A/N: thank you for all the lovely suggestion I've gotten about what might/should/could happen in this universe! Some of them are actually already incorporated in this chapter, or the seeds sown, at least…

And, yeah, I thought since I gave you a bunny-story this morning, I would try to make that up to you with this… but I still love the bunnies… -pouts stubbornly- If you wanna help me even MORE, read the last A/N… and the title of this installment is pure genius (even if I do say so myself) because it works on SO many levels… well… two. It works on two levels. Shut up. Read.


2061

Board Games

The sound, Robin decided after a while, was someone knocking on his door.

"Go away!" he grumbled, snuggling deeper under the covers as the door opened.

"Good morning. You have twenty minutes to shower and dress before you are expected at breakfast." William told him. "I'm going to lay out some clothes for you."

"I thought my last stay taught you not to open any doors unless you had permission?" Robin growled. "Hey, how did you come in here, anyway? The door was locked!"

"I control the locks on this floor from my station, you know that." William said. "And I didn't think walking in here would be hazardous for my health, since Slade's not here. He's not here, is he?"

"No, I can control myself for one night." Robin muttered and then clamped his mouth shut. He hadn't meant to say that out loud!

"Look who's repressed now…" William actually snickered. "Well, you were more than willing to help me, so I'll do the same for you, of course. Want me to cut your waffles into little hearts?"

"There's waffles?" Robin perked up a little.

"If you hurry. Slade likes them too."


Robin was ready in ten minutes flat and was showed into Slade's apartment by William. The inhabitant himself, however, was nowhere in sight, although Robin could hear the shower running. He sat down at the table and started filling his plate. How he could be hungry again after last night was a mystery to him, but he was.

A moment later Slade came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel and wearing another one wrapped around his hips.

"You're early." the man said.

"Yeah, sorry, but Will showed me in. Would you like me to turn around while you- oh. Nope, looks like you don't care." Robin found his mouth rambling on long after it should have shut up.

"You're not suddenly shy, are you?" Slade smirked at him as he stood, completely naked now, in front of his wardrobe, picking out his clothes. "We've seen each other naked before. Many, many times."


When Robin didn't answer immediately, Slade looked back at him and arched an eyebrow. He chuckled as the younger male seemed pretty far away.

"If you keep staring like that, I'm going to think about charging you." he purred, immensely pleased with Robin's reaction.

"Oh, I thought it was free." the dark-haired young man said and tore his eyes away, focusing on his waffles again.

"For you, any time." Slade chuckled and joined him, now wearing a pair of dark blue trousers.

"Whore." the teen smirked at him. As Slade sat down, Robin added, somewhat haughtily, "What, it's okay to come to the table bare-chested now?"

"Yes, try it." Slade smirked back. "It's also okay to come on the table, if you'd rather try that. Besides, I better grab some of those waffles or you'll finish them all."

"I'm glad I'm negotiating with such a mature adult." Robin said dryly, although Slade noticed the faint blush on his cheeks and smiled pleasantly.

"Likewise. Now about today-"

"I hope we can start as soon as possible?" Robin cut him off.

"Eager, aren't you? Yes, we'll resume the negotiations directly after breakfast, but this afternoon I have a board meeting."

"An important one?" the teen looked displeased.

"Please, Robin, I put time aside for you yesterday, but I didn't anticipate that you would stay. I have already rearranged my schedule as much as I can." he told the teen sternly. He could, admittedly, reschedule everything, but Slade felt it was important to show the young man that he couldn't demand every moment of his time. Robin could easily get the impression that he was manipulating him, and Slade couldn't allow that… the boy was full of himself already.

"I see. Well, I'll stay with Rebecca then, perhaps? I mean, I suppose you won't let me run around here freely?" the teen seemed to accept the situation, although he looked a bit displeased.

"No… in fact I don't want to let you out of my sight more than necessarily, so you are going to come with me." the man decided on a whim.

"Wouldn't that be like letting a spy sit in on a war-council?" Robin looked confused. "And I'm not playing your pet again, so forget that little plan."

