"Robin?"

Someone was shaking his shoulder. The Boy Wonder gave a soft groan and turned to glance up at the person who was bothering him with his eyes half lidded behind the mask. He just wanted a few more moments to rest. Everything hurt.

"Robin are you okay?" Terra's face came into focus, her long blond hair curtaining around her face as she knelt besides him. Her brow was knit in worry.

"I'm fine," came the default response as Robin rolled to a sitting position, wincing at the pain in his head. "But I might have a concussion." The girl frowned in response to that, her blue eyes tinging with worry. He knew concussions weren't a good thing, but he'd suffered through worse and he would continue to do so.

"That was sloppy, Robin."

Another voice cut through the silence of the two teenager's camaraderie and Robin was on his feet in an instant. "Slade!" the boy said the name with the venom of a curse. It was in this moment he realized that he had no idea where he was. It did appear, however, that they were still underground. Besides him, Terra didn't move.

That was when he remembered the tower. The last thing he remembered was that the tower had started to sink. He had barely made it out of the elevator before it had crashed into the ceiling when Raven and Terra had- Raven! Where was Raven?

"What did you do to Raven?" Robin asked the man in front of him. "What happened to my friends?"

The man moved forward in a self assured fashion, his hands behind his back. "Your friend Raven is at home, with your little playhouse, buried a thousand feet under the ground. As for your other so-called friends, Robin?"

The boy's hands clenched into fists. It took obvious control not to simply fling himself at Slade and attack the man who had destroyed his home, and worse, killed his friend. He had to wait though. He had to find out what had happened to the others.

"They're gone. The Teen Titans are no more," there was a smirk in the mastermind's voice, Robin could hear it.

The boy's masked eyes widened and he took an involuntary step back to steady himself. "No."

"I warned you what would happen if you disobeyed me." Slade insisted. "All actions have consequences."

With a cry that sounded almost like a growl the boy took his bostaff from his belt and rushed at the masked man. Their fight was short and ruthless. Since Robin was armed and Slade was not the fight was on slightly more even terms then a fight between them usually was. The Boy Wonder was on the offensive, his staff moving so quick it looked more like a metallic blur. Slade was backing up, dodging, a smile spread across Robin's face. He was winning. But, with villains like Slade, it was best not to count your victories before they happened.

"I'm glad you are so eager to continue your training, Robin." Slade said as he moved out of the way of a sharp bostaff thrust. Robin didn't know why the man wasn't taking out his own bostaff. Maybe this was a sort of test, a way to prove he could best Robin no matter what the conditions. "We have lost a lot of time, after all."

"I won't be your apprentice again." the boy protested as his staff met Slade's forearm. "You have nothing to use against me anymore."

Suddenly the masked man was reaching out, his hand gripping Robin's dark spiked hair, and then- Robin's world went still for a second as he was left gasping at the impact Slade's fist made on his diaphragm.

The boy couldn't make a sound, he couldn't breathe, but the sound his bostaff made when it dropped from his green gloved fist rang sharply in his ear. And then suddenly Slade was behind him and there was a familiar pressure as his arm was held mercilessly behind his back. This was a position he'd never wanted to be in ever again.

"Don't I?" the heat from Slade's breath escaping the slits on his mask made Robin shift his head to the side uncomfortably and grunt with the effort of pulling his arm away. "I don't need to blackmail you to force you do as I command." there was something terrifying in the masked man's voice that made Robin feel a jolt of fear. "You can't escape me, Robin." it was as much of a dare as a promise.

The man's other hand snagged Robin by his spiky hair and turned the boy's head so he was looking directly at Terra. She was standing with her hips at an uncertain tilt and her hands in front of her looking more lost and confused than Robin had ever seen. "But remember, boy, that your little friend over there is also at my mercy. If you disobey even the smallest of requests she will be punished. Brutally." the man paused to let the words sink in. "And I'll make you watch."

When Slade released Robin from his hold the boy didn't move. He stood there, staring at Terra until it seemed to sink in that he was free, and he quickly moved to stand between his friend and the villain.

"Let her go, Slade," he demanded.

"Robin," Slade chastised. "Not everyone needs to be saved. Terra is here of her own free will. Aren't you, Terra?"

Robin watched in horror as the blond stepped around him and gave him a smile that was like a slap in the face. The Boy Wonder's glaze flicked from Terra to Slade in complete and utter confusion as she said two damning words.

"Yes, master."

Robin watched as the masked man stepped forward and set his large hand on Terra's tiny shoulder. He dwarfed her tiny form. The Boy Wonder leaned back, a clear expression of shock on his face.

"Terra has already progressed farther than you, Robin. She understands gratitude. She doesn't let her pride get in the way," the boy could almost hear the smirk in the madman's voice and very much wanted to punch it off his stupid face. "She even came to me asking for help."

The boy looked to the blond for confirmation but her hair had slid in front of her face, closing it off. Robin couldn't see her expression but his own was wide eyed and confused. "You...you..." he took a step forward, the expression on his face full of determination. "Terra, it doesn't have to be this way."

Her head snapped up so fast that Robin hadn't expected the cruelty in those cold blue eyes. "I don't need saving! I'm not some sad little girl who's waiting to be rescued! I wanted to be this way! I wanted to go with Slade! I wanted to annihilate you and your pathetic friends!"

"But I thought-" Robin tried to mask the hurt on his face.

"You thought wrong!" Terra interrupted, not even bothering to hear out her former leader.

"-we were friends."

"Dear child, Terra doesn't have any friends," Slade put the issue to rest. "And neither do you."

The boy's masked eyes narrowed at the villain. "Then I have no reason to listen to you." the boy might have lost his bostaff but that didn't mean he couldn't attack. He raced forward, intent on giving Slade a lesson on the power of friendship with a punch to the face.

"On the contrary," Slade moved his right arm and a familiar trigger with a little red button slid out from his wrist. His thumb slid over it like a whisper. "I think you'll find what I have to say quite interesting."

Robin halted in his tracks, skidding to a halt a few feet from the masked man and Terra with wide masked eyes trained on the device. Slade had his finger hovering just above the button and a familiar dread crept into the boy. This was like a horrible case of deja vu. Except it really was happening all over again. The Teenage Thunderbolt ran his tongue over his lips as his mouth suddenly felt dry and cottony.

"I had been hoping that I wouldn't have to use this. That you would see reason without forcing my hand. It's unfortunate, really, that people will have to die to make a point to you."

"Whatever that detonator-"

"This trigger is attached to bombs put in strategic locations that will effectively shut down Jump City. People will suffer and die. But don't worry, I'm sure their last agonized thoughts will be how you couldn't save them."

"Slade-"

"And it will be all the sweeter when they realize it was your fault their city crumpled." the masked man continued, ignoring the boy, Terra was grinning at him like she was on the winning team and she knew it. "And if that doesn't work, I'm sure Gotham city won't fare much better even with your beloved mentor to protect them."

"Don't," the boys voice was soft. His masked eyes drooped with defeat. "I'll do whatever you say."

"Good boy," the man said.

Author's Note: Fun times, yeah? Slade has all his bases covered. Or does he?

So, I haven't decided quite how I'm going to do updates yet. Probably once a week time permitting. Maybe, if you beg and I finish them, I'll give you two or so. Feel free to suggest~