Disclaimer: Despite how I wish that the Teen Titans were mine, they shall never be. I don't own the Teen Titan's or Deathstroke the Terminator from the DC comics nor do I own any of the lines/scenes from the show.

Authors note: Alright folks, this is my first fic ever as well as my first Teen Titan's fic. Flames are welcome but try not to be too harsh, please. To simply put it I'm going to give this one my best shot and hope that you guys would like it so feel free to drop by a comment and tell me what you think. I respect all comments and criticism :)

-T-

Regular: whats going on currently, thoughts, feelings,"talking" about flashbacks

Italic: explains thoughts and intense emotions and flashbacks

Summery:Slade's thoughts about Robin taking place after "THE END" parts I, II, and III

Subjects: Slade and Robin; not Slash. SLADE'S POV

Genre: Angst/Drama/ a little violence

-T-

WARNING: Spoiler for Apprentice Parts( and prior to that) and "The End" episodes as well as some Death stroke background information. If you haven't seen these or read the DC comics please do so before reading this fic.

What Thrives Beneath

by Clovergirl22

-Slade POV-

As I sit here alone in this room, the only thing that thrives within this mastermind that I call upon my own is you, you Robin, and only you alone can fill it.

Maybe its the darkness that surrounds me in this room that makes me think of the boy. Why I do is beyond me, but my lair reminds me of the times that the rebellious teenager was mine. Yes, he was mine, as much as he might have wanted to deny it he was my apprentice, the only one who I would be able to trust to share my power with, the only one who would ever be able to one day be feared upon by many as my successor and death's right hand. All possibilities and all outcomes of a masterpiece soon to be. I pause in thought looking down at my desk and into the palm of my right hand which holds his eyes; that mask which he hides behind. How I wish I was able to contain that wild thing within him, oh how I wish that the strongest chains of steel could hold down whatever kind of a fighting being lurks beneath that stubborn soul. Oh how I loath it, and yet, how from here in this room I can only stand in awe from it. How I wish for control over that...

All possibilities, all outcomes of a masterpiece soon to be, all a fantasy now....

Still, who ever said that such a fantasy could not come into the world of realistic ideas? As the old saying has it, "Where there is a will, there is a way". A sheepish smile plays across my masked face thinking of what a look the boy might have next time I am to face him.

Oh yes, my will is strong enough to crush yours, my dear little bird, for you are indeed it.

I look down at the mask and come to realize how my right hand holds it. The dainty little black rimmed source is held tight enough as if in fear of dropping. I begin to ponder just then as if it was the boys arm in the hand. I sit and think while resting my chin on my left hand and lightly tapping it with my fingers, would I ever do the same?

:::flashback:::

On top of this building we fought. For me, it was a battle worth fighting to test my future apprentice's skills. On the contrary, for him it was something more. I was able to tell from the way the restless boy looked at me. In ways so much like my own way of being able to look at another and make them quiver with fear, he to was able to do the same. Only for one things so certain, if I was not the most powerful crimelord of a city given the immortality to live forever would I fear him too. The way he looked at me, was almost amusing. It was like looking into a mirror that reflected my younger self, so just like me he is. The thing that was eating him up inside was him knowing that deny it he must, we are so much alike. His little Red X stunt was all the proof the world could need. I smirked at that thought. He only cringed at it, and I was able to tell by that masked expression how he was thinking the same as I. Naive child he is, oh how I can mold him to fit my image provided ideas beyond imaginary. If I was not wearing a mask, the malicious taunting grin would have been seen quite clearly to make the boy wonder tremble to his misery.

"Careful. I wouldn't want you getting hurt." I say watching in amusement of his face scrunch up in frustration like that of a teary eyed child who was surely in need for a nap. The battle was wearing down his energy, you didn't need to be a mastermind to see that it was.

"I'm not the one who is going to get hurt. Now hand them over!" Demanded Robin.

I shook my head as I thought... dear child, I'm going to need to be a bit persuaded in order to do that.

I approach him and we begin to circle to continue engaging in our battle between master and apprentice( despite how he had no knowledge on any of my plans)

"Robin. I thought we had a deal." I slyly said. My words were clearly taking role in that cunning little mind of his. He retorted with anger from it.

"Sorry. I have a strict rule against giving stolen technology to psychos."

Quite cunning indeed, my little bird.

"How very noble of you.", I say while eye balling him strongly , "But stealing in order to trap me? That wasn't so noble. Two wrongs don't make a-"

"Don't ever lecture me! Whatever you're planning, Slade, it's over!"