"I didn't intend you to." Slade lied smoothly. In fact he had hoped that Robin would be so curious about attending the board meeting that he'd agree to wear a collar again. Apparently that wouldn't be the case. "I did tell the board, however, that I intentionally sent you to the Mongrels with the goal to take control over them. I don't want them to question that story, so I won't accept any open hostility from you. In their eyes you are still mine, and they will find it strange if I don't punish you if you are out of line."

The teen across from him folded his arms over his chest and frowned.

"That sounds suspiciously like a pet."

"Do you like the term under-cover spy better?" Slade smirked. "You behaving in front of my board is a condition for further negotiations, Robin. If you want what's best for the Mongrels, it will mean that we have to cooperate, and I don't accept being openly challenged, that would undermine my authority. I can kill off my board-members and their associates, of course, without having to explain myself, but I don't want to unbalance anything unnecessarily, do you understand? Trust me, what you want for your society, is the same I want for mine: peace and quiet."


Robin frowned, but then nodded. He understood Slade's point of view. The man might be immortal, but enough people could still overturn him, and, even though Robin told himself that he would love to see that, he knew that it would mean danger, and quite possibly the end of the Wintergreens as well. If you killed the king, you didn't let the royal family live.

"Fine. I want a seat at the table, though, and if you discuss the Mongrels, I'm going to speak my mind… with care."

"You'll sit on my right." The man looked too smug, the teen thought, but there was nothing he could do about it at this moment.

"Okay… well, we have already started, kind of, so should we continue?"

"Yes. Do you need the map or anything else from the office?" Slade asked.

"No, the borders we looked at yesterday are all I want when it comes to land." Robin shrugged.

"Oh, 'all', was it?" the man chuckled. "Well, I don't see why we have to go to the office, then. I'd much rather take our discussions somewhere else…"


"Mmmm… I… Oh, god… I… I'm... worried… about… sanitary issues…" Robin groaned.

Slade grunted something before replying.

"See… told you it was all about sewers…" he smirked at the young man.

"Yeah… yes, right there! Damn, this feels good! I missed this so much…" the teen panted before adding, "and stop being right all the time, bastard, it's annoying."

"I'm pretty sure this is the second best you can feel, while naked under a blanket…" the man agreed with a low chuckle. "Remember that they can't hear you, though."

"I… know…" Robin gasped as his massage-therapist started kneading her toes into his shoulders. "Never knew that it would feel this good to have a woman on top of me… I think I'm going to rethink my sexuality…" he grinned.

"Well, let me get on top of you and then you can compare." Slade suggested.

Robin opened his mouth to reply when something in his spine cracked, and all he could do was groan.

"Fuck, those sounds used to mean that something really horrible had happened…" he mumbled. "This is a really bad place to negotiate, you know?" he added in Slade's direction.

The current world ruler smirked from the mat next to him.

"I'm hoping you will forget some of your demands like this." he said.

"Yeah… right…" Robin snorted, and then tried to remember what he was talking about before. "Sewers! Many of them are damaged, and the water and electricity we are… errrm… borrowing at the moment aren't enough." Robin paused a bit as the woman above him found a new knot of muscles to work on. "A-again; we are willing to do the work, but we need people to show us what to do and probably a lot of tools and machines too."

"That's a lot to ask." Slade grumbled.

"I know." Robin, surprisingly, admitted. "We're only asking to help getting us started… to repair a few buildings across the area so there's a few communal houses to bathe and do laundry. We need more bathrooms, however, and electricity in every habitable building."

"As I said, that's a lot to ask."

"I know what to tell the board." Robin said. "I know they will buy it."

"Buy what, exactly?"

"Like I said, I'll tell the board." The young man smirked cheekily, just as the massage came to an end.

"Fine. Let's hit the shower." Slade shrugged and stood up.

Robin, making sure the sheet was secured around his waist, didn't miss the key word.

"Yes, 'shower', as I remember there only was one. You or me first?"

"Both. Together." the man purred.

