eyes darkening further. Slade merely began to circle the teen – in turn, Cyborg began to do the same.

“Yeah, that’s right,” hissed Cyborg. He bolted forward and began to attack.

It was impossibly easy for Slade to see through the teen’s attacks. He could also feel the hatred that Cyborg had for him. Slade felt like sighing and turning his back. It was a waste of energy training this teen. Unlike before, when Slade was bound and determined to have Dick as his apprentice, there was nothing driving Slade to train this brat.

It was obvious that he didn’t want to learn from him. Why put in the effort?

But Slade knew that a blue eyed young man was waiting for him. That gentle boy, with a light far more brilliant than the sun itself glimmering inside his eyes, would be waiting and hoping to hear what training had been accomplished – and what further progress could be made.

Dick was trusting Slade to be a teacher, whether or not any of his friends wanted it.

And somehow, disappointing that boy was something Slade didn’t want to do.

“You have all power, but no technique,” began Slade, easily falling into his instruction mode as he blocked each of Cyborg’s attacks. A heavy kick came his way and he caught it. Slade was impressed with the sheer power behind it, something he knew that Dick would never possess. Cyborg was a few inches shorter than Slade; however, the teen was bulkier due to his electronic body. Slade twisted the leg, flipping the teen, so that he collapsed to the ground onto his back.

“You need to work on your technique,” said Slade, coming to stand over Cyborg at his side. “Simply throwing power punches isn’t going to bring down an enemy who is competent at dodging.”

There was the sound of a cannon powering up, along with a low growl. An instant later, Slade leaned back in time to avoid getting his chin clipped by Cyborg’s powerful cannon blast, but he could still feel the heated intensity from it across his face. In the moment, Slade felt the ground rustle at his feet. He quickly bent back into a standard flip to avoid the teen’s sweeping leg. As Slade stood out of the flip, his view was met with a barreling teen who looked furious.

Slade easily dodged each blow. Because of the anger that was driving Cyborg, his moves became even more sloppy, yet more powerful. Slade dodged to the right, not even lifting an arm. He dodged left, before ducking once. Just as another angry punch came to his left, Slade turned, grabbing the boy’s wrist. He pulled the teen back while applying pressure to Cyborg’s shoulder with his other hand; twisting the arm behind the teen. A second later, Cyborg’s face was pushed into the dirt, his knees bent and into the ground.

“If I’ve told Dick once, I’ve told him four hundred and seventy-two times – yes, I’ve kept count – control your emotions,” said Slade, his voice turning sterner. “Attacking with your anger will only make you sloppy. Anger doesn’t make you more powerful. In a fight, you need to keep a level head. Getting heated in a fight will only bring about your demise.”

Cyborg squirmed beneath Slade’s hold, growling underneath his breath.

“Let me up,” snapped Cyborg. “This is a fight! I don’t have to listen to you. I’m taking you down!”

“Really?” began Slade, heavily amused. Didn’t this boy see he wasn’t landing a hit on him and that he was becoming extremely intimate with the dirt on the ground? Nothing would’ve satisfied Slade more than to tease the boy about that fact. However, instead of antagonizing the brat, Slade tried getting under Cyborg’s nerves through a different tactic. “Isn’t Dick your leader? Didn’t he ask me to come, so that I might offer some training to the Teen Titans?”

There was an angry huffing sound as the teen struggled in Slade’s hold, but it was to no avail. Finally, Cyborg resorted to growling under his breath.

“Just because Rob trusts you, doesn’t mean that I do!”

Slade snorted as the large teen continued to squirm beneath his hold; thoroughly unable to throw him off.

“I don’t expect your trust in me. I just expect you to take in consideration of what I’m trying to teach you.”

“Look, you might have Robin wrapped around your finger,” snapped Cyborg, pushing against the ground uselessly once more. “But that doesn’t mean you’ll get anywhere with me.”

Slade’s eyebrow twitched.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“I know you did something to make Robin like you. There’s no way in his right mind would he ever stand being in the same room with you.”

Slade removed himself from the teen. He folded his arms as Cyborg got to his feet; the teen coughed some of the dirt from his mouth and brushed it off his metallic armor.

“I’m not sure what you’re alluding to,” said Slade, trying to control the anger that was beginning to rise up over this brat. “But I’ve done nothing to make – as you say – Dick like me. He reached that all on his own.”

Shockingly, thought Slade wryly. How that child can find something to like in me surely attests to some kind of unhinged mental capacity.

Or truly, it attested to the purity of love that Dick possessed.

“Look, I don’t know what, exactly, you did to get Robin to this point – the point of nearly worshiping the ground you walk on – but I know you did something.”

“I haven’t done anything to that child!” snapped Slade, shaking his head at the stupidity this teen insisted on displaying. Suddenly, a dark light entered Cyborg’s human eye; his red robotic one glowing ominously.

“Don’t kid yourself, Slade. We all know you beat him.”

Slade stiffened, his eye narrowing as that single grey blue orb darkened with intense fury at the accusation. So, that was it. So, that was where this brat was getting to – how dare him! How dare he say something like that. An uncomfortable feeling rose through Slade’s stomach and he had to exhale through his nose.

“Excuse me?”

“I think I was pretty clear,” sneered Cyborg. Then, his expression turned even darker. “What is Robin to you, anyway?”

“My son,” hissed Slade, exhaling once more. Cyborg scoffed.

“Since when? Doesn’t it seem just a little strange? Maybe even convenient?”

“He became my son when he – of his own free will! – signed those papers.”

