Disclaimer: not mine, all belongs to DC^^
Chapter 2 is beta read, so don't worry^^
Summary: An 8 year old Dick Grayson saves his parents by making a deal with a stranger, a white haired one eyed man named Slade Wilson.
Time travel AU
Warnings: Slash in later chapters, this is just the plot^^
"If I were to become your apprentice, would you protect me and my family?", Robin asked, hopefully.
The man laughed, with no humor inside of it. "Of course I would."
Robin made the decision to ask in second, "Might I become your apprentice?"
The man's other hand took his right hand and held it firmly. The answering voice was colored by dark satisfaction and amusement as he spoke, "Yes, Robin, I accept your request to become my apprentice."
Slade smirked down at the boy. Robin would have no choice but to be loyal to him, even if he wasn't aware jet.
It also assured a certain character development, while Robin could still enjoy the love and trust for his parents, he would never be carefree again.
His behavior dictated whenever his parents lived or died, a responsibility he wouldn't confide to his parents, believing that his parents would feel bad if they knew their lives were used to make him work and learn from a criminal. It was similar to a plan he had before with the Teen Titans, only this time Robin was neither a respected leader to younger heroes, nor the first child to become a hero, liked and cared for by the older heroes.
No, this time if people learned that Robin was stealing for him, the heroes and police wouldn't spare a moment to ask why he was doing it. They wouldn't care.
He had also established that his help wasn't for free, so crossing him would have direct consequences for his family.
Now he hadn't the boys makeshift family, the Teen Titans, but his real family as blackmail material...
Robin shivered slightly, the grip holding his hand and shoulder had become stronger, almost crushing him, and the look in his eye was frightening because of how intense the gaze was.
Still he could do it, he had to do it, for his family...
-Time skip: 9 years Robin/Dick is 17-
Robin was in a little trailer, turned into history classroom.
A day after his faithful deal with the stranger to save his parents an old man had turned up.
The man, William Wintergreen, was rich but without a family, so he asked to join the circus in exchange for support.
The director had been ecstatic and readily agreed to the request, believing that his circus was now free of any attachments to criminals.
Wintergreen adapted fast and soon was honorary called grandfather by the younger children. Since he couldn't really perform anything, he became their teacher so the children could, if they wished to, pass official exams and get a job away from the circus.
Only Robin knew the real reason why Wintergreen was staying with them.
The old man was in some kind of debt towards Slade and therefore had to take care of Robin's education. The classes moved as fast as Robin, uncaring if the others were bored or didn't understand the lectures anymore.
He didn't see Slade as often as he might have anticipated at first, but the man appeared once in a while checking in on his progress and assigning different fighting teachers.
Luckily his parents allowed his fighting classes, believing them to be only about defensive moves and to improve and further the amount of moves he could perform.
At the end of the lesson Wintergreen requested only Robin to stay behind, and obediently he waited till the others left, walking to the front desk.
"You wanted to speak, sir." He always was polite. It wasn't that he disliked the man, but being under constant surveillance was somewhat unnerving, and he couldn't really relax around the man, as nice as he might be.
"Relax, Robin, tomorrow we will reach Gotham and stay there, as you know." Robin nodded and as the older man didn't continue he offered a, "Yes, sir."
"As you know, the circus has somewhat of a reputation in certain circles." Oh yes, due the fact that Deathstroke protected it, there were some rumors.
Slade's bastard child growing up here, the circus being a proposal gift to a lover or that they were training servants here for the man.
It was rather disturbing with what kind of explanations they were coming up with.
At least it kept the criminals from attacking, even though a few came to the circus in order to satisfy their own curiosity.
"Gotham is well known for their detective, and I have information that he will be there during the opening act. You are to remain out of direct contact with either side of the law as always,"
"Yes, sir." Deathstroke had enemies and once they knew he had an apprentice, Robin was going to have a lot of enemies.
Slade had already warned him that he would have to defend himself and couldn't entirely rely on his protection, else he would never be respected on his own.
It would also be the time when Dick would be forced to leave his home and family behind and live with his mentor.
"Should you approached by anybody outside the circus for any reason, remain polite but keep your distance. Also report anything back." Robin nearly rolled his eyes. Those rules appealed for every city, it was almost as if Slade wanted to control everything about him.
Under the strict rules and careful eyes of Wintergreen, who was nothing but a proxy for Slade, he couldn't even date, as apparently it would distract him from his training, and with a last ,"Yes, sir," he left the trailer as Wintergreen dismissed him.
Slade leant back in his chair, watching with pride as his apprentice left the classroom.
Wintergreen always wore a little brooch, which in truth was a small camera, so he could keep a better watch on his development.
Of course he could be spending his time directly with Robin, however that would have to wait.
A parental relationship wasn't the what he wanted, not when he could have something more...
