A/N: A mid-week chapter for you… we are nearing the end of this one…
Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine.

"That is correct." Slade clicked the control one more time and Red slowly got on his feet, gasping.

"Oh, take your time thinking, next time, kid… no rush!" he muttered.

Robin didn't feel like participating in this any more and just wanted to get down to business.

"So what is it? What am I going to steal?"

Slade looked at him, tilting his head. Robin hated when he did that, but then again, he hated most things Slade did, including breathing. He especially had a problem with that part.

"I won't tell you." the man said.

Robin felt his mouth fall open.

"You… what?… won't… what… but…?"

Red started roaring with laughter.

"He… he… won't tell?! Lord, this guy is seriously si… troubled…"

Robin groaned, leaned his elbows on the table in front of him and rested his head in his hands.

"So…" he started. "You won't tell us? Great. Thanks. Really."

"I won't tell you exactly what it is, that can wait until afterwards, but I will tell you that it is a small container, the size of a box of matches, weighing about the same. There is also a sealed folder of documents, but it should contain only a few pages, all in all you shouldn't have any problem getting the items out."

Robin lifted his head and looked at Slade.

"All right. That, at least, is good news."

"Wait a minute… is it something dangerous?" Red asked suspiciously

"It is completely harmless." Slade reassured them.

"Yeah, like they would put harmless stuff in the Vault. That's practically an anti-axiom." Robin muttered.

"A what, honey?" Red wanted to know

"Err… something that is false… not true…" Robin tried to explain.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you were calling Slade a liar. Good job, though…"

"It actually was the truth…. The only way the item can harm you, is if you break the reinforced glass container and cut yourself on the shards. I wouldn't recommend opening neither the file nor the container, though… in this case curiosity kills the X…I am going to get the blueprints for the vaults for you to study, Robin. You have to learn the route by heart."

"And where did you get the blueprints?" Red asked curiously. "I doubt they are in City Hall."

"Oh, I bought them on E-Bay." Slade said airily and left the room.

Red gawked.

"He was joking, Red." Robin pointed out.

"You sure?"

"Almost." Robin grinned a bit.

"Any idea what the stuff is?"

"No… but I'm starting to think that maybe it's not worth it… What if his plan means innocent people will die?"

"Like me?" Red asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You? Since when were you ever innocent?" Robin smirked.

"Speaking of innocence… what was that about a massage?" Red sounded a bit miffed.

"I'll tell you tonight. It was nothing…" Robin persisted, not wanting Red to blow up as soon as Slade stepped into the room again.

"I was right, though…. About Slade…" Red muttered.

Robin shivered.

"Yeah…"

"If he touches you…"

"He won't! Please don't even talk about it, ok?" Robin asked, agitated.

"You gonna do the ostrich thing? Head in the sand?"

"As long as I can." Robin said grimly.

They were interrupted as Slade came back into the room, followed by a robot. Robin could hear Red sniff the air and even his own stomach grumbled at the smell. Pizza? Red looked like he was about to cry as the Slade-bot handed him one of the cartons through the bars, and placed the other on the table in front of Robin.

Robin raised an eyebrow at Slade, who shrugged.

"I thought you could do with some variation. I'll leave the plans here and will come back in half an hour. We will go through them then."

Robin nodded and waited until the man left before opening his pizza carton. It didn't matter that it was still junk-food, at least it wasn't burgers.

Robin managed to eat three quarters of the pizza by himself, before giving up and handing the rest to Red.

"You can save it you know…" he told the older teen, who had finished his own pizza a bit earlier and still eagerly grabbed for Robin's.

"What, cold pizza?"

"You don't eat cold pizza? Really? You wouldn't like breakfast at the Tower then…"

Red looked a bit sad at the thought and mumbled.

"I don't think I'll ever get a chance to try, anyway…"

"We'll get out of here, Red, I promise…"

"Yeah, but that wasn't what I meant…"

Robin looked at him, but the thief wouldn't say another word. Then it hit him. Breakfast with Red X in Titan's Tower? What was he thinking? How could that ever work? But how could they sneak around, hiding from the world, after what they had been through?

"You'll have that damn breakfast." Robin decided.

