10. Fathers

A/N: I don't own Teen Titans.

The excitement in the life of Slade Wilson had begun die down recently.

He'd had been dead up until just a few month ago.

He'd been recruited into the army of the demon, Augustus, to take earth as his own.

Augustus had promised Slade a few things, including being fully restored to life if the attack had been successful.

Despite that the earth would've likely become a vacant lot had Augustus had his way, Slade didn't hesitate to make a literal deal with the devil.

Partly making good on his promise, Slade was given a makeshift body (bones and not much else) in order to do his new master's bidding. He was also given pyro-kinetic abilities and command of a squadron of fire-familiars.

Learning more of his new master, he found that Augustus was the younger brother of the legendarily cruel demon-god, Trigon the Terrible. He was aware of Trigon through his various skirmishes with the superhero community through the years (namely Zatanna and Batman).

He'd also learned of his master's tactics.

Augustus had planned on fighting a battle on three fronts.

First, the earth. Second, a realm called Azarath. And finally, Augustus would goad Trigon himself to battle with himself using means he chose not to reveal to Slade.

Slade himself was to appropriate an old advisory, Raven of the Teen Titans (niece to Augustus and the only daughter of Trigon to his utter surprise!), willingly or otherwise; for she would be the key to jump starting The End.

Personally, Slade was convinced that Augustus was underestimating his opposition (namely Raven and her friends) and was spreading himself much too thin.

A sentiment he had kept to himself.

A sentiment that put a plot Slade's into mind.

Death has a weird way of putting things into perspective.

Slade didn't have a lot of regrets in his life, but he did regret how his relationships with his own children turned out.

Grant had been gunned down trying to emulate his father, their tribulations to remain forever unresolved.

Joey's vocal cords had been severed by an enemy of his father's while he was taken hostage. As a result: Adeline, the boy's mother, had divorced Slade and later rendered the assassin blind in one eye while attempting to kill him. In a cruel twist of irony, Joey had become the young hero Jericho, decrying his father's choices all the while.

Rose hadn't learned of who her birth father was until she already in her teens. She had sought him out, as her birth mother had passed away and he was the only family she had that she was aware of. He'd rebuffed her, as Slade was doggedly fixated on taking over Jump City.

Come to think of it, Slade doesn't even remember why he was so determined to have Jump City under his thumb.

Oh, well…

If one bothered to ask, it surmised that he had little practical use for her; as he'd already failed with making Robin his apprentice and was already in the process of making Terra fill the void left by the boy wonder.

Fortunately for Rose, she was taken by Slade's mentor and former butler, William Wintergreen.

Rose had always asked him about her father, much to Wintergreen's chagrin and despite Slade's apparent disinterest in her.

Though, if one were to ask Wintergreen, 'disinterest' wasn't quite the way to describe Slade's feelings towards his daughter.

Perhaps Wintergreen new his former charge better than he knew himself.

Seeing through his apprentice. He'd figured out Slade had in fact wanted to get to know Rose. When Wintergreen pressed Slade about the constant rejection of the young Rose and had told the older man (in confidence) he was hesitant of what his daughter would think of him (given his history with Joey) and very much desired Rose avoid similar fates of that of he and Grant.

Fates that Slade was convinced can be avoided by not associating with him.

Despite pushing her away, she still pushed for a relationship with her father.

Fate was cruel indeed.

And as fate would have it, Slade's own wasn't exactly pretty.

He'd almost succeeded in fully taking over Jump City. Until he overplayed his hand with his last apprentice, the geo-kinetically powered Terra.

She ultimately decided to return to her friends, The Teen Titans, when victory was so close at hand.

Apparently returning to one's friends that you've once betrayed meant me being sent into a lava pit. But I guess I should thank her. Her actions that helped to lead me to where I am now.

As he fell to red hot pit of molted rock there was only one thought that plagued him:

What about what remains of my family? Wintergreen? Joey? Rose? What if it could be salvaged? What if-

Slade didn't have a chance to complete that final thought as he was literally was burned out of existence by the lava.

I can make it back to them, that last thought coming back him as he began to doubt Augustus' chances of success. I will make back, to her.

And he did. Through fighting the Titans after being partly resurrected, collecting Raven to jumpstart The End, being betrayed once more (this time by Augustus), and forging a shaky alliance with Robin to get Raven back; he managed to make himself hole again.

