"I thought you'd want to be present for this," Slade droned in his irritatingly calm voice, "You may recognize the mind control technology; it is Mad Mod's design. I don't usually like to associate with psychopaths, but they can be… useful."

Through the crystal clear transmission on the Titan's large screen in the main room, they could see exactly what was going on. Slade stood near a large control panel, his orange and black mask that split down the middle showing the triumph in his single eye. Robin, their fearless leader, was tied to a chair- to the legs at his ankles, his hands bound behind his back, and his torso tied to the back of the chair. Robin's face was distorted by a look of pure hate, his masked eyes narrowed to slits.

"You won't get away with this." Cyborg said suppressed anger evident in his voice.

"Oh, but I already have," replied Slade in that same calm voice, as if he was reading from cue cards. It always made him seem like he was in control of everything. Cyborg opened his mouth to say something, but Slade turned his back on the Teen Titans.

"Let's begin. 10%. Robin, will you join me?"

"Never. This is ridiculous," Robin snarled.

A pause. Slade turned the dial again on the control panel.

20%.

"Obey me."

"Not. A. Chance."

30%.

"Is it starting to work, Robin? Can you feel the chip taking over yet?"

"No, and it never will."

40%.

"How about now, boy?"

Robin didn't say anything, but gritted his teeth. He was starting to feel the pressure.

50%.

"Robin, you can't hold out forever," Slade said, his voice now sounding like a beckoning.

Robin could feel how easy it would be just to give in; he could clearly see the downhill from here. But, no. He would never, never let Slade win. Sweat started to bead on his forehead.

60%.

"Give in. Do it."

Robin couldn't trust himself to speak, so instead he spat in Slade's direction.

70%.

"You'll regret doing that, boy. You will surrender. Oh," Slade purred as an afterthought, "and call me Master."

"Ye-. N-No!" Robin let out an aggravated noise. He hated losing. The Teen Titans didn't dare make a sound, afraid of breaking Robin's concentration. They were all leaning forward a bad feeling churning their guts, fear clenching their hearts in a vise.

80%.

"I didn't think you would make it this far. Congratulations."

Robin was physically shaking with the effort of holding on. But his hate for this man kept him going.

90%.

"90%, Robin. That's my boy. Holding out until the bitter end, and we both know how this is going to end, Robin." the smirk in Slade's voice was evident, even if you couldn't see it.

"NO!" roared Robin. He bit his lip, the chair now rattling and the sweat pouring down his face from the exertion.

One. Hundred. Percent.

"It's over, Robin. You can't resist. Even if you can, it wouldn't last forever. You would soon tire, and in that moment I would take over anyway. Why prolong the inevitable? Give. In."

Letting out a pained moan Robin didn't think he could take it anymore. The Titans were practically biting their nails, and were in fact huddled very close together. This was nerve wracking. Seeing their leader put under this amount of intense… torture was unbearable. Like a horror movie, they couldn't stand what they were seeing, but they couldn't look away either.

"You would like giving me control, Robin. You wouldn't have to be so torn all the time. It would be easier to let me do the thinking. You know what I want to hear."

I will not let Slade win. I will not let Slade win. Slade. Will. Not. Wi-, Robin didn't get to finish the thought.

A small bird-like sound escaped Starfire's mouth. It came through on the transmission. Robin looked up, concern on his face. In that moment of distraction, his focus wasn't on keeping the chip out of his mind. A wave of compelling washed over Robin threatening to drown him in its persuasiveness. Robin couldn't take it anymore. With a groan that sounded like a morbidly tired person being hit by a bus, Robin did the unthinkable. He let go. The mind control chip quickly took advantage of his release in concentration. The Titans saw his body go slack, then Robin looked up.

"Yes, Master."

The Titans gasped. Starfire began to weep silently. Beast Boy awkwardly comforted her, and Raven put her hood up and turned away from the screen. Cyborg just stood there in shock. How could Robin ever utter those words without dying? But then again, Cyborg thought, that wasn't their friend talking anymore. It was only the chip, which caused Robin's body to do whatever Slade said.

"Good boy."

The screen turned dark.