A/N TOLD you I would try to update soon… here's number four… but this time an update will probably take until next weekend… I'm behind on this… so read SLOWLY…

Disclaimer: Ownership is overrated. I don't own the Teen Titans, but look what I can do to them anyway! Ha! Can't do this in a cartoon! In your faces owner-dudes!


Red, Yellow and Black

Robin dropped the papers on the floor. He had never had time to more than glance at them and the few things he had seen had been meaningless to him. It had been mostly calculations and the few lines of text were just as incomprehensible, like the language wasn't really English. The pages broke apart, spreading across the room, but the boy didn't notice. He noticed when one of them landed right next to the chair, though… but it wasn't the paper he spotted, it was the red liquid it was soaking up from the floor. It wasn't much. Droplets. But it was blood. Red's blood. Unable to stand up, Robin sank to his knees. There was darkness tugging at his vision, and he fought it as his stomach heaved.

"You are late." Slade's voice lashed through Robin's mind like a whip.

Robin didn't have the strength to lift his eyes.

"Red… Red?"

"You were late. You know the rules."

"What… what have you…?"

Robin finally looked up at the man. He stood a few meters away, arms crossed over his chest. Robin's eyes stuck on the man's hands. The gauntlets. Stained red. With a howl Robin threw himself at Slade, every cell in his body intent on killing the monster before him. His attack was so fast that his first punches hit their marks and Slade had to back down a few steps. Then the fight turned. Robin didn't care how many times he was thrown across the room and slammed into a wall. When he had realized that he probably wasn't going to be able to kill the man, he had set another goal. He was going to make sure he reached it.

As he picked himself up and attacked yet again, Slade merely snatched him out of the air and pinned him down on the table. Robin looked calmly up at him, waiting for the blow, but it didn't come.

"What are you trying to do, little bird?" the masked man sounded intrigued.

Robin gritted his teeth.

"Die." he snarled, truthfully. If he couldn't kill Slade to avenge Red, then he would join his love instead. He kicked out, trying to hit anything attached to Slade, but there was only air.

"Don't you want to see your boyfriend again?"

Robin's eyes widened. He was too afraid to dare to hope, but…

"He's… he's alive?"

"For now."

Robin closed his eyes and drew a deep breath that came out sounding more like a sob.

"The question is, boy, will you be?" Slade jeered, and Robin's eyes opened quickly, staring up at him. He didn't understand… what did Slade…? The man saw the confusion in the boy's eyes and smiled behind his mask.

"I got bored of fighting you when you tried to get yourself killed… how about now…? will you be able to fight to survive, this time?"

Robin tensed his body. Slade had him pinned and he couldn't move. But he had too… he had to stay alive. He had to see Red again.

As his legs didn't find anything to kick, and his arms were held down, Robin found himself with only one option. He quickly lifted his upper body as much as he could, and slammed his head against Slade's. The impact was hard enough for Slade to let go slightly and Robin was able to wrench free.

He rolled over the table, getting up on the other side. He saw Slade's attack coming, when he suddenly became half blinded. The hit to his forehead had caused a cut over his right eyebrow and the wound bled profoundly, pouring into his eye. Robin couldn't do anything but throw himself away from the attack while trying to brush the blood away. He almost tripped over the chair and Slade attacked again. Robin pushed the chair in the man's path and Slade kicked it carelessly aside, breaking it up. This made Robin grin as he quickly made it over to what was left of it and grabbed a leg. Now he had a weapon. Well… He had something. He didn't wait for Slade to attack this time. He managed to hit the man's shoulder, hoping to break his collar bone, but, although it was a perfect hit, it just seemed to be brushed off.

