A New Apprentice
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, or any of its characters.
An: This is short. I guess it's more of a prolouge. Next chapter will be longer.
Chapter 1: No happy endings
Things hadn't gone as planned. Not at all. After all his efforts, and all the time he'd spent, it had all been in vain. The boy would not cooperate. Things always ended up getting out of hand, which usually resulted in broken bones.
Robin had spent more time healing than anything else. It was the boys fault Slade was forced to take it so far. He just wouldn't listen.
This went on for months until finally...he gave up. His dreams of Robin fighting by his side, were replaced by nightmares of the boy betraying him. And he would not take the chance of that ever happening. Perhaps one day he would find a new apprentice. Someone with Robins skill, but with a more impressionable mind.
Once he decided this, he had to decide what to do with the boy. He refused to return him. No. The Titans would not have a happy ending. Even if Slade had not 'won', he would not entirely 'lose' either. Killing him was always an option. But no. Slade was rather fond of the boy. So he kept him. He fed him and clothed him, but did little else. The more time that went by, the less attention Robin recieved.
Especially once Slade found a new apprentice.
His name was Vincent. He was a gang member that Slade had found beaten in an alleyway. He was two years older than Robin and a few inches taller as well.
Dirty blonde hair. Tan. Athletic build. Perhaps, not as 'cut' as Robin. But he'd be chiseled out of rock when Slade was done with him. And Slade was having the time of his life, being able to train a 'willing' apprentice. Vincent hung on his every word. He looked up to him. As far as the boy was concerned, Slade was a 'God'. He'd never seen anyone so fast or strong. Slade's ego was growing at an incredible rate while having him around.
Slade had gone almost a year before finding him. It was all too easy to coax him into an apprenticeship after he'd been almost beaten to death by his own friends. The boy had probably felt weak and the thought of training and becoming stronger would certainly have appealed to anyone at that point...little did he know that it had been Slade's influence that had caused his friends to beat him.
As for Robin, his days were rather uneventful. Now that Slade spent all of his time with Vincent, Slade's Butler and trusted friend, Wintergreen, took it upon himself to look after the boy. He had a hell of a mess to pick up, once Slade was done with him. Slade had done everything he could think of before giving up. Robin had been Starved, beaten, Isolated...and just plain tortured. Towards the end, Slade would just take out his frustration on him, beating him until he couldn't move.
It took a while for Robin to have any kind of human contact after that. But Wintergreen had tried hard, and eventually got the boy talking again. The old man was now Robin's best friend. He provided him with clothes, food and entertainment. Robin had been extremely greatful the day he recieved a pack of playing cards. Unfortunately, he didn't remember how to play anything. But he invented his own games and played happily. He was also given crayons and paper to draw. Robin sometimes spent the entire day trying to draw pictures of his old friends. But he could never get it right. He just could't picture them in his head.
Robin had changed quite drastically over the past two years, both physically and mentally. He was so pale, he looked sickly on a daily basis. And although Wintergreen kept him well kept and groomed, his once lushious, sheen black hair, was now spotted with white patches, due to extreme moments of stress. He'd lost a drastic amount of weight from the time Slade had ignored him. Wintergreen was now trying to put that weight back on.
Mentally, he was entirely a different person. Slade's influence had definately taken its toll. Every once in a while, Wintergreen would spot new bruises on the boy. These came from Robin himself. He had become extremely self-loathing, and sometimes went through periods of self-mutilation. He also went through crying spells, where he'd cry for whatever reason. He had severe panic attacks. These were only brought on when another person was with him, sometimes feeling threatened or uncomfortable.
Every once in a while, Slade would ask about Robin. More out of curiousity then concern. Usually it went:
"The brat still alive?"
"Yes sir."
"Hmmph."
And that would be the end of it.
Actually the less Slade thought of Robin the better. Wintergreen often cringed at the thought of what would happen if Robin had to see Slade again. He knew it was only a matter of time.
AN: What did you think? Let me know-unless you hated it, then be quiet ;P. Next chapter: Out of the shadows