Christmas Eve.
Robin is shaken awake at 8:00 am as if it were Christmas morning already. The team heads out early to find the perfect tree. Robin's too tired to care, he was up all night thinking about Slade. His friends insisted that he let it go, just for Christmas. But Robin believed that it didn't matter what holiday it was, he could still be up to something.
After they find the perfect tree, they head out to the mall for a few hours of shopping. Star leads the way as the only enthusiastic one besides beast boy. Raven is in utter misery like usual. It always irritated Robin how utterly miserable she always was. He hung out with Cyborg the whole time who was rambling on about the T-car and what attachments he was hoping to receive as Christmas gifts. Robin had already finished his Christmas shopping and had gotten Cy the very parts he was just rambling about.
At the mall, Starfire and Beastboy had gotten the idea to have a gingerbread cook-off. Everyone would be on their own to try and cook the best gingerbread house in the team. Star didn't know what a gingerbread house was but took to the idea immediately. Cyborg would probably end up making a gingerbread car, and raven was actually an amazing cook, but would rather die than admit to it. She probably won't even participate. While they were at the grocery store on the way home Robin just got some Gingerbread and icing, believing that it should at least satisfy.
Star won the Gingerbread Cook-off with her 26ft high leaning tower of some place from her home planet. It looked like a huge house of cards, swaying and dripping with green homemade icing. As predicted, Cyborg attempted to make a car, but it ended up looking like a lopsided double-wide. Robin didn't quite get a good look at Beastboy's. He ate his own creation before he got a chance. And as for him, his gingerbread house was a simple block held together with icing and a big "R" written on top. He later splurged the rest of the icing he had on it after they could finally eat it.
Later, Robin complained of a stomach ache from all the icing and insisted that he go to bed. This gave the others the idea that the sooner they got to bed the sooner Christmas would come. Not a few minutes later everyone said goodnight.
11:00 pm
"Robin…"
Robin had just curled up in his bead and thought he had gone too sleep when he heard it.
"Robin…"
He REALLY didn't want to get up, but he could tell that it was Slade honing in on his communicator.
"I know you're awake, Robin."
With too much effort and a complete lack of motivation, Robin flung his arm to the bedside table and grabbed the communicator.
"What do you want, Slade?"
"Get up."
"It's Christmas, cant you take a goddamned break for once!?"
"GET UP Robin. You don't know what's at stake."
"FINE."
He should have known that Slade would have something to blackmail him with. Robin tumbled out of bed and stood up.
"There, I'm up."
"Get dressed."
"Yes, mother."
Robin felt his way in the dark towards his dresser and pulled out his uniform.
"Not that, Robin."
"What the hell do you want me to wear!?"
"I do hope you own something… normal."
"Yes, I do."
He fingered around a few more drawers until he pulled out what he hoped was his favorite pair of jeans and a black hoodie. He threw them on, still half asleep in the pitch darkness, and reached for his communicator again.
"Look Slade, seeing as YOUR responsible for me being hardly conscious, your gonna have to walk me through getting to wherever the hell you want me to go. Cause I aint getting there myself."
"Understandable."
"Good. Now, where to?"
"Leave your bedroom."
Robin stumbled out into the hall. After that Slade basically lead him to their garage and instructed him to take his R Cycle down to the city park.
"You want me to drive?" Robin yawned.
"Do you want to know the consequences at stake if you don't."
"Yes, as a matter of fact I would."
"Well that's too bad, you'll have to wait. Now drive."
He drove. So regretting having worn just a hoodie, it was freezing, and the whole 'riding a motorcycle' shindig didn't help either. He pulled into the city park finally and got off the R-cycle, taking a few paces ahead rubbing his arms.
"Okay, now what?"
"Now, there's a man sitting in the bench facing 27th. Do you see him?"
He looked. "Yeah."
"He will tell you what your next step is. From now on you're on your own."
"What?"
…
"Slade?"
No response.
"Goddamn it."
He looked back at the man sitting at the bench under the streetlight, he could see his breath billowing from where he was. It was cold. He walked toward the bench, taking a seat next to the man. He was pretty normal looking, shirt, blazer, slacks, messy brown hair, tired face.
"Your next step is over thin ice." The man said.
