This is a shout out to all my reviewers, followers, and favoriters of the first two chapters! Thank you guys so much! You're awesome!
Robin's first lesson was gratitude.
It started with darkness. Robin couldn't see anything. Even though he was pretty sure his eyes were open now. He wasn't even sure where he was. A stumble around the room had proven it to be small, no more than a few feet by a few feet. It had probably been a closet before Slade decided to throw him in there. The boy didn't want to think that anyone could be so cruel as to plan something like this. Of course, if there was anybody cruel enough, it would have been Slade.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been in the dark. After Slade had taken away his utility belt and led the pair of teens back towards his base the kid's memory was hazy. He vaguely remembered Slade giving Terra an order and then- his head throbbed and he scowled at the darkness. If he ever had the opportunity he was going to knock that girl into next Thursday. He couldn't fathom why she'd chose Slade over the Titans, people who were her friends, but she had cemented the deal when she'd knocked Robin out.
The boy had woken up in darkness. He was shoeless, capeless, and gloveless. It was something short of a miracle that Robin still had his mask. Maybe secret identities were something Slade could respect. When he wanted to.
A white rectangle appeared before him and it took the Teenage Thunderbolt a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. Behind Slade's figure was a hallway. Beyond that, Robin would just have to find out. The boy glared up at the masked man. "Are you ready to come out, Robin?" the man asked.
"What will it cost me?"
"Why, nothing, dear child." the man replied in a mockingly hurt tone. "All you have to do is ask."
Robin stayed stubbornly silent. He wasn't going to give into Slade unless he had to. The man left the child in the dark, alone with his thoughts. "That's unfortunate." he'd said closing a one-sided conversation. "Perhaps you need more time to realize the truth." and with that the door had closed.
There were too many things he took for granted, Slade had pointed out, that came to the forefront of his mind now that there was nothing else to do. There were too many privileges that Robin thought of as rights. The man had also made it a point that he could refuse to give Robin any of these things. He said that the boy had to learn to accept that everything in his life was provided by Slade.
That wasn't going to happen. Robin went around and around the room, testing it for any defects he could exploit. Eventually he just started smashing into each wall he encountered, yelling incoherent karate movie syllables until he couldn't move any more and had to lay down in the middle of the floor.
Time crawled like a wounded lioness. The sensory deprivation was getting to Robin, but he knew he couldn't give in. He let his mind wander, remembering the times he'd had with his friends. He remembered pizza. His stomach gave a protesting rumble. His mind decided food was not a good thing to dwell on. Water, of course, was worse.
His tongue felt dry and thick in his mouth, like it was trying to choke him. Robin was pretty sure he hadn't been in isolation for three days, but then, it was hard to tell with no way to measure time. When Slade came again in about an hour. Robin almost gave in.
The light coming from the open doorway was blinding, and the boy lifted up a hand to shield his eyes while they attempted to adjust to something so foreign. The man stared down at him and repeated. "Are you ready to come out, Robin?"
The boy gave a hesitant nod, because he really didn't enjoy being locked in a tiny dark room. Slade made a gesture that said Robin was free to come out. The boy got to his feet and made his way towards the door. Right before he passed the threshold, however, Slade's arm shot out to bar the way.
"What do you say?"
The kid didn't even skip a beat. His response was to fling himself under the arm blocking his way and barrel into the hallway. He smashed against the wall opposite the closet he had been staying for the past two days before continuing his sprint down the hallway.
From the sound of running feet he could hear behind him, Slade was in pursuit. The boy glanced over his shoulder as he flew down the hallway. He wished he hadn't. The masked man's single visible eye was narrowed in fury. Robin had to get out of there. He didn't have the strength or weapons to fight.
He collided with something, a warm body, and sent them both sprawling to the ground. Terra recovered first. "Master! I caught him!" but of course, Robin was stronger. She wouldn't be able to hold onto him for long. The boy rolled, kicking her off him so that she slammed into the wall. It took him a moment to get his balance as he scrambled into a run again, but by then it was too late. Fingers gripped the boy by the back of the shirt and pulled him towards Slade. The next thing he knew Robin was being smashed against the wall.
"Very good, Terra," Robin pushed against the wall, trying to push off Slade who's attention was focused on the blond girl. "Robin, you could learn a thing or two from her," the boy shifted his head to the side and away from the heat coming from the slits in Slade's mask as the mastermind leaned close.
"You see, Terra," apparently the masked man had launched into a conversation with the little traitor. About Robin. Like he wasn't there. It was enough to make the boy's blood boil. "Robin's problem is that he refuses to see me as his better. He doesn't treat me with the respect a pupil should his teacher. Do you have any suggestions?"
"I'd suggest you kill the butler."
Robin's blood went cold and he stilled instantly. Did Terra mean Alfred? And if she did...what did that mean? Slade seemed to notice, and appreciate, Robin's sudden change in temperament. "That's a good plan, Terra. Ready the video feeds to Wayne mansion. Robin needs to watch as-"
"No!" the boy wrenched himself free of Slade's grip and stood there between the two villains glaring.
"No?" Slade mocked.
"I'll do whatever you want."
"Oh, but Robin, you already know what I want."
The boy hung his head as though shamed by the words that hadn't even left his mouth. His hands were tightened into fists at his sides. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
"You're pathetic," the blond girl said with a sneer. "I can't believe I ever thought you were cool."
The boy recoiled and turned to glare at the girl, his upper lip curled in a snarl and his movements sharp enough to show he'd rather be punching her. "I can't believe I ever thought you could be a Titan."
The girl gave him a smug little smile, like she'd been playing them the whole time, and shrugged. Robin almost missed the hurt clouding her eyes.
"Terra," Slade's voice had a dangerous tint to it. "Robin. I expect both of you to cooperate."
"Sorry, master," Terra replied quickly.
That just left Robin. The boy gave Slade a reproachful glare. "Terra-" the man started to give out the order. The Boy Wonder knew what would come next.
"Don't! I'm sorry." the boy took a deep breath. "May...may I come out of the dark room?"
The masked man turned his singular eye to Robin, waiting for something.
"...sir?"
There was no way he was calling Slade master unless he was forced to. The man surveyed Robin for a moment before he gave a curt not. His attention then turned to Terra.
"Dinner is at 18:00 sharp."
The girl gave a curt nod and then suddenly Slade was beckoning for Robin to follow him down the hall. At the first instance of hesitation the man grabbed the boy by the upper arm. He pulled the young leader along down the hall.
They were silent for most of the walk, until the boy broke the silence.
"You can't keep me here forever, Slade"
"I can and I will, Robin," the man said, promise thick in his voice. "I have to thank you, however, for showing me the flaw in my last plan."
The boy's head jerked up and he narrowed his eyes at the masked man.
"After all," he continued. "If you hadn't had your little recess with the Titans I would never have had the motivation to look into Terra." Robin paled at that, his hands tightening into agitated fists. "She might be a little rough around the edges, but she really is a gem."
"The Titans will-"
"The Titans are dead!" Robin winced at that. He hadn't expected Slade's voice to suddenly grow so loud and deep. "You are my student now, Robin, and I expect you to treat me with the same respect you would any other teacher."
"After all, I'm all you have left."
Authors Note: Well. That was fun. I bet you're all writing Terra off your Christmas lists, huh?
