What an interesting idea, I love it! I really hope this isn't completely abandoned.

Holy shit, Slade still has a heart.

Also, whenever Batman and Slade meet I think about the intro to Age of Empires 2. You know, the one where the two kings are playing chess and the moves are acted out by soldiers? It just fits the situation. You should look it up.

now that I read the whole story I love it! But I just don't know about the whole "batman hiring him" concept, I kinda' like it, but it doesn't do justice to Slade. Great story tho

I like the story but the desrciptior is retarted, Deathstroke step DOWN to villainy? I'd consider it an upgrade.

Batman is playing a deadly game of chess with Deathstroke. Reminds me of the time Nightwing went Renegade and joined forces with Deathstroke while teaching Ravager the tools of the trade on Nightwing:Renegade TPB and not to mention Deathstroke's own team of Titans from Villains for Hire, Family Reunion and Broken Promises TPB.

The hell..Batman paying Slade to be a mastermind? Damn, just to let Robin be his own man?

Hmmm, seems that the Batman may get more than he thought he was paying for.

Like Sherlock Holmes' Moriarity, Slade seems to be the spider at the center of the web of villainy in Jump City.

Interesting premise - The Batman hired Slade to "train" Robin and his new team. Kind of makes since now that I think of it - Slade seemed to "tease" the Titans rather than just kill them off.

Antimatter Earth-3 Alexander Luthor/Mazahs/Doc Savage/Edison Rex/Xanatos/Oliver Warbucks-self-made man, never lost the common touch and never forgot where he came from, felt strongly that business owners had a responsibility to treat their employees fairly and had an equally great hatred of corruption

I always imagined nanotech like Spawn or the Darklings, Matrix, Satan Girl, Belinda Zee, Supragirl, Superior Girl, Divine, Nuclear Men, Bizarros-stronger, Smarter, faster, tougher, better looking than Supes, Ms. Gsptlsnz, OMACS, Warsuits Luthor's power armor, Havokoids, Warmaker 1s, Alphina Brainiacs, enhanced Doomsday clones (Steel/Cyborg Superman/Eradicator, Tactile TK), Doomslayer, Superdoom, World Killers, Pargon, Vartox, Amazo

Rao's familiars- Flamebird and Nightwing

Familiars- Wolves, Scratch-9-Gyrinx-Sabretooth/Witch familiar/pharaoh-Alley-Kat-Abra (Sleen),Ravens (American Eagle), Monkey, Winged Unicorn, Gryphon, (Black, White, Gray, Rainbow) Phoenix, Phaethon and Savitar, the sun dogs (dragons-cat to Kaiju sized)- born out of Solaris' own nuclear furnace, and heir to his hydrogen-fueled power and fury Octus, the eight-dimensional cephalopod - from the bottom of the seas of neptune. While it is impossible for creatures limited to a three-dimensional perception of the universe to fully understand his powers, his weird limpet grenades have proven to be most effective weapons.

Wormhole - unfathomable denizens of the black gulfs between stars, with the ability to bend space and time to his command

Heehee, awesome. I'm sensing a setup for something biiiig! I really love how this isn't deviating from canon in the slightest, just exploring a new possibility that makes everything much more interesting. Can't wait to meet the HIVE students! :)

Before, I had only really skimmed the material I had mentioned that was similar to your first chapter. But now, I actually read it, and it sort of has some key elements that are similar, but the overall concept is different because of the storyline. If you'd still like to check it out, it's called "Jericho's Emancipation" by Violetinspiration, and the material that I'm talking about is in chapter 9.

I honestly don't know what to say for this chapter. Everything was planned accordingly and Deathstroke the Terminator has finally become "Slade" (even though he was Slade to begin with since that's his real name). I really like how you portray Wintergreen. He's respectful and polite towards Slade, but doesn't act like a butler like so many people on this website characterize him as. Rather, he really does sound like Slade's long-time friend. While he still carries out Slade's wishes, he's not afraid to question him on certain matters and crack a light joke every once in a while.

Excellent, things are starting to come together nicely! Great idea about how the HIVE was set up, lots of people seem to overlook that there was originally a headmistress I wonder how/when/if Brother Blood will come into this then...? Ooh, I also loved that Wintergreen will be in this! I've only really ever seen him included in Apprentice AU fics and I think his relationship with Slade is really interesting and deserves to be explored a bit more! So I definitely look forward to that! Looking forward to more :D

I hate making villains buffoons and strawmen, if not lovable or sympathetic at least in cause, even if horrible they should still be impressive

Bruce's at least physical and mental equals Wrath-William Mallory/Elliot Caldwell, Prometheus, Owlman, Sin/Zin Tzu, Constantine Drakkon, Onomatopoeia, Leader of Kobra, Ra's al Ghul's League of Assassins/Society of Shadows (the people he went to for training) David Cain Lady Shiva, Alpha etc, Men of Death Shellcase, Detonator etc, Claws of the Demon, Kyle Abbot; All Caste, Hush, Black Mask, Catman, King Snake, KGBeast, Deashot, Zsasz, and Professor Strange, Nobody-Morgan Ducard, Kyodai Ken, Red Claw, Bane, Slade

Bats has never beaten Slade without the aid of his sidekicks and even then after being distracted for like a second Slade escaped and left his sword as proof he could kill him whenever he wanted

Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong should be Sin/Zin Tzu's apprentice, Scorn- Wrath's apprentice, Cricket ten year old master assassin

Insider Bruce’s Red X-like ID-amazo like armor
Paladin alternative Bruce Wayne like Cowboy Punisher
Clone/spliced with Deadshot/Terraman/Jonah Hex/King Faraday/Slam Bradley/Tommy Monaghan/Terry Sloan/Matches Malone/Lefty Knox
Calamity his protégé
White Canary, Twelve Brothers in Silk, Marque, Annalea

Always wanted the Wilsons a happy family Rose Adeline's kid also, Slade an agent of Checkmate on a Taskforce X with David Cain, Cluemaster, Deadshot, and Sportsmaster seeking redemption to make their families proud of them, I ship Rose with Jason "Red Hood" Todd, I think Red X is Grant and he could be with a reformed Blackfire, Wintergreen their Alfred, Rex the Wonderdog or an equally powerful wolf named Tarot

If Jericho is not the first than he's the second best hand to hand combat expert the Titans ever had, before he joined the Titans he worked for his mom doing freelance espionage/mercenary work for the U.S.

Slade does have a code of honor he spends most of his time off panel going after terrorists and the like, he doesn't act against U.S. interests unless his family is threatened he does love them very much, the show made him a bwahaha villain and sadly the comics followed suit though he did state making his children hate him so the Titans would trust them and give them the home he couldn't

good background story so far keep going
with it if you can.