“Do normal fathers kidnap their sons beforehand?”

“Anything I say won’t be able to explain what happened between us,” said Slade, trying not to snap further at the boy. But the anger was just building. He couldn’t believe this boy. “You’ve already decided what you wish to believe. Nothing I say will change that.”

“Robin admitted that you beat him,” accused Cyborg, his eyes narrowing.

That uncomfortable feeling washed through Slade once more. He wanted to close his eye, but that showed weakness and if there was one thing he refused to show to this brat, it was weakness. He had to remain strong, no matter how sick it literally made him feel at remembering that first month.

“I did,” admitted Slade, his voice quiet.

“Still do.”

“No—”

“I find it strange that Robin would actually like someone who physically abuses him,” continued Cyborg with contempt, perfectly overriding Slade’s objection. “What did you do, Stockholm Syndrome?”

“How dare you,” growled Slade. “How dare you assume anything. I will and have admitted to being unacceptable in my actions against Dick during that first month I held him in captivity. However, I have not laid one violent hand on him since then.”

“Right,” drawled Cyborg, laughing darkly; the scathing hostility ever prevalent in his tone. “Right, now it’s under the guise of another term. What was it? Oh, yeah. Spank.” There was a pause for effect from the infuriating teen. “Don’t fool yourself, Slade. We all know you’re hurting him.”

“The way I discipline my son is none of your concern,” snapped Slade.

“He’s not your son!” shouted Cyborg, slicing a hand through the air furiously.

Of course, Dick was his son. That gentle boy didn’t need to be blood for Slade to feel the same love he felt for his biological children. No one could tell him otherwise. He had done more for a child not of his blood, than most parents did for their own. He had given up everything for him.

“I adopted him,” said Slade, forcibly avoiding hissing at Cyborg. “I have legal papers that say I am that boy’s father. I treat him like a son. He’s as good as a blood son. I don’t need you or anyone else telling me otherwise.”

“You brainwashed him.”

“How?” demanded Slade, the incredulity flowing through his voice. “Just how have I brainwashed him? For what purpose?”

“I dunno what your angle is,” said Cyborg, shaking his head. “But I’ll figure it out. I know you must have some sort of plan with all this.”

“Oh, yes, of course, I have a plan,” drawled Slade derisively; his tone dropping to a dark, powerful one. It was taking all his self control not to throttle the upstart. “There is no angle. You’ll not find one. Why would I be here, training the Teen Titans? What purpose would that give me?”

“You tell me. Or maybe you’re more simple than that. Do you get some kind of sick pleasure knowing that you brainwashed Robin?” demanded Cyborg, tilting his head slightly as he glared at Slade. There was an almost goading glint in his eyes. “That you have some kind of power over him? Do you like hurting him, is that it?”

Finally, Slade understood. It was becoming clearer and clearer, and Slade had to admit that he never imagined that this boy would have such cunning in him. The words were trying to bait him – and they almost did. Slade was about two seconds from wringing this boy’s part robotic neck. But that was what Cyborg wanted him to do, wasn’t it? This teen was just waiting for him to make a wrong move.

Slade took a deep calming breath. He was not going to let this upstart punk get the better of him. In all honesty, it really didn’t matter what Cyborg thought about him. It did matter for Dick’s sake, in some ways. But truly, Cyborg’s opinion on the subject wouldn’t change anything. He couldn’t revoke those adoption papers. He couldn’t stop the feelings that both Slade and Dick felt for one another. And he certainly couldn’t change the stunning young man that was Dick’s nature – meaning, a child of endless love and forgiveness.

Slade knew he didn’t deserve such forgiveness. With each passing day, he felt more and more sickened by his actions during that first month. Yes, the boy had said he forgave him, but Dick deserved someone so much better than that as a father, as a role model. Yet, Dick clung to him, Slade, to be his father. If that was what he wanted, then Slade wasn’t about to be the one to break his tender heart. He would stay by that child’s side until he became a man; he would stay by that man’s side until he aged with time.

And even then, Slade would stay by his side – because Dick was his son.

“I gave up everything for that child,” whispered Slade, the emotion of his thoughts nearly choking his words. He continued more strongly, still in a low whisper, “Deathstroke is the most feared name in the world. Everyone knows that name and what it means. I gave that up for him. I am only a father now. Nothing more and nothing less. I don’t have any power over that child beyond that of a father. If anything, it is Dick that possesses a power over me. If my son wants me to help train his friends, then I will. Because he requested it. He is my full time job now. Whatever that child needs, I want to give it to him. Because he deserves it.”

Any training between them seemed to have been forgotten. Cyborg just stood there, staring at Slade with a widened expression. The anger that had filled his features was slowly fading away. Then, as that anger faded, a looked of puzzlement entered, as if Cyborg couldn’t figure Slade out. There was still a huge amount of friction between them, Slade could tell; but somehow, his words had softened a part of Cyborg’s heart.

“How can I believe that?” asked Cyborg finally, after a moment of silence. “How can I really believe that? It’s absurd that someone like you would feel that way for someone like Robin.”

Absurd, indeed. A year ago, it would’ve been unimaginable to Slade. If Wintergreen had mentioned such a thing, he would’ve laughed in the old man’s face. But then again, a small, hidden part of his heart would’ve hoped it could come true.

“Absurd, perhaps,” began Slade with an incline of his head. Then, a genuine smile spread through his features. “But not impossible. Nothing is impossible.”