"What? Cold pizza? Ewww…" Red grinned a bit now, not really being genetically adapted to stay serious for long.

"It's that or tofu."

"We'll find something I can lick off you…" Red grinned wider as Robin blushed and busied himself with opening the blueprints. After that, the blush quickly died away and was replaced with a very pale color. The vent-system of the Vault Mines was huge.

"Eager to get started I see." Robin jumped at Slade's voice.

He should be made to wear a bell… he thought. But he could probably move quietly anyway.

"These go on for miles!" Robin didn't like the way his voice almost cracked.

"They do. But you don't have to go quite that far."

Slade pointed out the route to Robin. The boy winced. It was still far. Very far. And some passages looked impossible to get through.

"With more training, you will make it." Slade told him confidently.

"I hope so." Robin muttered and glanced up at Red.

"You get to keep the blueprints. Learn them. Decide what passages you want to work on for tomorrow."

"All right."

"Now. Let's discuss the work today. Did you feel you needed any of the equipment I showed you?"

"Hey? Was that dirty talk!?" Red sounded offended. Slade sighed deeply, and stalked over to the cell door and opened it. He gestured to the ever present slade-bots.

"Take him away to have a shower. We have work to do here."

Red didn't mind a shower, but he didn't like to leave Robin alone with Slade again. He didn't have much choice though, with two robots and a broken arm.

"Finally some piece and quiet…" Slade stated as the door closed. "I really don't understand what you see in that boy, Robin."

"Well, he is nothing like you for a start…" Robin growled.

"Yes. Isn't that a pity…?" Slade chuckled. "Now, let's continue. Was there anything you think you will need?"

"I would like to try the low friction vest…" Robin mused "But I think that might prove too bulky…"

"Maybe we can use the material in another way…"

This started a discussion that lasted for quite a long time, and to Robin's surprise he found that he was enjoying himself. Slade could be rather civil and Robin discovered that he was fascinated with how his way of thinking worked. A bit worrying was how well their ideas complemented each other, like they actually did think very much alike. The work session was then interrupted by Red's return.

"You were gone a long time…" Robin commented.

"Well, have any of you ever had to shower with a broken arm?"

"Yes." both Slade and Robin answered simultaneously and looked at a frustrated Red. The boy frowned.

"Yeah, I forgot who I was talking too…" he muttered."Help me with this?" he waved his shirt in the air, and it was obvious that he hadn't been able to get it on by himself.

Robin got up, almost expecting to be stopped by Slade, but wasn't.

"How did you get the old one off?" he asked Red.

"Errr… ripped it off…" Red said quietly, sounding a bit guilty and glancing in Slade's direction.

"Awww… I wanted to do that!" Robin grinned.

"Oh, you will get your chance… But you'll buy the shirts…" Red smirked

"The world's greatest thief can't afford a few shirts? What's that about?" Robin taunted his boyfriend.

"Are you going to help me…? I'm starting to think that you prefer me this way…"

"Sure I do." Robin tilted his head back and kissed him.

"We have work to do, Robin." Slade interrupted.

"Jealous…" Red whispered in Robin's ear.

Though Red might enjoy that, Robin thought that it might not be such a good thing to have a jealous Slade around… if he really was… he was more of the possessive kind, Robin thought… jealousy seemed a too petty emotion for Slade somehow.

Yeah, because he is SUCH a noble man… Robin thought wryly to himself.

"I'm sorry, Slade, I'll be right there." Robin told the man.

"Running to him like a good dog now, eh?" Red sneered quietly.

Robin frowned.

"That's not fair, Red, and you know it."

"I know… Sorry, angel-face…"

Robin snorted.

"You need to practice more…" he managed to get Red's uninjured arm into the shirt and cursed slightly that it didn't have buttons. The shirt that is. An arm with buttons was … too much Cyborg… slipping the top over Red's head he finally got it on. Well... The injured arm was still inside the shirt.

"No chance I can get it through the sleeve without hurting you… is this okay for now?"

"Sure, sky-eyes, but only if i get a kiss for the trouble." He did. Robin tried to keep it on the short side, but with Red, that was a hard thing to do, and he returned to the table slightly flushed and out of breath.

