Disclaimer: Well, here's the last time I'll have to say it, so here goes nothing. Really. I don't own Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator or anything else related to DC Comics. Also, again there are some lines in here from the TV show. I don't own those either.

Author's Note: Wow, can any of you believe it? This is the last chapter. Oh man, I feel like crying! I've had so much fun writing this story. And all of you readers have made up more than half of that fun. Thank you to all of you. Hey, it's not like I'm giving up Fan Fiction now that this story is done. I actually just posted four other One-Shots and I hope you check them out. Also, I have some other multi-chapter stories that I have in mind, too. Before the multi-chapter stories are started though, I will be taking a short break from writing (my sore fingers!) and take the time to brainstorm and choose which stories I'll start on next.

Oh, and Happy Holidays! I guess this is my present to all of you. One more thing, I want to send a shout out to my close friend who has been editing this story since its first chapter. Thank you! I promise that I'll be back out there soon with new stories. In fact, I might have a couple more One-Shots out before I start on the multi-chapter stories. But now, I must present to you the last chapter of my story. Ladies and Gentleman, I proudly present to you the final chapter of my story, "What?: Chapter Twenty-Four; Epilogue pt.2"!

Note:

Regular: currently happening

Italics: Flashback

Regular within italics: emphasis

-T-

What?

Chapter Twenty-Four: Epilogue Pt.2

The city lights began to shine brighter than normal to adapt to the absence of the sun. I sighed. The day had been long and not one that I was fond of in the slightest. It wasn't until about half and hour ago that things calmed down. Wintergreen had just patched up the side of my stomach and told me to relax. I was trying to relax, but my mind refused despite my injury.

Of course, I wasn't in the Haunt since it self-destructed. Instead, I was in a penthouse downtown that I had as a back up for any emergency situation. Only Wintergreen and I knew of the safehaven. Wintergreen was in the main room at the moment preparing something to eat. The smells were reaching my room, but I didn't care or bother to try to identify them.

I was tired, irritated, annoyed, and to put it lightly, angry. I soon threw away Wintergreen's advice to relax and got up from lying down on the bed. I walked around the room. All of my things had been brought out of the Haunt before its meltdown. I had programmed robots to take everything (other than furniture) in certain rooms if a meltdown ever occurred such as it did today. And my room was one of them. The items had been unpacked and placed around the room.

I walked around the room and found on the dresser the address book. I opened it up to find a small picture with a woman and two kids in it. They all smiled, but I couldn't smile back. I put the picture back inside and went over to the window. I put my hand in my jean pocket and leaned against the window. Outside was Titans Tower in obvious view. I clenched my teeth.

Yeah, I had lost the kid. Robin wasn't here. He was in that taunting Tower with those pathetic, useless friends of his. He had outsmarted me at my own game. "And I know how you hate to lose." He was right. I do hate it. My apprentice had gotten out of the deal in a way I had not foreseen or at least I had guessed that he wouldn't see it. I was wrong. The child was indeed a detective if I ever saw one.

While I may still be simmering over the loss, I will say this. I was right. Choosing Robin, he was the perfect apprentice. He performed above and beyond expectations. The last fight, I kept seeing myself in him. His fury, his rage, his determination, and his calculating attitude. All of it was impressive.

I kept staring at the tower as though I would burn a hole through it if I stared long and hard enough. Despicable thing. It may have not been inconspicuous like many headquarters of super heroes, but it did put a plain reminder out to every villain in view of what they were up against in this city. Knowing that Robin was back inside it was like a knife in my gut. He could have been so much more than a member of some team that I would make sure would someday disband.

It's interesting how when one doesn't choose to see things, that is the act that tends to undue all of one's work. Like Jor-El's plead on Krypton, the warnings are ignored. And I did it, too. I guess we are all guilty of it at one time or another. I focused so intently on coercing Robin into realizing that he could be so much that I forgot that I was opening the fortress to attack. I was... well, impressed...

-T-

I was reviewing Robin's performance at the Wayne Enterprises building. It was unfortunate that he had lost both the blasted and had not gotten the prototype, but I really didn't pay attention to that. I got an adrenalin rush from just watching. The boy was improving and fighting much better than I would have thought. Sure, he was holding back, or at least he was till the end. It was sad that he ended the fight just when things were getting good. He should be back around now. It wouldn't take that long since his muscles are probably numb.

"Thrilling," I was recording my analysis of his performance. I leaned back in my chair and continued, "My apprentice is progressing even faster than I had hoped. All he needed was a little motivation."

