A/N- So I started writing this over 2 years ago and never got past the first chapter. I apologize. Thanks for staying along for the really, really long ride. I have already started writing the third chapter and some bits and pieces the day of this posting. I plan to keep up with it. If you notice any errors, feel free to PM rather than leaving a review "oh you misspelled blah blah".

Colors moved around in the shape of blobs in Robin's eyes so he kept them closed while he tried to figure out what was going on. The main light above him; a bright white light, was the only thing that stood still. He could feel that he was strapped down to something, but he wasn't sure if it was real or not. He remembered drinking the night before. Did he die? The cold air was definitely real as it caused goosebumps to form all over his body. A small sound; maybe distant, maybe in his ear, emerged from the left. It sounded like the beep his alarm clock made. That's it! He was dreaming!

"Hello, Robin." An all too familiar voice emerged from the left.

Just kidding, he was having a nightmare.

Robin opened his eyes. "Slade."

"Hold still." Slade grabbed his arm as he felt a poke from an unseen needle.

"AHHH!" Robin screamed, now fully awake. "What the hell Slade? What was that?"

"Nothing, just something to completely wake you up."

The boy groaned in both annoyance and frustration. His head was pounding to the point where Robin felt as if he were going to pass out. Not positive, but it looked like he was on top of a gurney in a hospital room. The beeping was coming from the heart monitor next to his bed. He tried to think back to how he may have arrived, but the last thing he could remember was drinking in the kitchen. How was he here now with Slade? Did the Titans know?

"Oh, and happy late birthday Robin."

"You don't have the right to say that to me." Robin clenched his tied down fists while looking away from his captor.

Robin felt an immense amount of pain in his neck when he turned it. A scream escaped as he quickly snapped it back towards Slade.

"I could give you something to help with the pain, but I expect you to show a little more respect." Slade replied while circling the boy.

"Why does my neck hurt?"

"Too many questions."

"Yeah? Well here's an another." Robin knew better than to taunt the man, especially considering how he had no use over his limbs, but he couldn't think clearly yet. "Why am I here?"

"Because… you are mine."

Robin stopped dead. Not this again.

"Let me go, Slade! I need to get back to the Titans!"

Slade actually chuckled. "Don't worry, they are fine."

"I'm glad you're in such a good mood Slade, now untie me!" Robin was so preoccupied with his anger, he failed to realize the looks of interest Slade was giving him.

"I will untie you, under one condition." Slade began as he caressed the straps by Robin's ankles. "You skip the whole sob story and understand that you have no choice but to be my apprentice."

Robin shot the man an annoyed look. "What happens when I tell you no?"

"Want to find out?" Slade's look was icy, unlike one Robin had seen in awhile.

Robin was caught off guard by the threat and noticed that his head no longer hurt. An instant wave of relief was ended by the relentless wave of nervousness. Slade still had his hands on the ankle straps. Robin felt cornered and his breath hitched in his throat.

"I will unstrap you now. Behave, or you'll feel the pain you felt in your head and neck all over your body." Slade spoke sternly.

Although Robin could not see Slade's hands, he sure felt them. They gently slid across the skin around the straps on his ankles. A pop was heard as he undid them. Robin jumped at the touch of Slade as he moved his hands up the boy's thighs unto the strap around his waist. Another quick noise was heard and Robin could now fully expand his chest to breathe. Slade removed his hands and walked around the table to his left side. Robin glanced over defeated, though he wished he hadn't. He did not want to give Slade the satisfaction… at least not yet. The man didn't seem to notice; he was too busy opening Robin's clenched fist so he would inspect his fingers. Another pop. Slade walked around once again to his right and yet another pop was heard. Robin laid there silently.

"Sit up."

Robin blinked a few times. He had heard what the man said, yet his body wouldn't allow him to obey.

"Robin." Slade sighed.

"I c-can't." Robin's voice cracked. He could smack himself in the face.

"What did I say about skipping the sob story?"

Robin gulped and his legs finally let him hop up onto his feet. His neck was pulsating. "What did you give me?"

"In your neck? That's your microchip."

"Microchip?" Robin felt the small lump on the side of his neck.

"Yes. I'll explain later."

"No! You will explain now how I get this out of my neck!"

Slade stood still. "You don't command me to do anything, apprentice."

Robin donned a fighting stance and threw his fists up. Slade didn't flinch. Robin grinded his teeth together and let out a yelp as he made his way towards his enemy. Slade extended his arm and swung his balled fist at Robin's chin. Robin fell straight backwards onto his bottom.

"Robin, I am in no mood to fight you. Stand up and follow me."

Robin quickly stood up despite his head spinning and his balance off.

"You get a pass this time due to you being… foggy from the procedure." Slade eyed the boy. "The more you try to fight me or move too quickly, the longer it will take for the anesthesia to wear off."