Cyborg glanced away, his expression darkening into one of petulance. It was obvious that Cyborg didn’t want everything to be all right. For whatever reasons that were his own, it seemed as if it bothered him that Slade and Dick had reached such an amazing level of understanding. Slade took a step forward, but the teen didn’t look up or notice. It appeared as if he were deep in thought.

Then, Slade placed a hand onto the teen’s shoulder, making him startle slightly. Cyborg glanced up at him, his eyes widening. For a moment, Slade thought he would shrug the gesture off, but was pleasantly surprised that he didn’t.

“There is no way to convince you of the truth if you don’t want to believe it,” said Slade, his tone serious. “But I must request that whatever ill feelings you continue to harbor against me be between only you and myself. Do not bring Dick into the middle. It would only hurt his feelings and make him feel worse.”

Slade removed his hand and pulled away, turning his back on the teen.

“I think you’ve said all you wanted to, yes? Then, there’s no need to continue. Let’s go back.”

There were no words of protest to that. It had been more than apparent that Cyborg had only been picking a fight. He hadn’t wanted to learn anything from him and Slade wasn’t about to waste his time any further. Perhaps, another day the boy would want to learn something. Slade could hear the teen following after him, proving that he didn’t want to continue the training.

As they came back into sight of the others, Slade could see Dick sitting on a ledge of rock, his hands twisting nervously in his lap. The boy glanced at the others as they spoke and chattered happily, smiling at them every now and then; but there was still a worried expression flooding over his young features. Then, his bright blue eyes snapped onto Slade, the worry coming to a climax in his face.

Dick leapt off the ledge and ran to meet them a few feet in front of the others. He glanced between Slade and Cyborg, who had come to stand next to Slade with a somehow bored expression. If he had been wearing normal pants, Slade would’ve sworn the teen would’ve dug his hands into his pockets.

“Well?” asked Dick, his anxiousness overflowing in his tone. His glance flicked between them once more. “How’d it go?”

Slade’s expression soften.

“Just fine. Cyborg is an excellent fighter. He just needs to work on some technique,” said Slade. “I’m sure with my supervision, you’ll be able to work out a good schedule for him.”

Dick grinned happily, the anxious worry vanishing from his face. He let out an excited whoop, before turning back to the others.

“All right! Who’s next?” asked Dick, placing his hands onto his hips as he grinned at the others. The group started to chatter loudly, trying to decide who would go next.

“Just so you know, I still don’t trust you,” said Cyborg, his voice low so that only Slade could hear him. “I’m still keeping an eye on you.”

Slade glanced over at the older teen, a light smirk tugging at his mouth.

“Good to know my son has such attentive friends.”

Cyborg looked startled by this. Slade merely gave him an incline of the head as he stepped forward. The other teens were having difficulty deciding who was next. There was a gentle moment when Dick’s gaze glanced over at Cyborg. When they connected, Dick gave the older teen the brightest smile. Slade held back the smile that wanted to break free at the disconcerted expression that Cyborg produced.

Dick was continually proving one important fact: he was a very special child.

“Hey, Terra, how about you go next, okay?” asked Dick, giving her an encouraging smile. “You can choose where you want to train, all right?”

The young blonde girl looked positively frightened by this thought, but she nodded silently in agreement. Thus, it began once again, but luckily Slade knew that this girl wouldn’t fight with him. He followed her as she walked a small distance from the group. She chose a location that was in sight of the group. Slade was appreciative of this fact. He preferred to train each child in sight of the group – that way, the observers learned as well.

When they stopped, Terra looked up at him nervously.

“W–what do I do, Mr. Wilson?”

Slade snorted.

“Well, to begin with, you may call me Slade or sir. Then, as for this training exercise, simply come at me. I’ll decide what to do from there.”

“J–just attack you, sir?”

“Yes, that’s the general idea,” said Slade with an amused nod. “Without using your powers for now. I want to see how you do in simple hand to hand combat.”

The girl nodded, looking as nervous as ever. She got into a stance – a very weak one, Slade noticed – and charged at him.

Within thirty seconds, it became quite apparent that this girl knew little to nothing about simple hand to hand combat. She needed the basics immediately before she actually injured herself with her poor form.

“Your posture is weak,” began Slade, moving through Terra’s attack to correct her stance. She swung her leg to kick him, but he easily blocked it; grabbing it in his hand. “The swing of your kick is wrong. You’ll injure yourself if you keep this up.”

He pulled her leg upward, causing her to squeak in surprise. Her hips twisted, as did her footing on the ground.

“Hold this position; don’t lock your knee,” said Slade, tapping the back of her knee. He released his hold on her foot. She groaned slightly, her leg shaking in the air without the strength to hold it there. One hand grabbed her shoulder and forced it straight, his other hand tapping against her back. “Straighten your back, keep your shoulders back.”

A few minutes later, Terra lay sprawled onto the ground, breathing heavily. Her instruction had been far different than what Slade normally gave to Dick. Slade had to admit, the girl had potential – nothing on par with Dick, of course, but she certainly had something going for her. With some decent training, she would be quite proficient and could become a worthy hero or a dangerous foe.

Which was why he didn’t trust her.

Slade couldn’t understand what Dick saw in this girl. What Slade saw was an insecure teenager. She literally emanated this out to the entire world. The other Titans felt like teens, yes, but they each had a level of self confidence that this girl just didn’t have. It seemed that she could easily be swayed by other voices. She was young and impressionable – both dangerous elements in a wandering teen with the power that she had.

On top of it all, she couldn’t control her powers. It was blatant as a blinking red traffic light. That, of course, merely added another level of insecurity to the girl. The question that bore inside Slade’s mind was, what did Dick see that he didn’t see? Slade was good at reading people and he just couldn’t see this good heart that Dick had talked about.