"What?"
He got up and walked away.
"Hey! Get back here! Do you work for Slade!?"
It was too late; the man disappeared into the blackness. The last thing Robin saw of him was his last cloudy breath.
Robin considered calling his friends for help, but remembered that there was something at stake and Slade never wanted the whole team involved in anything. Just him, odd…
He sat there and thought for a moment. Thin ice? Where does he want me to go? Ice skating?
Precisely. There's a lake in town that freezes over during the winter and they use it for Ice-Skating. He knew it couldn't be at some rink, those don't have thin ice spots, and it's likely that the thin spots will have warning markers around them.
Robin was kind of proud he figured it out and headed off for the lake without another moments hesitation.
He could tell from the moment that he pulled up to the lakeshore that there was something sitting on the ice near the center; it looked like a large box. However there were no thin ice markers and Robin soon noticed that they had been gathered and cast aside on the other edge of the lake. He knew this was probably Slade's doing.
Slowly but surely Robin made his way across the lake toward the large box. His metal boots made the trip a slippery one. He was close enough now to the box that he could tell it was a gift box, wrapped with a bow and everything. He couldn't help but realize how strange this all was.
One more step, that's all that was left to reach it when he heard a loud, deep crack that echoed fatally throughout the city. He was only a finger length away now. It cracked again; he could feel it under his feet begin to give. Just another inch. He stretched his arm as far as it would go, his finger brushed the tag. "To: Robin, From: S."
Finally, he snatched the box and jumped away with a bang as the ice finally broke and he narrowly missed falling into the icy cold water.
"Who's out there!?" Someone called, pointing a flashlight at Robin from the lakes edge about 20 meters away.
He wasn't wearing his uniform and no one would recognize him. Who ever that was would think he was just some kid getting into trouble or something. Robin took the box and ran towards the other side of the lake, hiding behind a tree.
A few moments passed and the man with the flashlight was still snooping around the lake, he could hear him cursing about the broken ice. Robin examined the box.
It was wrapped with green paper with a red bow. He tore it open to reveal a simple brown box. He opened that and found… another brown box. He opened that one, tossing the other away, and there was another box inside it.
"Damn."
He continued opening every box to reveal a smaller box inside it like a Russian doll. Finally he reached a small enough box that he was certain that another one couldn't fit inside it. He ripped it open and there was a small book inside. It was a hard-cover copy of "The Count of Monte Cristo."
"What the hell?"
He flipped through the pages. Near the center a slip of paper fell out. He grabbed it and read: "30 Minutes."
That was it. Still confused, Robin looked through the book again. On the inside of the back cover there was a piece of paper glued with various dates stamped on it. Now he knew it was a library book. He saw the last date stamped on the very bottom of the paper.
It was today's date.
He guessed that he has a half an hour to return this book to the library. He still doesn't know what for. That bugged him. Then again it's not like this is too difficult or anything. Slade's asked him to do much more dangerous things.
Leaving all the boxes under the tree, Robin headed back to his R-cycle. About ten minutes later he pulled into the library. Closed, of course, but there were bins outside of the building that were meant for dropping off books. He made his way to the bins; about three of them all lined up against the wall, and immediately noticed a piece of paper tapped to the mouth of one of them, whipping in the breeze.
He snatched it off the bin and dropped the book in.
'7332 Madison Dr.
15 min.'
He glanced at his watch, it was right, only fifteen minutes had passed.
How the hell does he do that?
With no other choice, Robin got back on his R-cycle and headed over to 7332 Madison Dr.
It was a small café restaurant, the lights were still on and it was empty. The only person inside was an old man, gathering his things. Robin pulled in and hopped off his motorcycle as quickly as he could to make sure that he reached it the man before he left.
He caught the old man just as he was locking the doors, a cap stuffed under his arm.
"Hey! Hey wait!" Robin called running up to him.
"Eh?" The old man looked down at him through his low-riding spectacles. "What are you doing out here so late, son? Why dontcha head on home."
"But.."
"Go home, son. Were closed."
"No, I can't. You see, I…"
The old man looked hard at him and winked. "Head on home, now." He said and walked away, twisting his cap on his head.
Home? He wants me to go home? SHIT! HOME!