Robin weighed his options. Slade was right in the sense of the harder he tried to concentrate, the harder it was to focus on anything other than his head pounding. There was no use fighting in this condition; his enemy had the upper hand.

"Follow me. Try anything and you'll wake up strapped down again." Slade spoke as he held his hands behind his back. "I'm going to show you something I've never shown another soul."

...

Starfire woke up next to Cyborg feeling warm and toasty from the fluffy gray blanket that was draped over them. She blinked slowly to adjust her eyes to the bright sunlight. She leaned over to see Raven quietly making tea in the messy kitchen. Cyborg was now awake and checking his battery status.

"Man, I don't know how I have more than half a charge. I can't believe I forgot to plug myself in." Cyborg closed his arm. "And it's two in the afternoon?"

"Don't feel bad. Beast Boy is still asleep." Raven called from the kitchen.

"What about Robin?" Starfire questioned her team. "I thought he was asleep on the ground."

Raven shrugged. "I will go get Beast Boy while you get Robin."

Starfire nodded and the three split up. Cyborg stayed in the living room and turned the TV on. Starfire passed Raven knocking on Beast Boy's door to reveal an extremely sleepy looking boy. She made her way down the hall to her boyfriend's room.

"Robin?" Starfire asked hopefully. "Robin, are you awake yet?"

The black out curtains in the room were drawn, making it incredibly dark for the sun being right up in the sky. The green sheet that was usually laying neatly on the bed was sprawled out on the floor along with a couple pillows. One of the drawers on the dresser was still hanging open to display a sleek black box with writing on it that Starfire had not seen before. She stepped carefully over the mess on the floor to reach and grab the box. Without realizing it was upside down and already opened, all of its contents had fallen out. She blushed when she realized they were, what people on Earth called, condoms. She instantly bent down to pick them up and stuffed them back into the box.

"Roooooobin? Where are you?"

Starfire glanced around to see an otherwise empty, normal room. She decided to go check the roof where she knew Robin spent some of his mornings. She passed Raven and Beast Boy once again and shrugged her shoulders.

"I did not find Robin." Starfire was still walking due to her emotions even though levitating was so much faster. "I am going up to the roof of the Tower to search for him."

The rooftop was bare to her disappointment. There was no sign that he had been up there at all this morning. She was starting to become worried that Robin was lost somewhere. She turned around and made her way back down to meet the team in the living room. When she arrived, an incoming call came across the TV for the Titans. They all exchanged glances. Raven declined the transmission.

"You guys saw him last." Beast Boy scratched his head nervously.

"I am not sure where he could have gone too." Starfire frowned.

"So you guys checked the usual places? His room and the roof?" Cyborg asked. "Where else could he be?"

Another transmission, probably the same one, tried to flash across the screen. It was once again declined by the Empath.

"Perhaps we should wait until we find Robin to go back to the fighting of the crime?" Starfire asked as she stood in front of her remaining three teammates.

"I want to find him as much as you do, Star." Cyborg replied to her. "I'm sure he didn't just disappear on us. But if somebody has him, we need to stay on the lookout. You guys kept looking for me when 'Fix It' had me at the dump, remember?"

"Actually we wasted time following Mumbo." Raven retorted.

"That's not our fault!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "We only followed him because we thought he had Cy."

"Raven has a point though. You all wasted time out looking and forgot to check the source." Cyborg let his hands drop to the side. "We need to thoroughly search the tower. Check all the entrances and the cameras to see if they picked anything up."

"I'll check the cameras." Raven levitated towards the doors.

"I'll see if I can sniff him out!" Beast Boy said right before he morphed into a green German Shepherd.

"I will check the security clearances to see if there are any holes or bugs in it." Cyborg made his way out quickly.

"I will check the living room where Robin was last seen." Starfire walked sadly towards the TV.

The couch was cluttered with blankets. She removed every single one hopefully to see if Robin was hiding underneath any of them. He was not. She plopped down on the couch and held her head in her hands. She glanced out the window to view the city they all banded together to protect. Despite the weather stating the day was going to be sunny, Starfire could see the storm clouds making their way above them.

...

Robin nodded and followed Slade out of the door. He was curious why Slade would trust him with such sensitive information so early. The door opened automatically when Slade stood in front of it, almost as if it had recognized him. He made a mental note to remember every turn they took and to memorize the layout of wherever they were. Two rights and a left later, they arrived to a large room with a single door but no windows.

The room was dark with the exception of the chemical test tubes that were illuminating light. There was a table full of scattered papers he assumed were notes. Next to that, a long wall rack containing every type of gun Robin had ever heard of. He took note of the smaller ones he knew personally. More papers. Robin glanced quickly from table to table… too much was going on at once.

"Why so many guns?" Robin found himself asking out of curiosity.