Robin must not have agreed because I found him throwing a fist at my face while yelling, "Motivate this!"

It was easy enough to catch, but Robin kept trying to force the punch forward. While a desperate attempt, I found it both amusing and annoying. It was like seeing whether or not he would let up or not. I got tired of it quickly. Throwing it to the side, Robin proved that he wasn't going to take that and flipped across the room so that he landed in a fighting stance. He wanted a fight? Okay, I'd give him a fight. It would be... fun. I flexed my fingers.

"Robin, that was vicious, dishonorable, and ruthless," I said as I walked up to my apprentice, "Excellent work. You're becoming more like me every second."

He must have hated that and thus his mind was occupied even for a nano-second. It let Robin a bit off guard as he stepped back slightly. I took the opportunity to start the fight off. Robin dodged well and while he never landed one on me, his attacks were well aimed. He eventually turned which I used to my advantage. I grabbed him around the chest and lifted him off the ground. He struggled to be released, but I wouldn't give. I smiled. He was in my control right now and he knew it. It's amazing the sense of fear that could resonate from a person who was afraid. However, Robin's thoughts must have been more focused on figuring out how to solve the problem rather then fret over it. Smart boy.

With a swift kick, Robin forced his foot up and into my face. I let him go and he landed breathing in and out, trying to catch his breath. I'll admit, it was a powerful kick which would have hurt a lot more if I hadn't been wearing a mask. Robin attacked first, going into a back flip that was aimed at my head again. It was easy enough to counter attack. I grabbed his leg and swung him into the gears.

He yelled, but I heard him grab something that stopped his momentum. This was actually quite amusing. Getting into the gears myself, I spotted Robin easily. I let the eerie feeling of being watched envelope him before appearing. It was a habit I had picked up from hunting. I landed on a gear that began to rotate. Robin noticed me instantly as the steam came out from around the gear.

"Good, Robin. You're doing much better than last time. A few more years of training, and you might actually pose a threat," I told him while advancing.

Robin backed up and found what was to be his weapon of choice. He kicked at a lever which became a bo-staff. I pulled out my own calmly. This would be amusing. Robin yelled, and with a swing staff knocked against staff. He swung around and our weapons hit each others' again. It was a test of wills. He pushed the staff forward with all of his might. It was easy enough for me to hold him back. In my mind, my thoughts kept repeating, 'Come on, Robin, it's not that hard.'

I eventually overpowered Robin and forced him back. I aimed my staff at his head which he jumped up and away from. My staff punctured the wall letting steam spill out from the large pipe. Robin landed on it and I suddenly found the side of my face connected to Robin's end of his staff. That hurt. Fine, I'd make him hurt back.

Hidden by the smoke, I sneaked behind him. Then I dived up swiftly and attempted a blow, which he dodged by flipping up and jumping onto the gears above. Not a surprise, the sudden smoke movement was a dead sign of my attack. Good, he's watching. I followed Robin up and teased him a bit. I appeared behind a swinging gear a couple times and then vanished. I could practically taste his shock. That talent of mine is one that I've had to work to perfect.

I gave Robin no time to assess anything, though. I rammed into him and pushed him head long into a gear at least twenty feet away. The force knocked the staff out of his hands and we were both once again, fighting with nothing but ourselves for offensive and defensive moves. Robin struggled to get up for a second, but I knocked him right back into the fight. I leaped into the air and prepared to deliver a blow. Robin barely managed to escape from that one. Landing and pulling my hand up, I saw that it would have been a harsh hit. It had made a dent in the metal anyway. Oh well, it might have hurt, but he dodged it so it didn't matter. I flexed my fingers to loosen them up again.

Robin's eyes narrowed behind his mask. With a jump and a spin, he landed a kick to my face. I then found another kick hit it's target, me. The force caught me off guard as I was still recovering from the last kick and I was forced back to the bottom of the Haunt near the screens which had switched back to the probes on default.

I realized that my mask had been cracked. I guess that's when I decided that this fight wasn't the game that I had intended it to be. Robin was angry and he wasn't taking it in the way that my apprentice should have been. He knew when he was taking fights too far. And cracking my mask was undeniably one of them, even if it went unspoken. Why? Merely disrespect. Would he want me to force him to take his off? No, he wouldn't. So why would I want it? It wasn't just that. He was crossing the line of where his privileges lied. I heard Robin land and I whirled around to face him.

No more games, "You're going to wish you hadn't done that."