Slade ushered a smiling Red back into the cage and turned his back on him, seemingly trying to pretend he wasn't there. Fortunately Red had a full stomach, just had a long warm shower and then a couple of great kisses from his boyfriend. He was happy. And sleepy. He only meant to lean back on the bed but was asleep within minutes.

Robin noticed and shot a suspicious glance at Slade.

"You didn't drug the pizza, did you?"

"Excellent idea, Robin, I like the way you think…"

"It wasn't a suggestion, Slade!"

The man shrugged and turned the boy's attention back on the mission.

They discussed the pro and cons of the different equipments for another hour.

"Won't I need some kind of light?"

"Yes, when you reach the chamber, you will. It's too dark for night vision-lenses. I will figure out were to put it as soon as we know what you are going to wear. You will also need some rope. The vent is located in the ceiling, so you might have trouble getting back up without it."

"I think I want to practice that move… it sounds difficult." Robin admitted. Slade nodded.

"I'll set it up."

Robin reached for the blueprints again.

"There is something I don't understand… didn't you show me that I would start from here?" Robin pointed to a spot in the middle of the system. It didn't seem to have a connection to the outside world.

"Yes. It is the best spot nearest to the surface. I have had my robots dig down to it. Well, that sounds too easy, I know, but it has been going on for four months and I have taken every precaution. They have no idea the tunnel is there."

"Why not dig the whole way down to the shaft, then?"

"Too deep. You need proper mining equipment to do that, and mining is loud. This vent…" Slade pointed to the spot on the map "hasn't actually entered the bedrock yet. Digging through sediment is much easier."

"Won't they notice a big hole in their vent?"

"It's not going to be a big hole. Besides, we'll do it carefully."

"Will you fill it up again afterwards?"

Slade hesitated for a moment, and Robin got a feeling he was given a weird look.

"That… won't be necessary."

Robin shivered.

"I'm starting to think it won't be worth it…" he muttered.

"I see."

They were both quiet for a while.

"Batman wouldn't want me to save him, myself or any one person if it meant the lives of countless others…." Robin tried not to make it sound like a refusal, merely a discussion point.

"How noble of him." Robin couldn't tell, but it sounded like Slade was smirking.

"He is." Robin insisted harshly.

Slade turned and looked towards Red on the bed.

"He is asleep. I could do it without him even waking up, if you want."

Robin went cold and numb. He had imagined Slade killing Red in a whole range of terrible and painful ways… this sounded almost like a… blessing… he looked at the peaceful teen in the corner and was unable to move or speak until Slade walked towards the cell.

"No!" Robin hissed, quickly getting up to stand between Slade and the door. "I'll do it, Slade, I can't let you…"

"How about being noble?"

Robin turned to look at his boyfriend again.

"I guess I'm just not…"

"I'm getting tired of having to remind you, Robin. It's time you accepted the situation. Until this mission is completed you work for me. If you manage to keep Red off my back he won't be hurt either, as long as you do what you are told. If I have to repeat myself like this, I might as well get rid of the one thing that annoys me to no end…" he nodded his head towards Red.

Robin took a deep breath.

"I accept, and I'll try to get Red to stop annoying you…" he said quickly.

"All right. And about the second part… just do your best… you are only human, after all."

Robin couldn't help to grin, and Slade chuckled slightly.

"Ready to work on your flexibility?" the man then said briskly and Robin nodded.

Half an hour later Robin was bent backwards, holding his own ankles.

"Good. How's the breathing going?" Slade asked.

"F- fine." Robin gasped, indicating the opposite.

"Does it remind you of your difficulty breathing when you where stuck?"

"Yeah..." Robin realized that it actually did.

"Well, you are not stuck now. Try to relax your stomach, and breathe from here." Slade's hand was suddenly on his lower abdomen and Robin flinched.

"No." Slade reprimanded him. You are breathing up here. " His hand slid up to the upper part of Robin's chest. Not better. Much… the boy thought.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Red's outraged voice echoed through the cell. Robin almost fell over.

Slade sighed again.

"I knew we should have taken this in the training room."

"Get-your-hands-off-him-you-son-of-a-bitch-or-I'll-" Red started before Slade interrupted him.

