Blood On My Name

Summary: AU. John Grayson was resurrected and broken by the Court of Owls, he managed to escape, to cope with his experiences, he created a new persona, a ruthless mercenary and supervillain, the masked man known as Slade.

Author's Note: Reconciling the idea that Slade is Dick's father, and how that could happen. I've never written a fic based on Slade as the main character, this should be fun!

There's a reckonin' a-comin'
And it burns beyond the grave
Lead inside my belly
'cause my soul has lost its way

Oh, Lazarus
How did your debts get paid?
Oh, Lazarus
Were you so afraid?

When the fires, when the fires have surrounded you
With the Hounds of Hell comin' after you
I've got blood, I've got blood on my name

When the fires, when the fires are consumin' you
And your sacred stars won't be guiding you
I've got blood, I've got blood
Blood on my name

Not a spell gonna be broken
With a potion or a priest
When you're cursed you're always hopin'
That a prophet would be grieved

Oh, Lazarus
How did your debts get paid?
Oh, Lazarus
Were you so afraid?

Can't you see I'm sorry
I will make it worth your while
Made a dead man's money
You can see it in my smile

Oh, Lazarus
How did your debts get paid?
Oh, Lazarus
Were you so afraid?

When the fires, when the fires have surrounded you
And the whole wide world's comin' after you
I've got blood, I've got blood on my name

When the fires, when the fires are consuming you
And your sacred stars won't be guiding you
I've got blood, I've got blood
Blood on my name

It won't be long
'Til I'm dead and gone

It won't be long
'Til I'm dead and gone
Watch the fires rise under my skin
Down to the bone
Scorchin' my soul

Nowhere to run
Nowhere to run
Nowhere to run

When the fires, when the fires have surrounded you
With the Hounds of Hell comin' after you
I've got blood, I've got blood on my name

When the fires, when the fires are consuming you
And your sacred stars won't be guiding you
I've got blood, I've got blood on my name

When the fires, when the fires have surrounded you
And the whole wide world's comin' after you
I've got blood, I've got blood
Blood on my name

"Blood On My Name" –The Brothers Bright

Chapter One: No Longer That Man

Slade sat in the darkness of one of his many lairs in Jump City. So many setbacks, foiled plans. Still the Titans were always following him. Like a plague.

Robin. The name made him seethe with rage, hatred and disgust, but why? The boy was admirable, persistent, and vicious, and it filled him with…

Pride?

Why? The boy was…no, he mustn't remember, he'd buried his past along with everything else in the Labyrinth of the Court of Owls, they'd broken him and remade him into…

Their puppet.

He checked the calendar, June 27th, it was June 27th, he couldn't think about it…

It was her birthday…

He'd gone to world renowned psychiatrists, requesting they help him bury his memories, he spared no expense, but they'd done it, he forgot almost everything except what he wanted to remember.

But not today.

There was no John Grayson, there was only Slade, mercenary, adventurer, that's all he was, this supervillain thing was a job, it wasn't who he was, he enjoyed nice clothes, good wine and beautiful women, when he wasn't plotting to take control of Jump city.

Slade was the perfect identity to hide from the Court of Owls; he was John Grayson's opposite, a ruthless, uncaring criminal.

But today, he wasn't Slade, the evil criminal mastermind; he was John Frederick Grayson, a broken man who missed his dead wife.

After seeing Robin in action from a security cam, he'd remembered his son and decided it was time they were reunited, not as John and Dick Grayson, members of the Fearless Flying Graysons, but as Robin and Slade.

He hadn't wanted to hurt his son, not really, but the boy was a stubborn as his mother, valuing his worthless little friends over his generous offer, a city at his command to control, wealth and power that could be used to do good things if he would only do a few bad things to seize it. His boy couldn't see the big picture, that there were worse things in the world than he was.

His friends, how disgusting, that his boy prioritized them over his family. His family. Family's the most important thing. How ironic, it'd been something his murderer had told him.