Temper... Temper...

I thought wanting to shake my head yet again. Teenagers, how stubborn they can be at times. The boy wonder was so-pig headed beyond belief that for a split second I was going to question myself about why I was even testing him. His last remark reminded me yet again why I did. The spirit that he possessed, the determination he held in his voice, being so sure of himself, the anger, the hatred in seeking to be in control of the situation, all in which provided me the reasons why I choose him out of millions of others. He was the one, he was perfect. It made me glad that I choose him, Robin, my little apprentice he would become sooner then one would think.

"Oh, on the contrary, Robin. It's just begun."

We charge at one another. Backing up a bit I smoothly dodge Robins strikes. The boy was fuming, I obliviously made something snap in him that wasn't quite natural, but this game was just not going to last much longer...

Dodging a few more cruel blows, I land him a fair quick kick that squarely sends him tumbling a few yards almost to the point that he is at the edge. Going on the offensive with such a fury he makes it back to my way were he send more kicks and punches that I gladly and willingly feed off from his anger. ...How very rash of you, Robin, I think to my self as I nail him with another swift kick. He staggers back from the blow, but clearly the boy does not surrender. Good, the boy is more like me every second I battle him. I allow this game to go on a bit longer, but eventually I grow board and decide to end this little bit of fun. Surely it does end when his green fist is caught by my steel one. After this move, the others won't be followed up as kindly. My armored elbow drives into Robin's chest, knocking the wind out of him cold. I watch as his rather small frame is flung toward the edge of the rooftop. I stop and raise a eyebrow as he fails to catch himself before crashing through some crates while falling out of my sight.

The early death of my soon to be apprentice was nothing that I would be able to bare. My eye widened as I felt my heart skip a beat and fall to the pit of my stomach. It took not even a split second to spring to Robin's aid. The short scream told me clearly enough that the boy wonder threw away whatever pride he had and was basically asking for a savior. To put it on simpler terms, I didn't even know how quickly I reacted to his scream as one second I was standing dumb struck and the next with my fingers clenched around his wrist. Robin too seemed stunned by this rare act of generosity. The boy looked bellow him at what was meant to be his doom and then back up at me who was still seizing his wrist.

"You...saved me?" asked the child with wide masked eyes. Those white lights; that mask of his wonder as a small child would. I glare down at him intently. Of course I would not allow my apprentice to plummet to his death now would I?

Little bird, how wrong of your views of me. How wrong of you, my Robin, my little Robin. I only had one answer for him at that moment.

"I'm not through with you."

:::end of flashback:::

The real answer, not the one I gave Robin but the one that I was able to uncover myself in due time, seemed to lay within the memory. The answer of course was already answered. Yes, I did hold Robin's wrist the same way I held his mask securely in my hand; apprehensive of the possibility of myself dropping it, just as I had done that night on top of the building. To question on my intentions to why I did this would be to question the answer which was already given. Controlled and well collected I was that night and the way I must appear to the boy to insure his first impression on me. Even if it really was not technically my body up on the roof top that night my mind was still there and I was able to control the robot's motions with the ease as if I was controlling my own movements(thanks to a new technology making the environment appear to me as if I was really there even though I was not)

Afterward though, something was oddly tugging at my chest, something that was too human. Being an immortal, unable to die, one would develop human emotions to be impractical. When you can not die, certain feelings are not present, thus therefore one who lives forever does not need to fear death or anything much of that matter. Over time emotions that a person would feel would then correlate with the non existing fears of dieing resulting in a human being not being able to feel what a normal person would. Such feelings that I knew of, felt, and was able to understand would dim within each murderous thought just as the blood touches the knife. Come again, I began to acknowledge this gift that was given to me, when emotions left me, all weaknesses left me as well. This new enlightenment of mankind was impressive, none the less it is nature's way to create an environment full of flaws for it's inhabitants. Emotions and feelings for another being is the greatest down fault of men. Pathetic it is to see potentially lit individuals steep to the depths of their own miseries due to such a lack in control. Emotions on the other hand, are the seeds to all weaknesses. Further more, which brings me back to such feelings I've felt, held no purpose in my life anymore. "Anymore" was the key word right down to the hard, cold truth. At a time in my life I was a mortal, and like all mortals I had a weakness.

