A/N: This completely ignores Apprentice Pt. 2.
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. All characters go to their respectful owners. I only own this story.
Mirrored
Robin hides in the shadows of the building. He knows he shouldn't be here; he should be with his friends, but Slade tells him what to do now, and right now, Slade is telling him to steal.
"I have been searching for an apprentice. And I've chosen you. Congratulations."
Slade isn't Robin's favorite person in the world, but when his friends are threatened, he'll do anything for the villain. But Robin doesn't see Slade as the villain, not really. To him, Slade is more of a mentor—a cruel mentor, but a mentor nonetheless. The entire time Robin has been working for him, Slade has only tired to help him become stronger. Sure, sometimes that requires a swift kick in the stomach to get him to listen, but Robin is known for his smart-mouth.
They've come to an agreement, now: Slade gets what he wants stolen if, once a week, he allows Robin to go against him in a fair fight. After all, Robin thinks, how else is he supposed to determine how much stronger he needs to be to defeat Slade? Slade knows why Robin does it, and he approves; they have that push-and-pull relationship that never ceases. When Robin learns a new move, Slade learns to dodge it faster.
Stealing an insignificant token every week seems like a fair trade for learning to defeat an enemy that has followed him for a lifetime. Besides, Robin doesn't think stealing is all that bad.
"You're going to keep getting that thrill, Robin."
Robin has never told anyone, and he'll never admit to it, but there's something about the idea that he's not allowed to be caught that excites him. As a child, he always loved the game hide-and-seek, but he had never thought anything of it. Now, he knows that it was a warning; but he thinks nothing of it. The past is the past. Right now, he's living in the present, stealing for Slade, and loving every minute of it.
His friends won't understand if he tells them that the thought of stealing someone's freedom or ability to do evil is what keeps him going. Sure, he is happy to keep the city safe, but everyone is interested in self-service. No one does anything out of the good for others unless they get something out of it; Robin is no different.
"You don't have to act like Slade."
That's what his friends tell him whenever he has to confront them. He would like to tell them that he isn't acting like Slade, that he's still Robin, but he knows that if he tells them that, he'll lose his friends forever. Even if he works for Slade, Robin knows they will never be anything more than master and apprentice. So Robin holds on to his friends, even if they don't see him as a Titan anymore: he's gone against them far too many times.
Raven was the first to give up on him, though Robin understands: she is not guided by false hope and wishes, even if Robin has always viewed her as the most hopeful, she's still a realist. Cyborg was next after he realized Raven was right, and Beast Boy followed days after. Starfire was the last to give up on him, and Robin is still grateful for that, but he knows they no longer pull their punches when they fight him. Robin still pulls his, though, because he doesn't want to be the cause of their demise. He may work for Slade, but he's not as cruel as him.
"Come now, Robin. You don't even trust them; you've never trusted your friends."
When Slade had first said that, Robin had attempted to punch him in the face and ended up with a black eye. But he understands now, and he knows Slade is right. After all, if Robin trusted his friends, he wouldn't be in this situation. However, that doesn't mean Robin isn't taking advantage of how things have turned out. He made the decision to sneak out as Red X and not tell a soul, and now he has gained a 'partnership' with the man he has worked so hard to get close to. Even if Robin no longer has the support of his friends, he doesn't wish he could change anything. He'd said from the very beginning that he worked alone, and he doesn't go back on his word. To him, the Titans had been his back up if he failed to perform a job, but they had failed him too many times, and he had learned to not rely too heavily on them.
"All you care about you destroy."
Robin knows this fact well. He'd cared about his mentor, and his family, and everything else that had been destroyed. So he has learned not to care. He's distanced himself from everyone so they won't get hurt. Now, when Robin confronts his friends, he feels no remorse. He does not feel nostalgia for the days that he and the Titans were a team. Robin isn't a Titan anymore; maybe he never was. He's not sure what he should call himself now; 'Slade's apprentice' has never sounded appealing, even if Slade frequently calls him that. No, Robin would consider himself to be 'Nightingale,' now. He's outgrown the name that was been given to him at a younger age. The Robin others know is long gone; he's dropped the act that he has kept up for so long.
Slade has been right about many things that he has told Robin. He's been right about Robin's friends, his feelings, even how he thinks. Even after working for Slade for several months, Robin still hasn't found one argument to Slade's latest comment about he being a cold killer.
Robin can't agree with Slade yet, seeing as he's yet to kill anyone; but he's sure Slade will have him do it soon. And Robin will be ready.
Slade has hardened the soft, innocent teenage boy that Robin once was. He's the reason Robin is standing in front of his old friends right now, about to face-off again for the third time this week, without a trace of fear or regret.
"You're becoming more like me every second."
That's where Slade is wrong. Robin isn't becoming more like Slade; he's always been like him.