"Some of my jobs are more… demanding than others."

Robin shook his head. He knew Slade was really Slade Wilson, or known as Deathstroke the Terminator. He hadn't told his team yet; he found out by chance just weeks before and he wanted to wait for the right moment to unveil the news. They had not heard from Slade in awhile. Last time, they thought it was his last time.

"Those guns interest you?" Slade smirked underneath his mask.

"No. I don't use them. I don't kill people Deathstroke."

"Yet." Slade didn't respond to the name.

"What?" Robin whipped around the face his enemy.

"I said yet. You don't kill people… yet."

Robin looked at the man and rolled his eyes. Deep down he knew Slade wasn't joking. He was going to throw another jab when he stopped dead in his tracks. A single mask was laying on a table all by itself. A small, pitch black and see-through white mask. Robin's mask.

"What the hell Slade!" Robin clenched his fists together at his sides.

"The mask?" Slade asked innocently. "Don't worry, Dick, your secret is safe with me."

Robin's mouth fell. "What-how?"

"Mr. Wayne informed me."

"No, he would never!" Robin was livid and began to sweat.

"Boy, there's a lot you don't know about me."

Robin snapped. A kick to Slade's left shoulder, blocked. A punch at his chin, blocked. Another kick towards his chest, blocked. In the process of another thrown punch; blocked and pushed down to the ground.

"Anything else, or are you done?" Slade asked.

"What did you bring me in here to see?" Robin huffed while changing the subject. All that movement made him dizzy once again.

"You'll see." Slade led them to the door while Robin glanced back at his unreachable mask.

Slade's fingertips moved at the speed of light on the pin pad attached to the door. The door responded by revealing a dark hallway. Robin was reluctant to enter, but followed closely behind Slade. They walked for a good fifteen seconds before taking a sharp, unseen left turn to a blank chalkboard.

"Wow, really screams evil doesn't it?" Robin commented sarcastically.

"Robin, I will kill your friends. Do I make myself clear?"

Robin squinted his uncovered eyes at the man and nodded his head. "Yes."

"You missed something, Robin." Slade taunted. "Call me, Master."

Robin rolled his eyes. "Yes, Master."

Slade responded by patting Robin on his head as if he were a dog who finally learned a trick. Robin gritted his teeth in anger and tried to let it go.

"I've changed my mind." Slade spoke in an low voice. "I'll show you another day."

Robin opened his mouth to protest, but thought maybe this was a good thing and closed it back.

Slade began walking toward the way they had entered and led them out of the hallway completely. He typed on the pinpad once more and the door shut behind them. Robin was overwhelmed by Slade's threats and forgot to survey his surroundings. Damn.

"Are you hungry?" The man asked emotionlessly.

The question seemed unreal. Slade had never outright asked Robin anything like that before. When he was with Slade before, the man always brought him a tray and stayed to make sure he ate.

He answered a simple "No."

"You will eat in the morning. If you refuse, you won't get another chance for twenty four hours."

"Why do you care if I eat?"

"I don't want a weak, or better yet... dead apprentice."

Robin felt his stomach growl for food but chose to ignore it. "I'll ask again I guess… where are we?"

"My office building." Slade led Robin to a door that had stairs only going up.

"I didn't know you had a day job." Robin barely got the last word out before receiving a punch to the side of his face.

"Robin… stop making me hit your pretty face." Slade purred as he tilted the boy's chin upwards. "I will if I have to."

Robin tried to pull away but he had never been this close to Slade's face before. He could now make out the color in his single gray eye.

"I will show you to your room so you can sleep off the rest of your anesthesia." Slade let go. "It is in your best interest that you stay inside."

"I thought you said this was an office building?" Robin was actually confused.

"It is. One of many." Slade chuckled. "Now walk up the stairs."

Robin obeyed. He felt almost naked in his plain black shirt and green pants while walking in front of the fully suited man. His shirt smelled of cinnamon whiskey and his hair was sticking onto his forehead. The stare he felt on his body wasn't helping either. They approached a door and Slade stepped in front to open it. It revealed yet another hallway full of ominous doors.

"Your room is the first door on the right." Slade stopped walking and crossed his arms against his copper and black chest.

Robin turned to look at the man as he turned the door handle and pushed it open. He continued to watch his captor until the door clicked shut. Robin breathed a sigh of relief due to not being watched anymore. Time to take in the surroundings: a twin size bed with white sheets and a single white pillow, a barred window with the screen sealed shut, a desk with an uncomfortable looking chair, a lamp standing next to the bed, and a bookcase full of titles. The boy nearly jumped out of his skin as the door creaked loudly open.

"There is no time for grieving. Tomorrow, we began your-our new life… and training."

"Slade that was unnecessary!" Robin replied offendedly. "Wait… train for what?"

"To take over the world, Robin."