Robin's body ached from the previous treatment and screamed at him just to give up. His mind, though, screamed just as loudly to fight, and he always listened to reason. Almost always, anyway. A counterattack from Slade caught Robin in the stomach and made him drop the precious weapon. As he rolled over the table to get away from another attack, aiming a kick at Slade's head while he did so, he rolled over something and grabbed it. A pencil. Well. The pen was mightier that the sword, right? Robin would have given a lot for a trade right now, nonetheless…

He rolled off the table and quickly hid underneath. As a fist came crashing through the top, just centimeters from Robin's head, he realized that he had to bolt, but which way? He wanted to find Red. That meant the door leading into the hideout, not the door leading out. If he went through that door he might just as well kill Red himself. Going through the other one would mean that Slade would catch up to him, but that didn't register as important in Robin's mind right now. Slade would get him sooner or later anyway, and if he just got to see Red first… Grabbing the pencil he heard his mentor's voice in his head. "Joints" it said. "The joints are usually rather unprotected as armor would restrain the movements. When looking for weaknesses, look for the joints." Robin scrambled to the far end of the table, making it look like he was going to crawl out that way, but as Slade moved to head him off, the boy's arm shot out, burying the pencil in the back of Slade's knee. A loud curse was heard and Robin ran out from under the table towards the inner door. He almost smiled as he grabbed the handle and pushed. And pulled. And… it was locked. Same technology as with the gate, probably. A hand slammed him forcefully against the door, making him unable to breathe.

"Nice move, little bird. I didn't even notice you grabbing the pencil." Slade whispered in his ear. "Now you'll have to pay for it, though…"

Robin was thrown across the room again and he didn't have time to get up before the first punch hit him. They kept coming. Punches and kicks he couldn't shield himself from, making him cry out in pain and rage. As he received a vicious blow to the side of his head, he crumpled up on the floor, whimpering. Slade grabbed him and dragged him upright, bending his head backwards and making him look up at him.

"Enough, boy?"

Robin could only gasp as a reply.

"Let's go see if your boyfriend is still alive."

Slade grabbed his wrists and dragged Robin's half unconscious body across the floor towards the door. Faintly Robin noticed that the man walked just fine. He had stuck half a pencil through the back of his leg and Slade didn't even limp. Robin groaned weakly, his arms felt as they were being pulled out of their sockets, but he couldn't stand up. He tried to lift his head as Slade opened the door to the cell-room, but the man suddenly threw him in and he rolled limply across the floor, scraping his cheek painfully against the concrete. Looking up he saw that he was only inches from Red. Robin reached out for the unmoving form splayed out on the floor. So still. So pale.

"Red...? Red! Red, can you hear me? Please…?" His voice broke and he tried to hold back his sobs. He felt mangled himself, but he had too… had too…? Had too make sure Red was ok… Robin got on his knees, putting his hands on the other boy's body, afraid that all he was going to feel was cold flesh. But there was breathing. A pulse. Thanks god. Robin became aware of a shadow and looked up. Slade was coming closer and he held… oh-no oh-no oh-no oh-no oh-no! Half of it yellow, half of it red, Slade gripped the pencil tighter.

"No!" Robin tried to shield Red with his body but was easily brushed away.

"Wha- what's-goin-on…?" Red mumbled and stirred slightly.

"Red!" Robin tried to get out of Slade's grip but he was held firmly back against the man's chest.

"Let this be a lesson to you, Robin. You can't protect him." Slade growled and raised the pencil. Red's eyes widened, but he was unable to pull away as Slade's hand struck downwards. As the pencil was thrust into Red's thigh, both boys screamed in pain.

Slade let Robin go and the boy crawled towards the thief again, who was panting and staring blindly up on the ceiling.

"Red… Red I'm sorry… I have to get it out…"

The teen blinked and shifted his gaze to Robin's face. Amazingly, a small smile appeared on his lips.

"Yeah… on three, right…?"

"Right..." Robin smiled weakly back, remembering a similar situation where the tables had been turned. Robin first bent down to kiss the boy. "I'm so sorry… the copying machine… I … I'm so sorry…"

"Always… hated office supplies…" Red grinned.

Robin grabbed the pencil tightly.

"On three?" Red asked anxiously.

"Yes." Robin answered and pulled the pencil out.

Red gave a short scream and cursed at his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry." Robin mumbled.