I had a family. I had a job. I was content with the life I had. As I think about my two sons and lovely wife; oh how such memories thankfully only affect me in the smallest of ways; now for if I still was a mortal, I would breakdown from it. My oldest son Grant had my eyes, my same pools of blue, and was a spitting image of myself. Being the oldest of the two he took on a leadership type role for my youngest Joey. As one says "Like father like son" this saying still holds true today. Grant was the one to define it just as how he defines everything else about my self. His egos, his temper, even his way of walking with his chest sticking out proudly and head held up high while displaying a superior appearance all at the same time. Even as a toddler, he held the ability to imitate my motions. It Makes sense how Addie always use to tease me at the fact that Grant was the miniature version of myself. I agreed with her on the fact, that the child was so much like me. He was a leader no doubt, and he looked up to me in ways that any young person would to the one admired.

As I sit here and allow the darkness to consume my thoughts, I open up a drawer in my desk and pull out a small photo album. With my left hand, I open it and on the first page smiling at me are three joyful faces. Running my fingers over the page I trace their features that were once visible to my life everyday. My Addie, Grant, and Jericho remained on the page. If the tugging at my chest was stronger then it was at that moment I would have felt hot tears stream down my cheeks. Luckily to say it, I would never be at that pathetic level that I once was at. Pain is no longer such a feeling that my mind is capable of experiencing, only the apathetic emptiness inside me is there. It is the emptiness that would forever remain empty. A void left inside me that is unfilled. What ever void that was, it continued to try as hard as it must to bother my gut. I really was not enjoying this...

The tugging feeling grows stronger suddenly, drawing in a few deep breaths seems to numb it so I do so. The emptiness inside of me yearns to be filled. I can feel it, Its much like an addiction, some deep obsession from within wanting the life it once held to my mind. The feeling confuses me, It almost as if whatever thing tugs at me can not effect me no matter how hard it tries. The feeling is detached from my body, and yet it still continues to bother me. Distinct memories of Grant's lifeless body laying limp in my arms swarm my mind with a sting as strong as a wasp's. The feeling goes through my gut like that of a blade and from that memory I feel...pain?

Impossible...such feeling are no more but why now?...why now do they show when they haven't in the longest of times?

I think this as I rashly close the photo album and place it back in it's drawer were it belongs and will always stay. To my fortune, the pain begins to dwindle and there, I sit quietly and astounded by what just happened. Pain was never suppose to occur, detached or not detached, pain is so unreal to me. Why it did just now, is all above me. The answer to that question lays contently in my right hand causing my eye to flicker down and glare at the familiar site. That life that my apprentice hides behind, that foolish role that the boy plays as hero, that mask but its not just a mask, its that child...Robin.

It occurred to me just then why I even bothered to save the boy that night. Yes, I was testing him to see if he was apprentice material. Yes, the boy did fail and nearly killed himself due to his own fault, so why not let him die like how I allowed the so many other's before him that I tested? His stubborn attitude was bound to be impossible to control, so why did I allow this child to live? Why... the answer lays well beneath me and very much is well known. Picturing myself holding a dieing boy wonder in my arms like I did to my own son's body, would be too unendurable for me to go through again. Apprentice worthy, or not apprentice worthy, the child reminded me so much of Grant. The two were so genuinely alike, to their die-hard will till the very end of their delicate state of minds. They were just too similar to distinguish. Robin was indeed apprentice worthy, and all though I sensed such a challenge in his nature, my own curious mind was willing to over come such a barrier between us.

My breathing has slowed down to its normal pace once again, and the displeasing sensation in my gut has left me now. My eye brow furrows in contemplation while I study the mask over again and wonder why pain was so apparent. It shouldn't have been, and yet the emotional scaring that was brought about in the past came back to haunt me. Not only in the ways that the pain only lingered in my head but physically as well. The reasonings puzzled me, it baffled me beyond belief that I could allow such flaws to overcome myself in ways that I thought such vulnerabilities could not. The vindication was already acknowledged, and the answers were all literally laying right under my nose. I glower down at the mask at hand.

Robin. Little bird that you are, you can not fly away from your fate for it is already been predestined for you, child; your ignorance is my fortitude.

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:::Authors Note:::

Ok! So how was that for a first chapter? Just to let everyone know I was seriously debating making this a one shot but it turned out way too long if I was going to make it one. Slade's POV is taking up 18 pages on NeoOffice so far, and still going! This was only the first seven. Be prepared for a long one! let's not forget about our little bird I still got to do him too. I won't post chapter 2 until I get some reviews but believe me I won't keep you people waiting either. R and R. Hoped you liked it!