Will to Live
By: Miraclewhiped
Disclaimer: Teen Titans is not mine.
Corruption
A mangled arm was draped over his crimson chest in an unnatural fashion resembling a crumpled towel. A pool of blood was seeping from him with a prolonged slowness. His raven hair was wet from sweat, dirt, and blood; his eyes were concealed by a lensed mask-one side broken from an impact revealing a blue eye
Blood flowed freely, despite his attempts to impede it. "Arrgg-(Huff)!" His pained gasp was cut by a shortness of his breath-ribs threatening to pierce his resisting lungs. The pain was slowly overcoming his vision, blood loss overcoming his will; he was dying.
Normally this would not concern the masses, another hero would fill his place just like how every villain taken down was in increasingly numbers supplemented. But this wasn't just some hero, this was The Robin- only one of the most high profile heroes (excuse me sidekicks) aside from the eight founders of the Justice League; as the leader of another hero team and a public idol in the eyes of many. Yes that Robin- the original boy wonder- bordering sixteen, but only barely. With a sad realization Robin wondered how his friends and his family would take his death.
'Cyborg, Raven, Beastboy…Starfire.' With a burst, he forced air into his lungs and rolled to his knees and struggled to get his good arm to clench round his pocket communicator, blood loss making him feel distant and weak. 'Alfred….Barbara…Bruce'. His hand shook from the strain and he dropped the communicator, rolling several feet in to the dark of the warehouse.
Cursing his luck and the intense pain searing his body he began crawling, one arm huddled against his chest in the direction it went.
A light vibration drummed against the floor lighting itself up like a beacon… a tall figure poised above it.
Robin stilled.
"I am astounded by your will to live; it's what makes you such a perfect contradiction to society. It's what makes you such thorn in my side. You've seen with your own how the world holds the heroes who sacrificed their lives for them…. Mocked….. You are all just a big joke to them." The sardonic tone is complemented by the voice, clinging like velvet to his skin.
Robin is silent for Superman, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow… all dead. All at the hands of a Cadmus praised now for 'Removing the thumb of superheroes from over the world.' The monsters had murdered the Man of Steel and bragged… with no retaliation, until the Titans made a legal accusation. And been publically shunned and banned from hosting 'operations' in Jump City.
"So what's the little hero going to do? You're as much of a hero as I am now in their eyes, in the eyes of the law just your little mask is enough for incarceration now." The sheen of orange against black was laughing at the irony of the situation. Maybe it was a sign of his mental state but Robin wanted to laugh too.
Not that legality was necessary for vigilantism, but the public pariahs were hard-pressed as the legal system failed. As the Justice League demanded justice, as they sought it for themselves. As they earned a complete and utter break down of all vigilantism.
"Are you listening, or have you finally learned patience." A rhetorical question if there ever was one.
Japan had been similar hosting false villains for the takedown to gratify a fearfully complacent public, while the real villains were behind the line of power- in offices and in cop stations.
Cool and relaxed steps strode powerfully over to his form. He swung back his leg preparing a kick aimed for his ribs…
The real villains were in power now and unlike Brain and the Brotherhood their plans were more subtle when exterminating heroes.
"You're right Slade." With the final piece of his fragile innocence and belief shed in good.
The kick stopped mid-blow. Slade straightened, glowing with pride.
"I have never lied to you Robin and you would've realized this earlier if you weren't trying to save people who are doomed to destroying themselves anyway."
Six months and counting since everything fell apart. Two years since committing crimes for the sake of the public and his friends. Five minutes from making a decision that would create the path the future would take.
"What do you plan to do?" It was perhaps the most honest and unguarded question he'd ever asked the criminal. And despite it all just saying it made him feel vulnerable and responsible for whatever he was considering not stopping, whatever Slade was planning.
"Why, Robin…nothing."
"…but…" His face scrunched in confusion.
"At least without a trades…no bargains…no heroics…just plans and destruction."
Robin had made a lot of bad choices in his life, mistakes. Not knowing when to stop, not knowing where the line of good and evil was, not knowing where intentions got lost in crime.
But he knew where this was…and it wasn't good. It'd mean rejecting everything Bruce had ever taught him…It's mean rejecting Bruce and his friends and embracing the lessons he found himself falling into…lessons that got him arrested in Japan for murder….lessons from Slade.
But Bruce….
Bruce was still fighting, he still had Hope. He was holding together the resistance of heroes—intent on doing the "right thing." Robin didn't know if there was a right thing anymore, but doing Bruce's "right thing" was killing off heroes quickly and his friends were next… he could feel it.
So when he'd come here he already knew how it would play out, at least subconsciously. He'd come to ask for advice from the only other mentor he had—a man who was everything he feared to become. He was asking for reassurance much like he did with Bruce the night he'd faced Tony Zucco...when he realized he couldn't really get vengeance and that he'd never not crave revenge.
He honestly hadn't intended on being swayed of or liking the idea that was forming. Joining with Slade, becoming a villain.
He'd play the villain…no…He'd be the villain. If it meant fixing the world. If it meant saving his friends. Making enough havoc to stop the sheading of innocent blood by misguided people.
"O..o…kcc" whatever he was going to say died on his lips as he fell into merciful unconsciousness.
Slade's eye wondered to the trail of blood left by the child, his Apprentice in name only, for now. The pain finally overtook the small teen, he had been without pain since he'd been distracted again, and his body slumped.
"Oh yes, what shall you do. I suppose I'd better clean up this mess you've made," Slade tisked but it wasn't the blood all around the warehouse floor he was referring to. He picked up the boy and gracefully balanced him on one arm as he picked up the communicator. Still vibrating impatiently. But his mind wasn't on the Titan's com. Nor on the boy in his arms. But on plans…plans for the future…and plans from the past.
Who said villains have no subtley in triumph?
And monster walked out of the warehouse, with all the intentions of making another monster out of Robin. And breaking the world even more.