Could Dick read people’s hearts better than Slade could?

“You did good,” said Slade, standing over her. “You have a lot to work on, of course. You’re a beginner, but with the proper training, you can become proficient.”

Sky blue eyes looked up at him with mild wonder. Slade tried not to snort at that. It was almost surreal what was currently happening. A year ago, the thought of training a bunch of teens would’ve made Slade leave the country in a deep refusal – one child was enough, thank you very much.

Well, two down, only four more to go. Wasn’t that exciting?

Oh, yes, sarcasm was Slade’s friend – best friend, even.

It was yet another few minutes later that it was decided Beast Boy would be next. Thus, that was how Slade was standing in front of the very green child – in more ways than one – and was studying what to do. They were a further distance than Terra had decided to train, but closer than Cyborg’s choice. Slade continued to look down at the boy. Beast Boy looked as he wanted to say something, but was obviously far too nervous to speak up.

Finally, he seemed to work up the courage to do so, but his voice came out soft and higher than normal.

“Uh… Mr. Slade, sir?”

Well, this was a pleasant change, if not a little overboard. Slade gave a low chuckle.

“You may call me Slade or sir.”

How this impossibly green child could sport a pinkish hue of blush across his green cheeks was beyond Slade. But somehow, Beast Boy managed it with perfect precision.

“Y–yes, sir,” squeaked Beast Boy, fidgeting and looking extremely nervous. His lower lip was currently doing that similar pout which sometimes adorned Dick’s lips when he wanted something or was in trouble.

Slade felt a pang of pity for the child. He did look very young – and Slade knew he was only thirteen – not to mention, he was even smaller than Dick. And that was saying a lot. The confrontation with Cyborg had made Slade forget a very important fact: these heroes and heroines were just children. They were children without parental influence as well.

And no matter how much they tried to endure things on their own, they were truly missing out on having a steady parent in their lives. Slade was aware of Cyborg’s circumstances, as well as Beast Boy’s old life. He didn’t, however, know much about Starfire or Raven – Slade couldn’t find information on the alien girl and for some reason, there was simply nothing on Raven. From what Slade could tell, each child had their own difficult home life or broken family.

It was suddenly, at that very moment, that Slade was even more overcome with the knowledge of just how young these kids were. The young changeling that stood before him was certainly dwarfed in size. Those green cheeks still possessed that childlike baby fat. Bright green eyes were large with the same special innocence that could only belong to a child.

At that moment, Slade could see the adult respect inside those green eyes. It was an automatic response there. It was almost unnerving, seeing as Cyborg had had nothing but contempt for Slade. Considering who he was, it was somehow surprising that the boy was showing this level of respect. The child was still nervous around him, but there was something unique to the situation.

Somehow, Slade found himself kneeling down in front of the boy. The boy’s height, even with Slade on his knees, was barely a few inches higher. Beast Boy’s green eyes widened as he looked down at him. Slade lifted a hand and rested it against the boy’s upper arm, gently squeezing the flesh there.

“You don’t have to be nervous,” said Slade, his voice low and quiet as he spoke. The boy’s abnormally long, pointed ears flicked slightly. “This is just a training exercise.”

There was a gentle moment of silence as the boy looked down at Slade. His eyes were carefully studying him, as if the boy wasn’t quite sure what to make of Slade. Then, finally, the boy spoke, his voice filled with a light awe.

“Robin said you had changed,” whispered Beast Boy. “It’s really true, isn’t it?”

Nothing could’ve surprised Slade more at that moment. This boy was truly interesting. The boy was right, of course. Slade had changed; grown far more than he could’ve envisioned and imagined. Here he was in front of this thirteen year old boy – a hero and a member of the Teen Titans – and Slade was preparing to teach and train him.

It was nothing short of the impossible.

Slade let a light smile lift his lips before he gave the boy a pat on the arm. He stood up and found his hand dropping down onto the boy’s dark green hair; ruffling the head of hair there with softness that he had developed with Dick.

“Standing before you and about to go through a simple training exercise would not have been possible otherwise.”

To say this very green child was exceedingly shocked and blushing the brightest red would’ve been a sad understatement.

It was fascinating that this child could change into so many colors. As Slade pulled back from the boy, he could see a pleasant expression across his features, as if Beast Boy were becoming comfortable with him. Slade had always known he’d conquer the Teen Titans. He just never imagined it’d be in such a fashion as this.

Such a strange creature, destiny was.

“Slade, can I ask you a question?” asked Beast Boy, his pointed ears perked upwards as a shade of pink blushed over them – matching the fading shade on his cheeks.

Somehow, Slade wondered if any of these children were actually interested in training or were more interested in twenty questions – featuring Slade Wilson, former Deathstroke the Terminator and currently stay at home father.

“Of course,” said Slade, a smirk beginning to lift his face. “Although, you just did. I’ll you another chance, however.”

Beast Boy seemed amused by this and it lightened his mood slightly. His green eyes lifted upward and studied Slade for a minute. Then, the boy spoke up, saying the one thing Slade hadn’t been thinking would come from this child – although, honestly, he shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Robin says that you, uh… spank him when he’s bad,” said Beast Boy, slowly speaking as if he were unsure of himself.

