The Masks We Wear is a Fan Fic by Guardian Soul Blade. It is an Alternate Universe where John Grayson became a Talon after his son Dick Grayson was born. It is a Darker and Edgier version of Teen Titans (2003).
It can be read on Fanfiction.net
and Archive of Our Own
On the day his son Dick Grayson was born, John made a deal with Samantha Vanaver the Grandmaster of the Court of Owls, taking his son's place as the Talon for the era, carrying out assassinations for them while performing at Haly's Circus. He was drugged and blackmailed into having a physical relationship with Samantha Vanaver and his illegitimate daughter Rachel Grasyon was born as Dick's half-sister.
Despite being his son's Death by Origin Story, John was resurrected by the Court to continue killing. Samantha Vanaver grew bored of John as her lover and decided to alter the deal and bring Dick Grayson into the Court of Owls after John became sloppy and caught the attention of Batman.
Enraged, John killed many members of the Court of Owls by blowing up the Labyrinth where they were meeting. He escapes them, leaving Gotham City and moving to Jump City. He takes the identity of "Slade" and begins a long and elaborate Roaring Rampage of Revenge that will bring down the Court of Owls, starting with bringing Robin over to his side as his "Apprentice".
This story takes two popular Fandom-Specific Plot elements and fuses them together: that Slade is Robin's biological father, and that Robin is Slade's apprentice longer than the cartoon canon.
The Masks We Wear contains examples of the following tropes:
- Action Dad: John is a dangerous villain that pits himself against Superheroes and supervillains alike.
- Actually a Doombot: John employs robotic commandos, including one that is meant to stand-in for himself.
- Anti-Villain: John refuses to believe he is an anti-villain because in his mind there is no side but his.
- Benevolent Boss: What John is for people who work for him, unlike his comic book counterpart.
- Berserk Button: Threatening his family and betraying him will lead to a Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
- Big Bad: John Grayson as Slade for the Teen Titans while Samantha Vanaver is the Greater-Scope Villain for the Titans and Slade.
- Cain and Abel: Samantha's Cain to Mary's Abel.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Samantha Vanaver betrayed John and he returned the favor by betraying her.
- The Conspiracy: The Court of Owls is this for Gotham City, they're expanding into Jump City and kicks off a series of events that affect both Slade and the Teen Titans.
- Dead Person Impersonation: Killed the "real" Slade at the behest of the Court of Owls.
- Embarrassing Middle Name: John's middle name is Frederic.
- Entitled to Have You: Samantha Vanaver feels entitled to have John Grayson because they used to date.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: John dotes on Rachel when he's not in his "Slade" costume. He still loves Dick despite how he treats him because he can't bring himself to reveal the truth about who he is because it will damage the fond memories he knows his son has of him.
- Evil Has Standards: John refuses President Molina's mercenary job to assassinate General Suarez, instead, he decapitates President Molina, the leader of the despot Central American country of San Miguel, where President Molina was a tyrant. He delivers his head to General Suarez with a warning, "Do better General Suarez, or this will be you."
- Forced into Evil: John is forced into evil by Samantha Vanaver. He, in turn, forces Dick into evil by blackmailing him to be his apprentice.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Samantha engages in this with Mary while she was alive, but Mary is completely clueless because she never knew they were related.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Samantha Vanaver is the greater-scope villain since the Titans don't even know she's active and just seems like a generous socialite that raises funds for paying the bills for Titans Tower.
- Happily Married: John and Mary are happily married despite all the awful things John has done to protect his family.
- Heroic Bastard: Rachel Grayson is this, despite not being a superhero, she supports the Teen Titans.
- Hitman with a Heart: John disavows this idea and sees himself as an awful person because of what the Court of Owls did to him.
- The Lost Lenore: What Mary is for John Grayson until she comes back from the dead.
- Manipulative Bastard: John as Slade is willing to manipulate his children if it means he'll bring down the Court of Owls and forces Dick to work for him by blackmailing him and threatening his friends with nanoscopic probes and death threats.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: John betrays the Court of Owls due to Samantha Vanaver's horrible treatment of him and reneging on their deal.
- Moral Pragmatist: John does whatever he feels will stop the Court of Owls, whether it's good or bad doesn't matter to him.
- Parental Neglect: Rachel is on the receiving end because her mother is obsessed with being the Grandmaster of the Court Of Owls. She can't spend time with her father, because he is a Super Villain, and he does not want her to be his apprentice.
- Professional Killer: What John does as his job as Slade when he is not the Big Bad for the Teen Titans.
- Protagonist Journey to Villain: The opening chapter shows John Grayson's journey to becoming the Teen Titans arch-nemesis Slade.
- Rape by Fraud: How Rachel Grayson was conceived since John was Happily Married to Mary Grayson. Samantha Vanaver drugged and raped John after he became a Talon and kept the baby after she became pregnant.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: John's goal against the Court of Owls.
- Seduction-Proof Marriage: John and Mary's marriage is seduction proof, and Samantha resorts to Rape by Fraud to have sex with John Grayson.
- Stalker with a Crush: Richard, Mary's ex-boyfriend is this for both Mary and Dick, just like in Nightwing (Rebirth). John hates him for it.
- Sympathetic Adulterer John had an affair with Tony Zucco's first wife Meili Lin, but she was miserable in her marriage so it's considered sympathetic on John's part. The affair was before he was married to Mary so he wasn't cheating on her.
- Trophy Child: What Samantha Vanaver views Rachel Grayson as, but unlike the typical example of this trope, she's a constant reminder to Samantha that she was able to overpower the object of her lust, John Grayson, putting a wedge between him and Mary, straining their marriage.
- Villain Protagonist: John Grayson is the villain protagonist of the story, with his son Richard as the Hero Antagonist.
