Warning:This will be extremely violent, somewhat nasty, horrid language, and triggering. Whoever that doesn't discount may continue to read.

Disclaimer: They are not mine.

A Catch 22

"Every decision you make is a mistake"

-Edward Dahlberg

Robin was sitting in the common room flipping through channels when the screen fizzled and then changed to a dark link.

"Slade," Robin growled, standing instantly, "What do you want?"

Slade smiled indulgently, though you couldn't see it through his mask and spoke, "It's not actually a question of what I want Robin, but rather what you want."

Robin narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Why don't I let you see for yourself," Slade stepped away, allowing a figure to come into view.

Robin's face contracted in horror as Raven came into view. But it was a different looking Raven. She was covered from head to foot in blood, and her usually intelligent looking eyes were dull. There were slightly glowing shackles on both of her wrists- Robin recognized them as a replica of those used by the Justice League to sedate magic-user prisoners.

"Raven!" Robin gasped, "Are you alright?"

Raven didn't say anything and she avoided looking at the screen. Slade moved back in front of the camera link, obscuring Raven. "What have you done to her?" Robin asked harshly through clenched teeth.

"If you want her back, then you must come and get her. Only you. If anyone else comes, than you can kiss your little birdie goodbye," Slade taunted, "We're in the warehouse. You should get here soon."

The screen fizzled and went back to the bright commercials. Robin paused, his heart pounding hard. He had to go get Raven, there was no other choice. The others were out, he had almost left with them. Hadn't Raven been in her room. What happened? Robin quickly got his gear together and he raced out of the Tower on his cycle.

The warehouse looked ill guarded and unused. Robin quickly made his way in, knowing full-well that this was a trap, but Raven... Her eyes had never looked that dead before.

Robin raced through empty corridors and rooms before finally reaching a large room with a single lit candle in it. He stopped and walked cautiously into the room and towards the candle. Nothing was moving. Suddenly a large dark stain on the wall caught his attention. He picked up the candle and moved towards it. Written in large letters in drying blood were the words, 'Look behind you.'

Robin tensed and then jumped to move forward when a steel booted foot punched him in the back. Robin flew forwards and hit the wall, the blood staining the back of his uniform."I told you to look behind you," said a dark figure that was emerging from the shadows.

Robin heard what Slade was saying, but he didn't really understand yet. His brain was off and his reflexes were on, fighting Slade was his only concern. He got back up to his feet and as he turned, flung a birdarang towards the villian.

Slade merely stepped to the side and the birdarang flew past harmlessly. "Silly boy," Slade spat as he disappeared into the shadows.

Robin jumped forward to try and grab Slade, but the man was gone. He searched around frantically, breathing hard and holding his aching face. A door appeared in front of Robin. He knew that he was being led further into a trap, but he didn't care. He needed to get to Raven. Robin opened the door and stepped inside.

There she was, slumped against a wall, her blue cloak wrapped around her, bloody and raw. She looked so defeated. "Raven!" Robin hurried over to her and reached out with both hands to touch the shackles around her pale wrists.

Instantly Raven jerked back, panic in her eyes. "Don't touch them!" she rasped.

"Raven, it's me!" Robin said pulling back his hands a bit.

Tears filled Raven's wide and confused eyes. "Don't touch them!" she begged.

Raven begging..."Raven, I'm just going to get these shackles off," Robin explained gently, reaching out and putting his hands on the cold hard metal.

A sudden spike of ice hit his hands where they were connected with the metal and he jumped back with a curse. The voice of Slade suddenly appeared again. "Getting the bracelets off will be a little trickier than that, dear boy."

Thick wire hooks reached out and pulled Robin to the wall, holding him in place by his ankles and wrists. Robin struggled harshly, but all he was rewarded with was bleeding skin. "Why are you doing this, Slade?" Robin shouted.

Slade walked out of the shadows and ignored Robin, going instead to Raven. Raven seemed to sense him approaching and she cowered even deeper onto the ground. He payed no attention, and grabbing her wrist with a vice like grip he yanked her into a standing position.

"Robin, I thought that I might show you something that you can enjoy," Slade called lazily.

He was holding a whip in one hand and with the other, he roughly yanked Raven's cloak off so she was standing instead, wearing only her leotard. Slade turned and looked Robin directly in the eyes, "She's taking your punishment," he explained softly, before turning and cracking the whip on Raven's still form.

The whip licked over her body and bit into the pale uncovered flesh of her back. Robin felt the echo of the pain through his bond that he shared with Raven. It was not a conscious bond, but rather a bond that occured when the two were both reaching out for each other at the same moment.

Raven's body shuddered with the pain of it, and she sank forward. Slade grabbed her by the hair, "No no no...We're not nearly finished."

Raven struggled to hold herself upright. Robin struggled to break free, "Stop this! Why are you doing this?"

Slade cracked the whip again and another bleeding welt scarred Raven's skin, "Because I enjoy your pain," Slade said, raising the whip once more.

After twenty hits with the whip, Raven was bleeding, crying and trembling from the blood loss and pain. Slade hit her again and despite her best efforts, she sank. Slade dropped the whip and stood over her. "Oh, I see that you like being on your back instead. Well, I've got something to help remedy that as well."

Slade turned and looked at Robin who seething, his arms dripping with the blood that he caused with his repeated struggles. He was shaking with rage and helplessness. Slade moved until he was behind Raven, keeping his eyes on Robin's face the entire time, and then grabbed her by the hair and placed a knife under her chin. Robin froze.

"Robin, I've got a little bargain for you. You have the option of stopping this. All of her pain, is because of you. It would be easy for you stop it...so easy," Slade murmered yanking her head up by twisting her hair cruelly.

"What do you want?" Robin managed to say through his tightly clenched teeth.

Slade smiled to himself, with the expression of a cat who had cornered a mouse. "The only way that I'll let Raven walk out of here alive, is if you fuck her."

Robin froze completely, his movements, his breathing, his heart. He was at a complete loss for words, unable to reply at all. Slade continued, "You fuck her, I'll let both of you go. You don't, and I'll kill her and let you go. Those shackles will drain her should you choose to wait," Slade paused and smiled, "You know you want to."

Robin managed to find his voice for a moment, "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"I need Raven, Robin. Her father also needs her. She is his way into this world," Slade lost his smile for a moment, "There are...reasons. I can assure you of that."

Robin shook his head, "No, we defeated him, he's dead."

"Do you really think that you can kill a demon, Robin? I thought you were smarter than that," Slade ran a hand down Raven's nearly unconscious face, "As long as she is of use to him, than she can be alive. But if not, than we kill her."

"What does this have to do with me?" he burst out.

Slade sighed, "We need the child. We need your child. Raven's almost out of it, she won't remember. The child, she will think is mine," Slade's expression turned to that of distaste, "Though I'm not really one for such crimes."

Robin clenched his fists as he further struggled. "Once she's pregnant, than you'll have nine months Robin," Slade continued. "Nine months to plan and...and hope. You do that well, don't you? Or else you can say no, and her blood will soak through the floor and you can begin your lifetime of regret."

Raven's eyes fluttered closed. Robin flexed his arms against the bonds. He wouldn't be able to make it in time. There was no way that he could win this fight.

Slade pressed the knife deeper into Raven's throat and a thin line of blood flowed down her body.

"What's your answer Robin? Yes? Or No?"

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