Together they would have taken over Jump City…they would have everything they need at their disposal, then he would have told his son the truth, his plans…

"Why are you so stubborn Dick, my plans are good, noble, I need this city, it's finances, it's economy, I need everything I can get to obliterate the Court of Owls, I'm not a good person, but they are evil! You should have obeyed me, taken your rightful place at my side, all my knowledge and power was for you! So you could help me stop them and avenge your mother!"

Mary….they made me hurt you…I'll make them pay, I'll tear apart the Court of Owls with my bare hands, find the Grandmaster; put a sword through his head. I'll make them squeal, cry and beg for mercy, everything they forced me to do to you; I'll do to them tenfold!

For far too long he'd been dawdling, he had contemplated bringing Terra into his plans when she was his Apprentice, but she wouldn't understand and she was far too fragile to involve, he'd been hoping to use her as an asset.

Then everything when south with Terra and she'd murdered him! What a way to go! Burnt to a crisp! He thought falling and breaking his neck from fifty feet up in the air in front of a live audience was spectacular! Then wham! Inter-dimensional demons and the end of the world! What a crazy ride that was!

The role of messenger boy, it'd been interesting, part of him enjoyed hurting the girl, after all, she was a monster, a demon, and he hated monsters. Because he'd been forcibly turned into one, because he wasn't allowed to rest in peace, ever. If he couldn't take his rage out on the monsters in the Court of Owls, he could take his rage out on another monster.

During the Apocalypse, his son had begrudgingly worked with him, and it had made John immensely happy, sure he'd been screwed over by Trgon the Terrible, but being with his son for a little while was worth it.

After he'd let the Titans and Raven handle Daddy dearest, he'd left to go into hiding, so he could gather intel on the Court of Owls, he'd find all of them and kill them, all of them. It didn't matter how powerful they were or how much money they had or how old they were, he was going to kill all of them.

His agenda centered on breaking the Court, both financially and physically, still, getting a hold of their money was difficult, they'd made an immense investment in Jump City, they funded many of their two-bit villains and psychos. They didn't know who he was, but they hated him because he was a nuisance to them.

It was time to steal those chips again, the ones that Robin had created his Red-X persona for, they had information on them, a lot of apparently useless information, but he knew what they really were; the financial records of the Court of Owls.

He summoned his minions and programmed them to go to the facility, it would be interesting, he would make an appearance, it only seemed fair.

Besides, it was about time he told Dick the truth, not directly of course, he enjoyed seeing his son try desperately to figure out everything, how he knew so much about him, how he knew his strengths and weaknesses.

John would make Dick help him fight the Court of Owls, he'd show his son the personal stake he had in it, and his boy would feel so good about saving his precious city. It was a win-win all round.

He got up and grabbed his guns and his broadsword. It was time to go for a night on the town.

He knew the Titans were formidable, well trained and worked well together, he'd tried to kill all of them at once with his probes, still the girl, Starfire, she'd motivated Dick to take the probes into himself, so no one could die.

Slade knew Robin was often puzzled by the fact that he'd destroyed the trigger. He remembered when he'd bugged Terra and his son had told her the story.

Slade's reasons weren't complicated, the love that Robin and Starfire shared, sure it hadn't blossomed into love yet, but he knew it would, he couldn't bear to exploit it, since it was the same, just like he and Mary, he would respect that, so he never took advantage of their relationship, holding all his friends hostage was better than just her.

It was time for the past and the present to collide, what an interesting adventure this was going to be! He could finally play the hero and destroy his most hated enemy, the Court of Owls!

He watched his minions engage the Titans with interesting, to see them work together; it was thrilling, he'd learned well from him that he could rely on others, if only he would be at his side instead of theirs.

He looked down and saw Robin spot him.

"Slade!"

"Come on boy, chase me! You always need someone better to chase!" Slade taunted.

He began running, seeing Robin attached his grappling hook to the roof and haul himself up to where he was.

John began to run, smiling underneath his mask. The boy was persistent, still, he was going to enjoy himself tonight, leaving his son little clues to unravel, he wanted his boy to figure out everything, he'd been so well trained by Batman, why was it so hard for the boy to see the big picture?