He was fortunately able to regain his body at the same time The Titans undid The End.

-Sniff-

He was also to make good on the promise to himself, making it back to Rose and formerly assuming custody of her.

-Sniff-

Slade wipes his nose with the back of his hand as his train of thought is interrupted by the pungent aroma of onions over taking his senses (and his kitchen).

Trying to be the dutiful father, the former assassin is chopping the strong scented vegetable for an evening meal.

Rose, bless her, had managed to convince Joey and Slade to have a sit-down this evening. She thinks they can have-out their differences over a nice home cooked meal. Not that Slade's opposed to reconciling with his son, it's not that. Slade's worry is that the sentiment isn't reciprocated.

Slade continues to chop vegetables until something reaches his senses.

See, Slade's most recent resurrection left him a little more than hole.

The 'more' supplementing an already formidable skillset, making engaging the man much more dangerous for any adversary.

Unfortunately, that adversary he's about to confront isn't like most.

Continuing to act oblivious to that something, he continues to go about his business, preparing dinner for he and his children. The growing impatience of his guest is beginning to assault his senses.

Until…

"You know in my younger years I would've incinerated anyone who would just ignore me. Fortunately for you, I'm much more benevolent then I used to be."

"Perhaps benevolence isn't what this situation calls for. I know why you're here," responds Slade, turning around to properly greet his guest, "do what you feel, Trigon." If Slade is to die once more today, he'd prefer to go quickly.

Trigon's dressed in all black with a matching black cloak, his red arms crossed over his chest revealed by the short sleeves of his shirt. His snow-white hair appears to be pulled into a pony-tail. Trigon's expression doesn't fit one who's pleased to see the former assassin. His two sets of eyes are set on Slade, glowing an ominous red glow. Trigon lips are slightly open as he's grimacing, showing Slade his pure white fangs. What appears to be the tips of horns or antlers are beginning to protrude out of Trigon's forehead.

"What I feel?" Says Trigon, as he chuckles incredulously. "What I'm feeling is that you should suffer as Raven suffered. Do you have any idea what you made her go through? To have the sum of what makes her forcibly stripped from her being, and to have that power to destroy the world that she's come love; to endanger her friends and family." Trigon's voice begins to become distorted as if possessed, sounding as many voices are speaking at the same time. The red of his four eyes begin to glow brighter. His horns then push through his forehead, completing the ghoulish visage of the wrathful demon-god standing before him.

Thousands upon thousands of distorted voices are calling out from within the demon. Demanding the man's blood be spilled in the most horrific of ways.

"You've truly no idea what I feel, mortal."

Taking the hint, Slade throws the knife at the demon.

It stops uselessly before the face of Trigon.

Chuckling at the former assassin's attempt to harm him, Trigon draws his cloak around himself. His white hair begins to float as black tendrils of his soul-self begins to emerge from the shadows underneath his cloak. "Interesting," mutters Trigon, "You wish for me make this quick, yet you make it a fight by throw a paltry kitchen knife at me." The knife that's still floating before him turn so that the blade's now facing Slade. At an incomprehensible speed, the knife flies back toward Slade imbedding itself in his chest.

Slade hisses in obvious pain, "Call it the last breaths of a dying man. By not making it quick, its you who's making it into a fight. I'd never stand a chance against you. I recognize that I'm very much an ant staring into the face of the sun."

A tendril of Trigon's soul-self hauntingly makes its way to Slade. The black colored energy begins to envelope his left leg up to the knee, an ice sensation taking hold of the limb. "An apt description of your predicament, mortal." A chilling smile creeps it's way on to Trigon's face as pressure and heat begins to spread over Slade's leg.

The former assassin can't help but double over in pain as his leg is slowly crushed and roasted. Slade, not wanting to give Trigon the satisfaction, is biting his lip to avoid yowling out in pain. It gets to a point where Slade can smell the skin and muscle cooking and the agony is so intense that he's broken the skin he's bitting down so hard.

"You're certainly a live one," says Trigon.

No longer able to bare the agony of his leg being crushed and cooked, Slade finally yells out in pain. The sound of the man's screams is music to the ears of Trigon.

The pressure on Slade's leg increases until a fleshy pop is heard. The pain is more than the man has ever endured in his life. He freely screams as he grips where his leg used to be, bits of bone and cooked flesh at the stump.

The same tendril of his soul-self then envelopes another limb of Slade, this time a hand.