Slade’s eyebrows bolted upward into his hair line at this statement, surprised that Dick was comfortable with talking about his misdemeanors and the discipline which followed such things. Grant surely hadn’t been, barking at any of his siblings who came near him after an incident of correction. Joey had been embarrassed that he got in trouble for anything, hating the fact that he had made a mistake. Finally, Rose was moody for about ten minutes before her attention span switched to the next topic, all previous scolding and teaching evaporated in her mind – she’d been young, after all.

Then, Beast Boy got stronger with his words. “But you don’t hit him for every bad thing, right? You’re fair with him, right?”

The earnest desperation was fully heard through the young boy’s voice. He was looking up at Slade with almost pleading eyes. It was then that Slade was thankful. Dick truly did have good friends. Each were worried for him in their own way, it seemed. Cyborg obviously had multiple issues about certain things, but it appeared that Beast Boy was a little more trusting. The boy sensed Dick’s feelings, but he was also worried about him.

“First of all, Dick is never bad,” began Slade, his tone soft. “He might make wrong choices – as we all do – and as a father, it’s my job to set him straight; and teach him the things that he should do. That is what being a parent means. I don’t hit him. I punish him when the situation calls for it. Better to have a child’s consequence to deter him now, than have an adult’s consequence that cannot be avoided.”

Beast Boy frowned slightly, his facial features scrunching up in confusion. His head tilted to the side.

“Do you come with subtitles, sir?”

Slade let out such an uncontrollable snort that he had to cover it up with a small choking sound; his hand covering over his mouth as he coughed his chortles. That was thoroughly amusing – beyond hilarious, actually. Slade could barely contain himself at the thought. Luckily, the boy hadn’t been able to tell that Slade was actually laughing at him. He looked a little worried about Slade’s near conniption fit.

Finally, Slade was able to control himself. He let a smirk lift his mouth.

“I’m fair with him. You don’t have to worry.”

“Oh… Why didn’t you say so?”

“I did.”

“Oh…” There was another tilt of the head. “Are you sure?”

Well, give the lad some time and there was no doubt that he’d grow into his mind. He had the look of intelligence – it was just buried… underneath something.

Mmm…

Slade decided right at that moment to double check that Wintergreen didn’t put too much tofu into their diet. He was also going to greatly screen the amount of time that Dick spent with video games. Oh, yes. He’d heard the tales of video game wars at the Tower. Limiting it was becoming a necessity – almost a desperate need.

In the next fifteen minutes, Slade tried to instruct the boy. But he quickly found out that Beast Boy was only effective in his animal forms and didn’t really know much about hand to hand combat. In fact, much of his form was worse than Terra’s – he needed more than just the basics.

The boy would never become an expert in martial arts and it became clear to Slade that it would be better to train him to become better in his offensive animal forms. But he’d certainly do well with the knowledge. Slade supposed he did something right with the boy, because he seemed happy enough as they walked back to the group once Slade deemed them finished.

Dick greeted them with his standard delightful smile. All this nonsense with these kids was worth that smile alone. There wasn’t much Slade could do for Dick, he felt. So, anything that brought a smile on his face was something to be pursued.

No matter how much Slade wanted to pull out the fur on his chin in exasperation.

It was decided – soon after, with a bit of heated discussion which finally relented to the girl’s exasperation – that Raven would go next. Slade had to wonder if the girl had her own question to ask just like the two boys. As Raven chose a place to train – somewhat nearby to the group, but not in hearing shot – Slade had to assume that this was the case.

Once they stopped, Slade didn’t even give the girl a chance to pop him ‘the question’ – whatever it might’ve been.

“Let me guess,” started Slade, putting up a hand before the girl could open her mouth. “You have something you want to say to me or ask me, am I correct?”

There was a gentle light of amusement that glimmered in the girl’s eyes.

“I suppose that means Cyborg and Beast Boy talked with you.”

“You could say that,” smirked Slade with a single nod. “And if you did, it’d be an understatement.”

Raven’s lips thinned as the amusement continued to dance in her eyes. She glanced away for a minute, before Slade let out a long sigh.

“I believe none of you are actually interested in doing any training as you are in interrogating me.”

“No,” said Raven, shaking her head once. “I do have a question, but I don’t wish to interrogate you. I understand that you and Robin came to an agreement of sorts – one which none of us can fully comprehend, but I can accept that stranger things have happened before.”

There was a moment of silence as Slade studied her. The girls were certainly more mature than the boys – there was no doubt about that. They seemed to bear a wisdom beyond their years – although, Slade hadn’t spoken with Starfire yet. There was something childlike about the alien girl, but there was also a deep wisdom. Raven seemed to possess this as well; minus the childlike nature, however.

“But… that is part of my question,” whispered Raven, as she continued. “You are not related to Robin by blood and yet… the two of you have reached a bond that’s even closer than blood. How is that even possible? Is not the essence of a father based on the bond of blood?”

These children never ceased to amaze and amuse Slade. It seemed that this had become more than just a simple training session. Each child seemed to have their own questions and feelings. Cyborg rejected Slade completely and was angry over Dick’s past treatment; Beast Boy had developed some uneasy trust, but still remained worried about his friend’s current treatment; while Raven had come to acceptance, but couldn’t understand how it came about. Slade couldn’t imagine what Starfire’s reaction would be to this, but so far she had been the most accepting of them all.

These moments with the Titans were opening Slade’s eyes to just how each child was truly amazing and unique in their own way. He couldn’t fault any of them for their feelings. Out of all them, Cyborg’s reaction to the whole thing was more of how Slade would react if he were in the same situation. The others were more unusual, but also special because of their trust in Dick. Because Dick said everything was all right, it seemed that the younger three of the Titans were inclined to believe and trust what he said.