His son was in hot pursuit, he launched one of his shuriken at him, Slade easily cut it down with his sword.

They landed on the rooftop; he assumed an offensive fighting stance.

They rushed each other, Robin's bo staff collided with his sword, they batted at each other as his son executed a back flip, Slade accepted the blow to his face as he managed to grab Robin's ankle, throwing him across the roof.

Robin steadied himself with a handsprint.

Slade smiled. Good. Using your acrobatics to regain your balance, just like I taught you.

Robin struck him across the face, trying to keep him off balance, Slade retaliated by elbowing him in the face, slamming his knee into his son's gut. Slade shoved him onto the concrete.

"What are you planning?" Robin demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he taunted, "Still, this has been fun, you've improved so much since last time."

"I don't need compliments from you!" Robin snapped.

"Still, I suppose I should give you a clue, Dick, since you're such a curious boy."

"How do you know my—" Robin asked out of surprise.

"I know everything about you, Robin, aren't you ever curious about how I know so much?" Slade asked.

"It doesn't matter? So what happens now? What are you going to do? Cash in on my identity to the Joker, Riddler or some other psycho?" Robin asked, struggling against his grip.

"No Dick, I intend to keep your secrets all to myself, I have my reasons, and they're way over your head."

"Like I care what you're planning as long as I can stop you!" Robin broke his grip and kicked him across the face, headbutting him and slamming his bo staff into his stomach, causing Slade to lurch backwards.

He flipped backwards, causing Robin to stare in surprise, he had pulled the exact maneuver earlier, but this wasn't imitating him, this was something Slade had done out of pure reflex.

"What are you planning?!" Robin demanded.

"Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send the Talon for your head."

Slade saw his son's expression as his blood run cold, everyone in Haly's Circus knew the rhyme, some didn't believe they were real, but John knew, the Grayson family knew that better than anyone.

"What, are you working for them now?" Robin demanded. "How do you know about them?!"

"Wouldn't you like to find out, Robin?" Slade taunted, "I'd love to tell you, but it'd ruin my fun."

Robin lunged at him, Slade easily twisted his arm behind his back, causing him to scream in pain as Slade threw him away.

"Poor Little Robin, still so clueless, I might as well give you—" Slade was interrupted by Robin's enraged scream as the boy, slammed his escrima sticks into his head.

Whoops, sorry Mary, I pushed the wrong button. Shouldn't have brought you into this.

"How dare you?! How DARE you call me that!" Robin snarled.

"—A hint," he finished, as Robin knocked him off his feet.

"My sincerest apologies Robin, I know you loved your mother very much," Slade said it without any malice or sarcasm.

He tossed Robin a small book, he smiled, this would keep his son busy for days, and that was all he needed to complete his plans. The first of many, and eventually, they would take down the Court of Owls, but first Dick would need to be put on their trail, he'd bide his time and tell him everything very soon.

Robin caught the book as Slade threw down a smoke grenade, he fled the scene, his work was done, in the distance he could see the other Titans gathering around Robin, questioning him about the book in his hands.

Slade returned to one of his many lairs, he removed his mask and poured himself glass of wine.

"To success!" he said to himself. He saw a robotic minion come in, "Put it over there, and don't break anything!"

Tonight wasn't about taking over Jump City, or even fighting Dick, it had all been a spectacular diversion, his other minions had returned, retrieving one of the many things he'd been looking for, he could finally assemble the machine that would truly give him what he wanted.

His wife. Mary Elizabeth Lloyd Grayson.

This lair was a special one, because it was hiding. A Lazarus Pit, and now that he'd assembled his machine, the same one the Court of Owls used to resurrect their Talons, he could bring his beloved wife back from the grave and with the Lazarus Pit, give her back the normal life she deserved.

"Mary, sweetheart, I'll see you soon, I promise. I love you," he whispered to her cryogenically frozen body, cupping the form of her face on the glass. "We'll be together soon, all of us."