"Do you think I'm stupid? You'll just drop the soap and make me pick it up." Robin snorted. He wasn't worried about Slade raping him, actually, he just didn't want the man to have any more fun than he should have. And the amount of fun Slade deserved involved watching paint dry on a slowly growing potted plant in a white room with no windows. Robin had managed to change in private because Slade had gotten a very well timed phone call, so the man hadn't even gotten a peek.

"And if I promise I won't touch you… inappropriately?" Slade asked.

"You will have to do better than that." The teen smirked.

"Fine. I promise that if I do touch you inappropriately, I'll grant you one thing."

"Everything."

"Two."

"Fifty."

"Five."

"Ten."

"Deal." Slade said.

"Aaaand…" Robin added, holding a finger up, "I decide about what's inappropriate. Not you."

"Damn."

"Didn't think I'd catch that, did you?"

"No, I rather hoped you wouldn't." the man chuckled.

"Well, sad for you. Is it a deal, then?"

The man sighed but then nodded, making Robin grin. He had just realized that even though this deal would let Slade enjoy the sight of him, Robin himself could have even more fun on the man's expense…


As they entered the changing room, Robin let his sheet slip off him slowly, while pretending to look around. His eyes then locked with Slade's and the teen smiled a little naughty smile.

"Well… let's do it…" he sauntered into the shower and turned on the water, treating the man to a rather nice image as Slade entered a moment later; the teens head was bent back, his lips parted, as he was getting soaked by the hot, steaming water.

Robin took care to ignore the man at first, running his hands leisurely over his whole body, stretching and turning to make sure he got good and wet.

"Mmm… this feels wonderful, doesn't it?" Robin glanced over his shoulder at Slade, who just seemed to snap out of some thought or other.

"Well, stay here, and you can take as many showers as you can possibly wish…" the man suggested.

"Yeah… and you will probably be in all of them. No thanks." Robin smirked and reached for the combined soap and shampoo. He rubbed his hands together, working up a lot of lather, before slowly starting to cover himself in the soap. He did his hair first, tilting his head backwards, before continuing with the rest of his body. He made sure to circle his nipples, making them respond until the small pink buds peeked out from the white bubbles covering his chest. With circling motions he moved down over his abs and then to his cock, which he managed to keep mostly flaccid from pure strength of will... and the thoughts of Rebecca doing Slade with a strap-on.

"Would you soap my back?" he asked the man beside him.

"That won't be breaking the rules?" Slade snorted.

"No… as long as it's just my back, and not lower… and it's just soaping." Robin smirked. The man actually looked a bit flustered, and it was not just the heat from the water.

"Fine."

As soon as Slade's hands touched him, Robin subtly arched into them, sighing in pleasure, even though Slade was very careful about not making his movements suspicious.

"I like this…" Robin smiled, smirking on the inside.

"I'd like to lift you up against the wall and fuck you so hard you'll scream." Slade grunted.

"Ah-ah-ah…" the Mongrel-leader said in a sing-song voice. "Remember that you have to grant me ten demands if you do."

"Might be worth it… what's the first thing you'd wish for?"

"Complete world domination." Robin smirked.

"Crap." The man muttered.

"The second, though, would be for you to lift me up against the wall and fuck me so hard I'll scream…" Robin purred, and chuckled as he felt the man's fingers tighten against his skin. He slipped away and rinsed off before Slade decided to act on anything, however, and the man seemed to rein himself in. With some difficulty.

"You could have that every day too." Slade growled.

"It's funny, the way you seem to think I would want that." Robin grinned.

"You would… you are practically begging for it." The man didn't look particularly happy about Robin's begging-technique, however.

"You keep telling yourself that." the teen said loftily and left the shower. Robin had almost finished dressing when Slade joined him, which was a suspiciously long time later.


"Lunch?" Robin suggested. "Or are you too… spent?"

"You flatter yourself, I was just tidying up." Slade snorted.

"Soiled something?" The teen smirked.