Robin walked up to me and with every step he was getting deeper and deeper into the hole he was digging for himself. In a moment, despite his clothes, I couldn't deny his attitude was identical to that of the legendary Dark Knight. If I wasn't angry already, I was furious now.

"I only wish I'd done it sooner," Robin said and ripped the silver "S" off his chest.

He threw it into the ground in front of me. I growled and sprang to my feet. I threw punches which he dodged or deflected. Robin attempted to fight back as well, which I avoided with ease. Soon, Robin went from a dodge into a handstand with his foot aimed again at my face. Use a move to much and it becomes predictable. I grabbed his ankle as easily as I would his fists. I held it there for a second, letting him know that I wasn't going easy on him anymore. He was in over his head. I threw Robin to the side, which he didn't recover at all gracefully from. I walked over to his kneeling form.

"I have much to teach you, but the first thing you need to learn is gratitude," I told him.

Robin stood and wiped his mouth. I eyed the monitors reminding him of what he had to lose. Robin yelled again and tried to punch me again. I grabbed his fist and pulled it back while his momentum did the rest of the work. Pushing him into the ground, Robin tried to twist away to end the pain. It didn't work, as I knew that it wouldn't. When I released him, Robin rolled over and onto his knees again.

The ungrateful child. All he cared about was his comfort and his situation. He only took into account what he wanted to. I had eased in truth slowly enough. He was my apprentice. He worked for me now. It didn't have to be a horrible situation for him. He just chose to view it that way. His disobedience was out of hand, thereby he would receive his punishment.

"I made you my apprentice. All my knowledge, all my power," I kneeled down next to him and pushed his head into the floor, making it more so that all he could pay attention to was to what I was saying. I finished, "All for you. But the only thing you care about is your worthless, little, Friends!"

Letting him go, I got up and walked a couple paces away. I've trained him in arts that are almost impossible at his age. I've offered him opportunity. I've conceded at points in easing up on occasion. Yet he crosses the line of respect on so many levels. He doesn't know when to quit. Robin shakily got up from the ground.

"If the Titans are so distracting, maybe I should just get rid of them," If that didn't remind him of his place, nothing would.

Fortunately for him, it did. I heard the defeat in his voice as Robin replied with his answer, "Don't, I'll do whatever you say."

"Good boy," I turned around to face him. Robin's head was down and his shoulders slumped. He had quit. I had been easy on Robin so many times. But being soft on him just seems to let him forget where he stands. This would remind him every time he saw me.

I continued on, "And, from now on, I'd like you to call me Master."

Robin's breath stopped for a moment as though he was being fed bitter medicine. In a sense he was. His behavior was unacceptable, like a virus that needed to be purged from his system so that he could be obedient. I barely had time to see it, though, because I got hurled across the room by a bolt of energy. Looking over at the front of the room, the Titans stood and the Tamaranean's eyes were glowing. My eye narrowed.

"Leave-him-alone!" She yelled.

Not if I could help it.

-T-

But they could. No, Robin could. Remembering Robin coming up to me fighting off the pain I knew must have been unbearable, I can't shake off the feeling of disbelief, shook, and anger. A catch 22 if any. Robin astounded me once again, but at that moment I kept feeling like shaking my head as if to say, 'You didn't just do what I think you did.' I thanked my self-control for not showing that or at least not showing it very much.

It's odd how much Robin knows about himself and how much he doesn't. He knows that in the eyes of many, he's a bit of hope in another's dark crusade. When he loses his own hope, when he succumbs, there's nothing but darkness. Yet what he doesn't always know is through what he'll dare to do. The impossible feat he'll try to do to keep order and justice, normally he won't know that he'll do it until the opportunity comes. Such a prize, to have him fighting on your side. Sometimes I wonder if Batman or the Titans ever think of that.

Something is instilled in him, though. More than what he represents or what he is, but who he is.

I looked at the little book again. Yeah, the thing was an irritating reminder and yet was also one of the only things that remind me of who I am. For a second, I wondered if Robin had something that did the same thing for him. An object, a place, a feeling, a memory... Maybe a combination. For me though, at that moment that book was bringing up memories that I didn't want to think of because they would only add regret to this self-pity that I couldn't control.

I grabbed the book and flung it across the room. It hit the wall just next to door which Wintergreen had opened. He eyed the book and then looked at me. I went back to the window. I had lost. Horribly, humiliatingly. He even got my mask partially off. It's his trophy in a sense, not that he'll like it very much because of the self-protection agent in it. I wasn't too worried about it. He'd survive it. What was worse, though, was that I had lost, again. I had lost that second chance. I had even offered it to Robin for acknowledgment. And his answer, "I already have a father."