"You keep saying that." Red complained, but bit his lip when he met Robin's eyes. They were so full of pain and guilt, brimming over with tears. "Hey, kid. It's okay…"

"I… I failed you…" Robin said quietly.

"No." Slade's voice cut in. "You failed me."

"He never did any of this for you" Red snarled.

"Red's right" Robin's voice was full of venom. "I would never do anything for you!"

He raised his hands to the plastic collar around his throat.

"No! Rob! Don-" Red tried to warn him, but Robin had already tugged hard at the band. It didn't break. With an almost incredulous look on his face he tugged again, as hard as he could.

Hearing Slade chuckle he looked up at the man in time to see both controls in his hands.

"Young Red here has already discovered that the only way to sever those is with a knife or strong enough scissors. Sorry, my boy." He pressed the buttons. Robin only slowly curled up on the floor next to Red as the pain coursed through him, until there was nothing left but darkness.

Waking up had never been so painful. Only groans next to him urged Robin on, forcing him to stay conscious. He had to protect… Slade's words sliced across his mind… You can't protect him…

"I can. I must."

"Do what, exactly?" Slade's voice taunted him, but this time it was real. Robin hadn't been aware that he had spoken out aloud. He closed his eyes, hoping the man would leave, but instead steps came closer.

"I know you are awake, boy."

Robin looked up. He was on his back on the hard, cold floor staring up into the mask of the man he hated more than any other human alive. Slade kneeled by his side and Robin tried to edge away, shoulder blades digging into the concrete beneath him, but he didn't get anywhere. Slade reached out for him and suddenly Robin felt his hands on his arm. The man seemed to caress it, although firmly, and worked his way from the shoulder to the fingertips. He did the same thing with the other arm and Robin finally understood what he was doing. He was checking for broken bones and other serious injuries. Damn Red and his theories! As the man moved to his chest, though, the boy tensed again. Checking each rib carefully, Slade's fingers touched something that made Robin wince. The man hummed, going over the spot again.

"Hurts?" he asked, and as Robin only looked away, he growled and pushed down on the spot, making the boy yell out. "I asked you a question. Answer it!"

"Yes! Yes it hurts! Happy?" Robin snarled back, but the man only muttered and moved on. Stomach, hips, thighs… all the way down to his toes Slade's hands wandered. Robin felt filthy from the touch and shuddered. Finally Slade let go and Robin relaxed slightly.

"A bruised rib. Might take a week, perhaps two."

"What… what about Red?" Robin was afraid to ask, but he had to.

"A broken arm, otherwise more or less like you. Cuts and bruises. Nothing serious."

In six minutes. In six minutes he did that… Robin thought, but knew it would take Slade less than six seconds to kill.

"Yeah… forgetting about the freaking hole in my thigh!?" Red's weak voice said. Robin once again struggled to sit up. Slade had dragged them into their cell. He noticed for the first time that Red's arm was in a strange angle.

"This… this needs to be set…" Robin whispered.

"Do it." Red nodded. "But not on three, all right?"

"I… I don't know how…" Robin bent his head and his shoulders shook slightly.

"It's… it's all right…" Red tried.

"No… it's not... you… you can loose it… I…" Robin turned and looked up at Slade. He would do anything for Red. Anything. Begging Slade for help was nothing, right?

"I don't know how…" he started.

"So I heard."

"… do … you?"

"Yes."

"… W… Would you…?"

Slade kneeled in front of him again, catching Robin's chin in his hand.

"Why would I? You told me that you never would do anything for me?"

Robin couldn't say anything to that. He just stared at the man hopelessly.

"Let go of him, Slade!" Red tried to sit up, but winced and fell back as he made his arm move.

"Let go of him?" Slade purred. "Don't you know that he is mine, boy?"

Surprisingly Red started laughing.

"He- he will never be yours! Don't kid yourself, Slade. Robin doesn't belong to anybody! Well… 'cept maybe me…" he grinned and winked at the younger boy. That gave Robin the strength to pull free and edge away from Slade.

Slade looked from one boy to the other and nodded.