Slade merely muttered something under his breath, and Robin was in an exceptional mood as they left the changing room a little while later.

"Aw, don't be grumpy. You know you are my favorite world-dictator ever, don't you?" The black-haired teese snickered.

The man moved like a viper, and the next second Robin found himself being pushed against, and almost into, a wall.

"My patience is fading fast, little bird. Care to test it some more?" Slade snarled.

"Hey, you can't touch me, or I'll win the-" Robin started.

"That deal was only for the shower… it's not valid anymore." the man's voice had now changed to a low growl, and his grip had changed as well, becoming more caressing, although Robin still could hardly move a muscle. The teen's heart was beating fast and hard, like a real bird's. The man in front of him looked feral and now, for the first time since walking in through the doors of the building yesterday, Robin feared for his freedom.

"You… can't! I'm an ambass-"

The man's mouth was then on his, cutting off both his words and his air. It was hot, demanding, not taking no for an answer. How his own lips parted the teen didn't know, but Slade was soon rediscovering his mouth at his own pleasure. Robin felt a hunger inside himself awaken and tilted his head back just a tiny bit. That was all it took for the kiss to change, to become more coaxing, teasing, The man's hands were now stimulating him, more than holding him still, going to all the right spots, doing all the right things.

At last one reached the front of his trousers, rubbing the groin gently. Robin made a small sound into the man's mouth, as his hips jerked, asking for more.

Then, as fast as it happened, Slade stepped away and started walking.

"Now try to tell me that you're not begging for it." he said, smirking over his shoulder. "Hurry up, the board meeting is right after lunch."

Robin just stood there, blinking, for a moment. Then he followed, trying very hard not to walk funny.


It was somewhat scary to have a room full of men and women stare at him, Robin thought. He was used to being the center of attention in large groups, but they didn't usually look at him like these people did. There were hostility, envy, suspicion, happiness… well, the last one was Duncan, who even dared a very small wave.

"This is, as you all know, Robin. We'll discuss his attendance later." Slade told his board as he sat down. Robin took the appointed seat to his right, feeling more daggers being glared at him as he did.

As Slade started going through the agenda, Robin looked around. He recognized most of the faces, but it seemed some had been replaced during the past year. No matter, this job was clearly high risk, and he had never learned the names of those people anyway.

Irena was still here, however, smirking at him with a curiously raised eyebrow. Robin smirked back openly, which made her other brow rise as well.

During lunch with the man, he had tried to hide the fact that he had been afraid of him, disguising it with an irritation over the kiss. Slade hadn't commented on his fear, but the man would have to been blind not to see it… and that made Robin's position weaken. He couldn't let that happen again, so, even though he felt uneasy at the table, he kept his face blank.

When it finally came time to discuss the Mongrels, the teen stood up.

"As Slade said, I'm Robin. I know that I appear to be no more than a kid, and many of you remember me as Slade's pet, but trust me; I'm older than I look. So, of course, is Slade." he said, placing a hand on the sitting man's shoulder, a touch of familiarity but not too intimate.

That got the people's attention. Robin could immediately see that they were trying to draw conclusions, and he hoped they would be something along the line of Robin being an immortal of almost the same standing as their leader. He needed them to see beyond his youth and his former collar if his, or Slade's, words would have the affect they both wanted. They had discussed tactics briefly over lunch and Slade had once more cautioned him against opposing him in any way. Robin, however, refused to play the minion, and decided to treat the man as an accomplice instead.

"He has already told you why I started out acting like a pet;" Robin continued, "I was an observer. A spy, you might say… I remember getting two of you killed at this very table at my first meeting… it was quite… interesting." Robin saw some familiar faces wince, while others looked somewhat nervous. "That should teach you never to go against you leader's wishes, but hopefully you know that by now. Well, after my time here, helping sorting out some… trouble, I decided to help with another one. The Mongrels. We staged my 'escape' a year ago, and in that short time I have managed to not only gain their trust, but to become their leader." Robin took a pause and looked down on Slade with a little playful smile on his face. "I think Slade is quite proud of me, aren't you?"