"Tell me, mortal. Do you regret going after my daughter?"

Slade, catching his breath from screaming and having his leg blown off, struggles to answer, "No," -pant- "not one bit. All roads traveled, all hardships endured," Slade smiles up at the demon as struggles through his answer, "all the blood on my hands led me back to my family."

A familiar pressure and heat begins to creep its way on to Slade's hand.

And before it can be comprehended, the limb meets the fate of Slade's leg.

"AHHHH!"

As Slade's screams once again die down, Trigon takes in the visage of the man in front of him. Pain and determination obvious his eye. A man that recognizes his end is very much at hand, yet his determination to live is very apparent.

-Click-

The tale-tale thumbing back of a hammer catches Trigon's attention.

Slade's own expression takes on an anxiousness that cannot be placed as his eye moves to whatever is behind Trigon.

"Get the hell away from him you son of a bitch!"

Turning around, he eyes two figures. First a platinum blonde-haired young woman stands before Trigon. She's dressed in short sleeved shirt with a black tie and a navy-blue skirt and white and black striped socks that reach just below her knees, likely some school uniform. Her blue eyes trained on the demon, as determined as Slade's. She got a handgun trained directly on the demon.

Her companion, a curly blonde young man with green eyes stands to the side of young woman. He's wearing a white shirt with gold accents at the end of the sleeves under a purple tunic. A gold belt is holding up black tights which are tucked into purple boots, which are accented by gold like his belt and sleeves. There's a grim, familiar determination in his eyes as well.

There's something else with this young man as well. It seems as if he trying to will something to happen by staring down Trigon.

The boy becomes transparent for a split second.

"Ah, ah, ah, my boy." Says Trigon, smart to what the young was attempting.

Becoming solid once more, he opens his mouth in silent agony, gripping his head and lowering to his knees.

"Joey!" Screams the young woman, dropping the gun and tending to her companion.

Slade not wanting his children to become victims to the demon before him speaks up, "Trigon," he says through heavy breaths, "let them go. You're here for me, right? Leave them out this!"

"Curious…" mutters Trigon, "Deathstroke the Terminator, begging for the lives of children." He then makes his way over to the tortured former assassin, lifting Slade by his neck. "What are these children to you?" He asked. "What are they to you as you would throw away your own pride to beg for them?" He adds.

Slade simply stares down Trigon, his mouth in a grim line.

"Don't be shy now, mortal."

Trigon does have a sneaking suspicion of what these two are to the man in his clutches but is starting to lose his patience.

Slade continues his silence, out of fear of what the creature before him would do to those kids if he revealed what they are to him.

"Alright," says Trigon. The demon turns his attention to the two behind him, lifting his other hand at Rose and Joseph as if to…

"No…"

A large portion of black energy then comes from the ceiling between Trigon and the pair of teens. It then expands outward into the shape of a bird and a blue cloaked, purple haired young woman emerges from it as it's absorbed into her.

And said young lady doesn't look happy.

"They're his kids." Says that familiar monotone voice, answering Trigon's unanswered question.

At the sight of his daughter, the voices within Trigon begin to die down. The tendrils of his soul-self sink back under his cloak, presumably to be absorbed back into him. His horns then retract into his forehead. His eyes then lose their ominous red, the glow which is receding to his iris' returning his sclera to its usual pitch black.

"Ah, Raven," croaks Slade, "welcome to the party."

"Slade, can you not?" She responds bluntly.

"Dearest…"

"No, no." Raven interrupts Trigon. "Heal him. Now!"

"You don't expect…" Begins Trigon.

"Yes." Said Raven leaving no room for argument. "And you," she said referring to Slade, "you could've told him we've come to an understanding."

"It's not like he would've believed me, Birthday Girl." Responded Slade.

Raven breathes an exasperated sign. Then the half-demoness turns her back to the pair of fathers, then makes her toward Joseph and Rose.

"You guys ok?"

"I'm fine, but Joey may not be." Replies Rose.

I'm fine, I just have a splitting headache. Signs Joey. I think trying to possess the demon over there was a bad idea.

"Rave, can you tell me what the hell is going on here? Why is, who I assume is the devil, attacking my dad."

Trigon reluctantly releases Slade and begins the process of healing his lost limbs. "An understanding? I…"

Trigon is interrupted for a third time by Raven, "He's my dad."