Truly remarkable children.

“I was a father once before,” said Slade, his tone soft as he spoke. “Did Dick mention that ever?” When the girl nodded, Slade smiled sadly. “I’m not sure what he said, but the short version of the story is it was my fault that everything failed with my first family. I can’t tell you that blood isn’t important, because it is; but I can tell you that what I feel towards Dick is no less than what I felt with the children that came from my blood.”

Slade put a hand to his heart and tapped his chest.

“True family resides here. Blood, color, race doesn’t matter,” whispered Slade. His countenance softened even more. “Dick was the one who showed me that.”

Raven’s normally expressionless face – that rivaled even Slade’s own impassiveness – filled with an intense amount of emotion. Her head ducked slightly, her dark hair falling to hide her features. She wasn’t wearing her hood and it felt as if she wished she could be hidden beneath its fabric.

“In some ways,” began Slade, his tone becoming louder. He politely ignored her growing emotions. “Your little group of friends have a family bond. I know from personal experience that best friends can become more than just a friend, but can become an irreplaceable family member.”

That much was true. Wintergreen had grown to become than just a best friend. He was family. There was no blood relation, yet Slade relied greatly on his older friend. In fact, Wintergreen had been the most loyal being inside Slade’s entire life. When the one that Slade had felt had been his soul mate left him, Wintergreen had stayed. The old man had accepted him, all his good qualities and all his bad qualities.

Just like Dick had done.

That boy was someone special and a great blessing – there was no doubt about it. Slade couldn’t have imagined his life like this before. It had been laughable. Who’d give up the life of an exciting occupation as a mercenary to be a father? Who would think that normal? Normal, in the very least, of giving up a career for a child – the mainstream consensus rejected such a thing.

But after experiencing both sides, Slade couldn’t find anything more fulfilling.

“Robin has changed you.”

The whispered voice made a statement and not a question. Slade nodded.

“For the better.”

“It shows,” said Raven, the light in her eyes softening.

Well, when Slade went home, he was going to have some cake. Preferably chocolate and preferably the entire box. He deserved it after today – after all this emotional rollercoaster nonsense. Unfortunately, he’d probably have no time to consume said cake, since he was planning on lecturing Dick for an undecided amount of time. Giving his identity to an unknown and suspicious girl… Honestly, what was that foolish boy thinking?

Sadly, Slade had no more time to think of his impending lecture, because he still had three more kids to train with – one of which, included his own kid.

The time he spent with Raven was longer than the others. He discovered that she was somewhat proficient at simple hand to hand combat, but she tended to use her powers more often than not – therefore, missing the opportunities to train those skills further. The key with Raven was to discover the balance from using her magic and embedding it into combat techniques.

Needless to say, Slade had a lot of thinking to do if he wanted to help Dick with his training schedule of the Titans.

By the end, Slade was mentally getting tired dealing with these children – although, Raven wasn’t as tasking as the others. His sarcastic brain kept him focused on that chocolate cake waiting for him as the two of them reached the group once more. All that was left for Slade’s one on one training was Starfire and Dick.

The homestretch, you could say.

“Wait, before we start,” began Slade, after he and Starfire had taken a distance away from the others. He was honestly growing tired of these children and their questions. Best to get it out at the beginning. “Do you have something to ask me?”

Starfire stopped her flight, her feet touching the ground fully. The distance from the others was further than Beast Boy’s distance, but closer than Cyborg’s out of sight area. Her monochromatic eyes blinked innocently. She tilted her head to the side, giving Slade a strong impression of a curious kitten.

Not another one…

“No… Should I?”

Slade let out a tired chuckle.

“No, but your other friends seemed to have had them for me,” said Slade, swiping a hand over his face to rest it over the patch of fur on his chin. “I just expected that you also had issues with me adopting Dick.”

The curious, innocent nature that had filled her exotic features slowly faded away. In its place, there was a strong young woman. The softness emanated from her eyes. She gave him the kindest smile, a facial reaction rarely given to Slade, if he were honest with himself.

“Dick is happy,” whispered Starfire, her voice gentle, yet it held such strength. “What more is there for me to question?”

Yet again, Slade found himself amazed with this girl. She was unique, with a strength of her own. He knew she had physical strength, being a Tamaran, but somehow she had a large amount of strength in her heart. She was a good girl. Out of all the Titans, Starfire had accepted everything without fail, seeming to have come to an understanding that even Slade and Dick hadn’t realized – this much was more than apparent in the way she looked at Slade.

What foresight did this child have?

Of course, if Slade had had any foresight at all, he would’ve seen just how his adopted son acted around Starfire – perhaps attesting to some future that couldn’t have been dreamed possible before. But there was a grand future for that family, one where Slade’s immortality would never mean being alone. Oh, yes, Slade would never be alone, no matter how much he desired it.

But, of course, this was in the far distance in the span of time.

“You…” Slade trailed off, shaking his head slightly. “You are a remarkable girl.”

Oh, the girl blushed. Now that Slade could understand. Holding back the smirk that wished to break free, he fell back into a fighting stance.

“All right, I want you to only use your hand to hand combat knowledge. No flight, no starbolts, no glowing eyes, and do try to keep your inhuman strength down a few notches,” said Slade, a drawl beginning to lift his tone. “I’m afraid you probably could break my bones if you landed a decent hit on me and I rather not go through the three minutes of agony of the bones bending.”

Thus, that was how Slade learned just how formidable young Starfire was in battle.

ooOOOOOoo

April 28th, 2009. Tuesday, 12:31 pm.