"Indeed." the man smirked back and turned to the board. "I planned this 'take over' for one simple reason; to control the Mongrels."

"Sir, why not just lure them all into a trap now, then?" one man in a light gray suit asked. "That would solve the problem permanently."

"Quite the opposite." Robin answered, with a little derisive laugh. "In fact, I'm proposing to make the life-situation for these people much, much better."

"What? Why?" several people muttered or asked around the large table.

"Destroy one pack of dogs, and the next runaways will just start a new one. This way we create a false sense of security for them, and we also get access to them as laborers." Slade said. "I am working on a fake treaty with Robin at the moment, to give them things they need without raising any suspicions. This includes vast amounts of renovations and maintenance."

"Why bother? It will cost us manpower and materials, and for what? Making runaway slaves comfortable?" a burly, bald man quite close to the head of the table objected.

"Of course not!" Robin snorted before Slade had a chance to answer. "The damage to that part of the city is extensive. If we are ever to reclaim that land we would have to do the renovations anyway, and now… the mongrels will do most of the work for us." He sat down, a positively wicked smile on his face. "They will work, sweat, bleed… and we will reap the benefits. In one year or ten, through violence or incorporation, all of New York will be truly ours."


"Impressive, my little bird…" Slade said in a low voice as they mingled with the board members before dinner a few hours later. "I especially liked that little nod to Winston Churchill… work, sweat and bleed, indeed… Some of them were eating out of your hand by the end, and all of them seemed to at least listen… this means I might not have to replace that many… you saved quite a few lives today."

"I'm so happy for them." Robin muttered. "And I thought 'blood, sweat and tears' might be a little too much…" he added, putting on a smile as they were about to approach yet another member.

Irena had an amused look on her angled face, and Robin remembered that his first impression of her had been of a curve-less Morticia Addams. That impression still stood.

"Robin." she held out her hand this time, and not checking his teeth as she had at their first meeting "I thought there was something fishy about you… on the other hand, you needed to be special to catch Slade's attention."

"I'm very special, trust me." The teen smirked and shook the thin hand with the sharp nails.

"I'm sure you are. We will have more to talk about later… now, are you joining me tonight, Slade?" she asked the man, dismissing Robin rather rudely.

"Of course. It's always a pleasure." The man nodded.

"Oh, good. I thought with Robin back…?"

"Let's just say we are not on the same page regarding certain things. At least not yet." Slade answered and smirked down on Robin, who frowned slightly.

"I'll see you tonight, then. I can't wait." the woman said in a pleased tone and excused herself.

Robin was confused. He was also confused about why he was being confused. It had sounded like… but then, hadn't Slade alluded to the fact that he didn't have any lover? Although, to be fair, he had asked the man if he had slapped any hands away… Slade had said that he had been too busy, but that might not mean anything…

"It's time for dinner, let's take our seats." Slade told him, and Robin nodded, although not without giving the man a glare.


Slade could have laughed out loud, but he, of course, didn't even as much as smile. His little bird was jealous… ha had no reason to, of course; he had no sexual relationship with Irena, they merely had found that they both enjoyed long sessions of chess, checkers or backgammon, and as the woman was not a bad player, Slade actually had to struggle to win at least most of their games. It took a special person to play with him; one smart enough to pose a challenge, and brave enough to actually dare to win. Robin would be perfect as well, but Slade had no idea if his bird liked those kinds of games… but there would always be time to find out… after all, Irena wouldn't be alive forever. He and Robin just might. And if the teen was interested, Slade felt that it was his turn to do the hunting for a while.

To be continued…


A/N. Okay, as I wrote to a reviewer; I'd love for Robin to jump in bed with Slade, but I don't want him to appear WEAK... so this question is for those of you who would object at him "accidently tripping and falling onto Slade's cock"… under what circumstances would you fell it would be acceptable for Robin to "trip"? And I'm not looking for the use of drugs or non-con here, because that WOULD weaken him, I feel… if you have any ideas, please tell me…