Robin had been away from the tower for almost an hour. (It'll be an hour by the time he gets back) Who knows what Slade would be capable of doing to the tower for the past hour?
All of this goddamned work was just a distraction! I can't believe I fell for it!
Knowing Robin and how frustrated he gets when he screws up the drive home was quite reckless. Not to take into account that he was freezing now more than ever, tired as hell, and it was starting to snow. A few times during a sharp turn and while speeding he slipped on the icy road and his motorcycle fell on its side, scraping his leg up. This didn't stop him, he continued on determined as ever.
Upon entering the garage he realized that he made another mistake. On his way out (being led every step of the way by Slade on the communicator) he had left every door he went through wide open.
Just as he pulled in and didn't bother to pop the kickstand to his R-cycle letting it fall over he communicator buzzed again.
"Robin? Friend Robin? Where are you? There has been a burglary. Robin? AHHHHH!"
beeeeeeep
It was Star.
Cursing uncontrollably Robin ran through all the doors and passageways he left open and burst into the main room.
"SURPRISE!!!!"
With every light on and every Christmas decoration multiplied by ten the entire team stood in front of the door popping party crackers and cheering for him.
"Merry Christmas, friend Robin!" Said Star, clearly unharmed.
"What!? What's going on!?"
"Dude, we totally tricked you!" Cheered Beastboy.
"You… You mean-"
"Yeah, dude. We decided to hold a surprise party for you to make up for forgetting your birthday…"
"Yeah, were still sorry bout that by the way." Cyborg added.
"We even got Slade in on it!" BB stepped back to reveal Slade himself sitting at their kitchen table. He gave Robin a short wave of his communicator.
"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE!?" Robin yelled. Shocked.
"It's Christmas, Robin." Slade said, calmly. "Can't I 'take a goddamned break'?"
"Not to worry, Robin. We're all friends on Christmas!" Star stated, elatedly.
Everyone echoed, "That's right!" Save for Slade.
Still uncooperative about Slade being present, his friends insisted that Robin still participate in all the party games. Ruling out "Pin the tail on the donkey" (suggested by Starfire and found greatly offensive by Beastboy) they went with Cyborg's idea of a video game tournament.
Robin was doing quite well and was really excited when he defeated both Cyborg and Beastboy. Then Slade grabbed a controller and started mercilessly whopping ass. The last game of the tournament was between him and Robin and went on for so long that the rest of the team weeded out to the kitchen from boredom.
After a while Robin paused the matched complaining of aching thumbs. He never could have imagined himself sitting on his couch and playing video games with Slade. It was funny that Robin lounged on the couch, leaning back and slouching like this was where he felt most comfortable in the world and was totally letting his guard down and Slade sat on the couch with his feet planted on the floor, leaning forward, his back straight and his arms against his knees, real tense. It made sense that he would seem out of place, though.
"How the hell did you learn to play like that?" Robin asked, rubbing his thumbs.
"All these video games are the same." Slade replied.
"Of course they are." Robin retorted, sarcastically.
Out of the chattering they heard from the kitchen Star screamed, "ROBIN!!" She ran to him in a panic. "Robin. Robin, what's mistletoe!?"
"Um…" Cyborg, Beastboy, and Raven were behind them, laughing. "Well, you see… how do I…"
Slade gave Star the "come here" signal with his finger and when she got there whispered something in her ear.
"AHHHHH!!" She shrieked and ran out the door to probably her bedroom.
"What did you tell her?" Robin asked.
"You really want to know?" Slade gave him the finger signal as well and Robin leaned towards him. Slade just got close to Robin's ear when he suddenly changed his mind and decided to bite his neck.
WTF!? MASK!?
Robin awoke with a start, clutching his chest in the pitch-blackness of his bedroom. He looked around, nothing but his analog clock beaming "12:00 am".
A dream? Of course it was a dream. Why would my friends let Slade into the tower like that? And why would he…
"Robin…"
Shit…
In a wave of sheer terror Robin was afraid that his nightmare would become a reality. He grabbed his communicator.
"What?" He stopped and clicked the communicator a few more times impatiently.
What the… is this thing even on?
Slade switched on his bedside lamp.
"Merry Christmas, Robin."