Dick was waiting again. His nerves were pretty much shot after the few hours of waiting. He’d been so worried that there’d be a big fight between Cyborg and his father, but somehow, they had come back quickly without seeming to have been in one.

But then again, Dick hadn’t been able to see the training at all. Slade was good at hiding things. So was Cyborg. A large part of himself wanted to confront both Slade and Cyborg to see what had happened between them.

However, Dick knew that was just opening Pandora’s Box. He didn’t want trouble. He couldn’t bear it if they had really fought with each other. He hated that kind of confrontation. The gentleness inside of Dick’s heart was too tender for that kind of stuff – and he would spend too much time brooding and worrying over it. He also felt such hostility was a waste of time. Better to try to get along than burn effort in fighting with one another.

He figured he didn’t have to worry too much about the others. Terra, Beast Boy, and Raven all seemed fine after each of their sessions. He knew Starfire would be fine. She was unique like that. But… That still didn’t mean he wasn’t a ball of nerves sitting on the ledge of rock there. He barely noticed when Terra came to his side and nudged him. Luckily, he didn’t end up being startled too much.

“So, I’ve got a question for you, uh… Dick,” said Terra, hesitating over his name. “How come your father’s last name is Wilson and yours is Grayson?”

Now this was something Dick could handle.

“Slade is my adoptive father,” said Dick with a smile. “I just haven’t taken his name. I’m actually still trying to figure that out.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize…”

“No, it’s all right. It’s something to notice.”

“You must’ve have known him a long time to be able to call him Dad,” said Terra, her voice going quiet.

“Nope,” said Dick, trying to repress a grin. “I’ve known him… well, you could say for awhile now, but I’ve only been his son for two months.”

“Two months?!” cried Terra, the shock bursting from her voice. “But how could you call him Dad all of the sudden like that. Isn’t that…”

She trailed off, beginning to blush at some term she had been about to use, no doubt. Dick chuckled.

“A little weird?” supplied Dick. Terra hesitated, before she gave him a small nod. He shrugged and let a soft smile lift his lips. “John Grayson is Papa and Slade Wilson is Dad; both men my fathers. I feel that Slade deserves the respect as my father. In the end, he just feels like Dad. He’s different from Papa.” Dick paused for a moment, before he looked directly inside Terra’s sky blue eyes. He gave her a special smile. “Besides, Papa isn’t here any more and I need someone to rely on. I’m sure Papa is happy that I found someone who will look after me.”

Terra looked taken aback by this gentle statement. There was silence between them. It was never broken, until Starfire came back to the group with Slade following after her. Dick grinned happily and ran up to meet them. Beast Boy came to Terra’s side, hearing the conversation between them. He could see the pure happiness that Dick greeted Slade with – happiness that went beyond what even Starfire seemed capable of. However, interestingly enough, Starfire greeted Dick with the same enthusiasm.

“I never realized that Robin could be so…” began Terra in a whisper, trailing off as she watched father and son interact. It was almost like a delighted puppy beaming up at an older dog – it was just the playful way that Dick smiled, as was the contented, amused expression that filled Slade’s face as he humored the boy. There were gentle giggles and laughter as he spoke with Slade and Starfire.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” whispered Beast Boy, taking up the opportunity to speak with Terra. “You never imagined that such happy, carefree person lived inside Robin. We didn’t either, until he came back.”

“Came back?” asked Terra, looking confused.

Beast Boy tucked in his lower lip. Mmm, he probably shouldn’t mention this, but he couldn’t stop himself. He was actually speaking complete sentences with Terra! Besides, it wasn’t like this was a secret between the Titans.

“Well, actually, Slade’s an ex-criminal who kidnapped Robin last September,” said Beast Boy, keeping his voice low, so no one heard him speaking – just in case. Terra’s eyes widened to an intense amount, her thin eyebrows popping into her hair line. “But somehow, everything worked out and everything is fine. I don’t know how it happened, but something changed them – Slade included. Now they’re father and son, I guess.”

Terra seemed at a loss for words. “How is that even…”

“Rob stays at the Tower three nights out of the week or so,” continued Beast Boy. “It’s like everything has gone back to normal and I think it’s great.” Beast Boy shrugged. “It’s still a little strange, though.”

“But… Why would Slade kidnap Robin?” asked Terra, finally articulating her voice; glancing over at Slade with a small amount of uncertain fear.

“Oh, that’s because Slade’s—”

“Beast Boy, I think it is best that you remain quiet now,” interrupted Starfire in her kind voice. Beast Boy jumped from her sudden appearance, thoroughly not expecting her. Somehow, there was something in her tone that made it clear that she wasn’t going to let Beast Boy keep talking like he’d been doing so. Beast Boy’s ears drooped slightly, his cheeks blushing furiously, but he nodded. He slinked away quietly, coming to Cyborg’s side while glancing at Starfire occasionally.

Almost instantly, Terra confronted Starfire.

“How can Dick even bear to be around that guy after being kidnapped by him?” demanded Terra, her voice rising hotly. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! He must be crazy or been brainwashed or–or–or something. That isn’t normal!”

Starfire didn’t say anything in response at first. She watched her friend walk a small distance away from the group with his father. She knew he had certainly become stronger during his seven month absence. But it was more than that. His heart had become stronger. He was different than the Robin she had known. Robin had been a boy of mystery. He had been an excellent leader. He had been driven in his work, many times to a detriment. He had been a good friend, a strong friend. But Starfire had always felt a distance from that boy, as if there had been a barrier around his heart.