"We'll see about that…" he murmured and Robin felt something cold grip his heart at the tone of the voice. Then the man closed in on Red, who stared defiantly back at him.

"I'll set your arm, boy, but only because I know it hurts like hell. You thought it hurt when I broke it in the first place? You are in for a surprise."

Red only snarled and Robin gripped his other hand tightly and whispered soothingly in his ear as Slade prepared. The sound of bones scraping together was one that Robin would never forget, and Red's scream would always hunt his nightmares. Thankfully the boy lost consciousness after a short while, and after fixating the arm in a makeshift cast, Slade finally left them alone. Robin sat on the floor with Red's head and upper body in his arms. He stroked the boy's hair gently.

"Everything will be fine… everything will be fine…" he mumbled softly, over and over again. But he didn't believe his own words.

He held Red like that for over an hour until the boy finally awoke. Robin then helped him to the bed and put the blanket over him as Red now fell asleep for real. Robin sat down on the foot of the bed. He drew his knees up, almost to his chin, and put his arms around them. He sat there, staring into the opposite wall, listening to Red's breathing.

That's how Red found him as he woke up the next morning. The boy knew something was wrong, very wrong, but he didn't know what to do.

"Robin? Robin? Are you ok?" he reached out for him with his uninjured arm and touched the boy's cheek lightly. Robin blinked, but other than that there wasn't any reaction.

"Shit, Robin, I'm no good at this! What's wrong with you?!"

Robin heard him, but he didn't know how to break free. At first he had just sat there, relived that Slade had left and that Red had woken up, then he had started thinking, and as those thoughts had turned darker he had started spiraling downwards… into himself. And now… he didn't know how to climb up again. It was that chair. That empty chair. You can't protect him…

But Red was alive! He could still hear him, Robin felt his arm around him, and he felt his lips on his cheek. He had to go back. He didn't want too, though. 'Back' meant the cell. It meant pain. It meant Slade. But it also meant Red. Red X. Rick Knight. So Robin started climbing.

As Robin shuddered slightly and blinked a couple of times, Red thought he could cry of relief.

"Robin? Can you hear me? Rob?"

"The chair was empty…" the boy mumbled.

It didn't take Red long to make the connection, and he winced. Robin must have thought that… The teen growled and muttered some very nasty things about Slade.

"I know. But I'm all right, I'm safe. And so are you, kid… come on! Snap out of it or I'll smooch you in front of Starfire, ok!?"

"…promise?" Robin's voice was faint, but there was some life in his eyes now, and a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Yeah, kid, I promise! Next time we see Star I will own those lips of yours, 'kay?"

"… 'kay…" the smile took on a slightly more solid form.

"Come…" Red's voice was gentle now, as he got Robin to lie down. It was his turn to tuck his love in this time. "Sleep… just rest… I'll be right here…"

Robin sighed tiredly and closed his eyes. After a minute Red could hear the deep, even breaths of sleep and he finally relaxed. That only lasted for a moment, though, as Slade walked into the room.

Red flew to his feet and up to the bars in a split second.

"Go away, Slade!" He snarled in a low voice so he wouldn't wake Robin. "Leave us alone! Robin can't take any more of you right now! He was fucking near catatonic!"

Slade chuckled.

"Big word for you. Congratulations.Worried about 'your' little bird? I wouldn't be. He is stronger than that, but then again... I know him better."

"Like hell you do, you piece of shit!" Red found it increasingly difficult to keep his voice down, but he did. "You will never know him like I do! You can take his freedom, but I have his heart!"

"Who says I want his heart, boy?" Slade sneered. "Tell my Robin when he wakes up, that I will give him one week to heal. And then… it's time for the final mission."

To be continued…

A/N: Sooo… cuddly Slade is nowhere to be seen in this fic. Don't expect him to show up. –heh- that would be weird, eh? Slade from the future-fic drabbles showing up… oh, he would kick mean Slade's butt for this! But… ehh… possibly still kill Red… NO I'm NOT writing it! Not even as a drabble. You want it, you do it… ;o)