It's amazing how sometimes events play out exactly as you want until the very end. While I had lost, I keep replaying the ending. The brilliant boy, exploiting a weakness. A weakness that I had never fully said aloud, especially to him. Imagine that, an apprentice doing to his master the same that the master was doing to him. What a surprise. And yet it really was a surprise. Perfect, Robin, perfect.

The boy was such a perfect find and I don't know now if I will ever get such an opportunity again. There are many that can be apprentices. But so far, he's been the only one with that fiery quality about him. The one that it seems like a destiny for him to be my apprentice. Oddly enough, he proved able to retain his other destiny throughout the entire time. Something I had thought impossible.

Robin was so many things to so many people. An opponent, a student, an icon, a detective, a hero, a friend, a family member, a teenage boy. He was loyal to those he loved. Loyal to the point that one would think that he was showing gratitude for being rescued from some horrid reality. I guess that's what loyalty grows out of. Now he's probably inside the tower enjoying a movie. He was once again an adversary. It's a shame that as long as he's on that side of the line, we must see each other as enemies.

"Are you okay, sir?" Wintergreen asked.

"Sure," I responded.

"Sir... I know that today you suffered... a loss, but there are others out there to train," He said slowly.

"Like who, Wintergreen? You know just as well as that he was one of a kind."

Wintergreen continued, "Well of course he is. He was trained by Gotham's Dark Knight, but sir, that doesn't mean that he's the only candidate. Robin was only human. There's other metahumans to undertake the responsibility."

"If you're talking about Joseph, you know that I've already decided to leave him out of this."

"I wasn't suggesting Joseph. I know you don't want to involve him or Addie after..." Will trailed off.

"After Grant?" I completed.

Will shook his head, "Grant wasn't your apprentice, Slade."

"Everyone said he was like me, though. Now he's dead," I said bluntly.

Wintergreen softened, "It wasn't your fault. And you don't have to think about him right now if you don't want to. It's not the same thing."

"You're right," I said, sullenly.

Wintergreen watched me, "You thought of Robin as a son?"

A moment passed and then I answered, "No."

I couldn't tell if it was a lie. Did I? Or did I not? I didn't really know anymore and my mind was brooding too much over the loss and what to do now that I couldn't figure it out now even if I wanted to.

"I thought that it could have gone better, though, then what he made it," I said.

Wintergreen was silent again and then added to the conversation, "You're right though, Slade, he was a lot like you."

I heard him. I knew that others saw my own and Robin's similarities. It just didn't seem logical that things would turn out the way that they did. Apprentice and Master. Now Hero and Villain. Then again, I guess the latter never was removed because of the arrangements' characteristics and Robin's attitude no matter how much I would have liked it to be.

"I know."

"Will you at least try someone else, though?" Wintergreen asked, obviously hoping that he could encourage me to forget it all.

But I don't think I ever would.

"What else would I do, Will?" I responded, but I wasn't looking forward to it.

Wintergreen nodded. He stooped over and picked up the book that had fallen on the floor. He put it back on the dresser, then left. Another apprentice I could find, but every other person I will only control. The difference the characteristics make in a person in reality are everything. They determine situations, relationships, the endings of stories.

I looked out at the tower again. The lights were on and the shape of a "T" filled the horizon. Inside, the Teen Titans were probably getting ready for a movie or planning to do other activities that they would find enjoyable. Joking, meditating, playing games, eating pizza, watching movies, or enjoying each others' company. It would all be worth a smile to them. They had their fearless leader back. The day had ended in victory for them.

I knew, though, that this wasn't the end to my interaction with Robin. We'd clash every time the Titans appeared. We'd fight every time that events played out to dictate it. Arch-enemy status was probably where we were right now. Unlike others though, I know that we'll both always remember the time where we were primarily student and teacher, Master and Apprentice.

If that was reality, fine.

"Another day, Robin, another day."

The End

(Of Slade's POV)

(And "What?")

-T-

A/N: Now there's the "The End". Wow, and this was supposed to be a One-Shot, lol. Please review! Oh, and the thing about Slade's mask was supposed to be in reference to "Haunted". For all of those who have reviewed I have shout out thank you's posted on my homepage that will be up for about a month or two. Again, Happy Holidays and I want to say thank you to all who have read this story. Even after writing all Twenty-Four chapters, I still have not found the vocabulary to express my gratitude. Thank you all so much. I hope you enjoyed this story. Later and with more stories to come!

Rena