But Dick…

Dick was so different. He was softer, kinder even. He was a sensitive spirit, avoiding conflict between their friends when possible; and when called upon, a mediator. He had innocence, a light in his eyes that seemed to flow through every part of his soul. He was the same, yet not the same as that old boy who had worn the mask – that boy called Robin. Starfire had always felt drawn to Robin, but ever since he had come back, ever since he had come back as Dick, she had come to feel something a little more.

There was something special about Dick, something that called her heart to be closer to his – something that had been hidden by the mask.

She cared deeply for the gentle, yet powerful boy that was Dick.

A bright smile dominated Dick’s face as he prepared himself into a stance. A moment passed, as father and son stared each other down – and then, suddenly, the fight began.

It was unlike anything Starfire had ever seen. Instantly, she knew that Slade was a powerful fighter, one that she’d had trouble holding her own against. The man’s movements were perfect and graceful, yet there was such power in every single one of them. Not a moment was wasted as he moved against his opponent. The man truly was someone to learn from – that much she had discovered.

What was stunning was the fact that Dick could hold his own against this man.

It was obvious that he had spent much time training against him. He knew the man’s movements. The speed of the spar was almost inhuman. Blow after blow was thrown and Dick’s nimble body threw curves as he jumped back, utilizing all of his acrobat skills.

Once again, there was an unmistakable sign of pure joy on his face. He was just so happy. Sparring with this man seemed as if it were the greatest thing in the universe. Starfire would’ve been confused by this if Dick hadn’t explained some of his feelings. It was true, he viewed this man as a K’Norfka. Even more than that, he viewed this man as his sire, even though they weren’t related by blood – no, they were now related through the heart.

“Seven months,” whispered Starfire as she continued to watch the spar. “This is how long Dick’s absence was from us. Because of his absence, we had to learn to stand without him. We, as a team, greatly relied on Robin’s commands and leadership – and we never truly realized this until he was gone. Therefore, we had to become strong without him. Because he was not there.”

Starfire tore her gaze from the spar and placed it onto Terra, who was looking at her with struggling sky blue eyes.

“He, too, has become stronger. However, this is not the thing which convinced me that everything is well.”

Starfire pointed out to the spar, her finger directly on Dick’s movements.

“Can you not see it? Do you see that smile? Robin never smiled like that before the experience. But Dick smiles like that every day. He is joyful about everything now. Such happiness I never saw in Robin. This is what convinced me everything was well – and that Slade was good. Because it is not possible, that if Slade were not good, that he could have brought such a smile to Dick’s face.”

Starfire gave Terra a smile of her own.

“This much I know.”

Terra looked over at Dick, a serious expression across her features. She didn’t say anything in answer to Starfire. Silence fell over the two girls; both of them watching the elaborate fight that played out between Dick and Slade. It was soon – too soon, in Starfire’s opinion – that their fight ended. She smiled as they walked back to the group together, with Slade ruffling the raven black head of hair.

“Well, what do you think?” asked Dick, his chest breathing deeply from the intense workout; glancing around the group before settling his gaze onto Slade. “Who do you think did the best, Dad?”

Slade raised an eyebrow at the boy. Who did the best? That was asking for trouble, now wasn’t it? Cyborg barely did any training. Beast Boy and Terra did pretty good, but that was only the effort they actually put into it. Raven did well, too, but she was still lacking in many areas. All of them, except Terra and Starfire, had only taken the opportunity to talk with Slade. Of course, Dick did exceptional as usual, but that was playing favorites.

That left only one person who didn’t irritate Slade whatsoever.

“Starfire.”

Dick chuckled, while the rest of the Titans – even Raven – groaned. Beast Boy slapped his hand to his forehead and plopped down onto the ground onto his back. He moaned elaborately as Starfire smiled brightly, looking delighted.

“Awe, man. Did you have to pick Starfire?” complained Beast Boy.

“She did the best,” replied Slade, honestly not caring. “Are you suggesting that I don’t give her the dues she deserves.”

“`Course not! But she’ll pick a horrible movie tonight!” cried Beast Boy, flailing in the dirt. Slade looked over at Dick for an explanation. The boy shrugged, grinning slightly.

“Star’s preferred entertainment usually has something to do with the microscopic world of fungus.”

Slade’s eyebrows popped into his hairline. He glanced over at the alien girl, who was still smiling. It was official, that child needed to get out more and see new things. As the group continued to chatter heatedly and excitedly, Slade shook his head. These teens had way too much energy. Time to burn it. Slade smirked, rolling his neck and cracking it.

“All right, children, how about putting those instructions to the test, hm?” Slade withdrew his bō-staff from his pocket, expanding it with a single click, and slipped into a fighting stance. “All of you come at me with everything you’ve got.”

Beast Boy popped up from his lying on the ground, folding his legs in front of his body as he looked up at the man in shock.

“But we’ll hurt you! You won’t survive all of us.”

“I must agree,” nodded Starfire, looking worried. “I fear we might injure you.”

There was a unified snort from Slade and Dick.

“You have a pretty high opinion of your strength,” drawled Slade, his smirk widening further.

“You really have no idea what you’re getting into,” said Dick a second later, shaking his head. The other Titans continued to look uneasy. Slade almost chuckled at the arrogance these children had. This was going to be highly amusing.

“I’ll make a prediction, shall I?” said Slade, his smirk widening as the five teens looked between each other nervously – Dick merely looked amused with it all. Slade strengthened his stance, preparing for the fight. “I won’t even break out into a sweat.”

ooOOOOOoo

Keep Reading –>