"Your dad?" Responded Rose, incredulously.

Raven nods her head. "I presume he's here for payback," Rose shakes her head in confusion, "your dad pushed me toward jumpstarting the end of the world. But he wasn't aware that your father and I had come to an understanding. As you know, Rose, he retired from supervillainy." She then turns to the pair of dads behind her, Trigon having just finished re-growing Slade's leg. A glow engulfs the stump of what used to be Slade's hand as Trigon starts to work on bringing it back whole as he grumbles to himself. Slade's smirking at the demon surely testing his fate as the demon works to heal him. "Part of it was my behest, but he later told me he planned to retire anyway. While he had been part of why I surrendered to what I was convinced was my fate, he's also part of the reason I was able to overcome it. He pointed and guided Robin in the right direction in order to save me in my diminished state. When I confronted him after it was all resolved, he told me why he did what he did. It was you two. A second chance at being a father. I told him if he ever came after Robin, myself any of my friends or family or caught a whiff of some plot, conspiracy or even petty theft, I would've found the deepest, darkest pit in all of existence and throw his ass into it." She finishes, smiling darkly.

"It wouldn't have been enough of his ass left to throw. He promised to be here for me, and I plan to hold him to that promise."

I say the jury's still out. Signs Joey. The two young women impatiently. The blonde shrugs his shoulders dismissively. As if to say, what?

"But wait, how'd you know your Dad was here?" Asked Rose

"Two things really. Joseph hit the distress beacon on his communicator, and my dad's demonic aura is like the Bat-Signal to those who can sense it, especially when he's…agitated."

At that moment, Trigon had finished re-growing Slade's lost limbs. The former assassin stands on two legs once more, testing the stability of the newly regrown leg and flexing the new hand. "I think I like the old ones better." He said.

Enraged the demon gets into his face barring his fangs, "I can send them the way of the last two, if you continue."

Raven and Rose gets in between the two fathers. "Dad, stop." They said simultaneously.

"Fine," grumbled Trigon. His eyes then glow, then The Mark of Scath appears on Slade's forehead, accompanying burn spreading throughout his body. "Your deal with my brother forever has forever you to my thrall, as he used magics of my own creation to facilitate it. Should you ever make any move against my family again, those girls won't ever get chance to enact their respective punishments once I get my hands on you. Are we clear, Slade?"

"Crystal." He said, through gritted teeth.

The mark disappears, along with its burn. Slade continues to flex his regrown hand, staring at it as if contemplating something. "I know we'll never be friends Trigon, but I'd like to make a peace offering, and a thank you for not killing me. Wait here."

Not even a minute later Slade makes his way back into the room, with a long sword in his grasp within its scabbard. He pulls it a few inches out of the sheath, revealing its double fuller cross section.

"What use do I have for a sword? Wait? That aura… Is that the God Killer? How did you even get a that sword?"

"Fear not, this weapon is forged only with a fragment of the legendary sword. The full ability of the blade isn't within a single shard thankfully, though is capable of wounding beings like yourself." He said as he places the blade back in its sheath. "It was gifted to me by someone trying to recruit me to a cause. The New Church of Blood. I think they're amassing munitions to specifically kill demons. I took care of Abel myself who delivered it to me, so I don't know who's leading them. I caution you and yours to be weary Trigon."

"Hmm..." Trigon takes the sword from him. "You've my thanks, Slade." Says Trigon offering a hand to the man.

Slade takes out the stretched limb, solidifying the peace between the former demon lord and former assassin.

A/N: I was initially going to have the end as Slade manipulating Trigon into letting him go by effectively using Rose as an emotional hostage/emotional leverage; Slade saying something along the lines of, "so you'd kill me Trigon? In front of my ONLY daughter?" With Slade cracking a knowing smile in scene that plays out similarly to what it ended up being. But I thought the whole premise of these one-shots is to establish an alternative to Trigon like we see in other media; what if Trigon wasn't an asshole (or benevolent if you will lol). Why can't I do the same with Slade? I mean I remember a long time ago in the comics (pre-New 52) there was a storyline where the Titans (Rose and Jericho included) had to fight off Slade and a few other villains. At the end of that story after Slade's been defeated, he lamented that he HAD to push Rose and Joe toward the titans by actively fighting them. His reasoning being that the Titans can provide a family structure that he cannot. If Slade can show that kind of benevolence in the comics, why not in Fanfiction?