"Oh, shut up, Red. You can't tell me you don't want your boyfriend limber?"

Now Robin did fall over, or would have if Slade had not noticed, and put a hand under the small of his back, supporting him.

"You can get up, Robin. We'll continue this tomorrow."

"Thanks god..." Robin muttered and lifted himself up with a bit of help from Slade.

"You're welcome…" Slade chuckled softly. "Now, Robin, no glares. I want you to stretch before going to bed, but I guess you know how to do that?"

Robin nodded.

"Good. I'll put you back with your hothead of a boyfriend, then. You have a bit to explain to him I guess…"

Robin almost stumbled at that as he passed the gate and it clicked shut behind him. Seeing the very upset glare from Red, he shot Slade a worried glance, almost wanting to ask him to stay until Red had cooled down. He didn't of course, and Slade just hummed a bit to himself as he left the room.

"Red…" Robin said warningly as the heated glare didn't die down and the older teen strode towards him. Robin didn't get any further before being slammed into the wall and kissed fiercely. Red didn't even seem to care about his arm as he pressed into Robin. When the thief finally let him breathe Robin only chuckled.

"And you think Slade is jealous…"

"Not funny, birdie! Now you are going to tell me exactly what happened today, and then I am personally going to use the you-know-what on the bastard's groin!"

"Easy hot-head… Slade touching me, and I'm not saying he did it in an inappropriate way! Well… not very anyhow, was NOT the worst thing that happened to me today, ok? That was nothing! He gave me a massage to stretch my muscles because I was cramping from the vents!" Robin was almost fuming, desperate to explain.

"Hey, you stole the hot-head-thing! That's mine! What vents?"

A while later Robin had told Red everything that had happened during the day.

"Evil git." Red proclaimed and added a few very well chosen words to further describe the man who held them prisoner. Robin only sighed and curled up to his boyfriend. They had moved to the bed as soon as Robin finished his stretching and realized how tired he was.

"I just want to sleep… I doubt I'll get to rest much tomorrow…" he sighed.

"Want me to tell you a bedtime-story?" Red asked.

Robin laughed softly.

"What? You know any?"

"Well… when I say 'bedtime-story' I more or less mean 'smut', and when I say 'tell you' I kinda' mean 'show you'…"

"I'm too tired for demonstrations…" Robin yawned.

"Spoil-sport…" Red muttered.

"How about you wake me early?"

"Riiiight… like I wake early by myself? What interest has a thief in mornings?"

"The early bird catches the worm, you know…" Robin was almost asleep.

"Yeah..." Red smirked. "But the second rat gets the cheese."

The days that followed were as tiring as Robin had predicted. Slade now preferred to come and get him in the mornings and keep him away for the whole day. Working with Red in the room just didn't… work… Robin tried to explain to his boyfriend that he had to behave if he wanted Robin to be allowed in the outer room, but Red behaving usually lasted as long as a snowball in a volcano. So Slade had moved the theory lessons to the training room, and Robin found that he preferred it that way, as he didn't have to worry about Red's mouth on the top of everything else. Luckily, for Robin, Slade had taken to punishing the thief for his own mistakes. That left Robin slightly more unharmed, but Red didn't seem to mind a bit of pain for a real good shot at the mercenary. Training hard had lead to regular meals, still often junk food, but once in a while other take-away-meals like Chinese, featured on the menu. And even Red got fed as Slade wasn't as annoyed with him when he didn't have to see him for a whole day.

Robin got better at traversing the vents. He could control his panic quite well by now, and they had had been able to make a thin, flexible, plate from the low-friction material that could be strapped on to his back like a back brace. It helped to go faster through the parallel vents, but the boy had to watch out when going down or up. Bracing his back against the wall wasn't such a good idea at those times. The time they cut made up for that, though. The night were spent studying the blueprints and the day's always consisted partly of learning every little angle and measurements of the route.

This day, five or six days after the training had started, Robin thought, Slade brought him to a very small room which only held a treadmill. Robin was told to start walking and did so, actually glad to stretch his muscles in that way too. He hadn't been outside for a while, after all.

"This is to train in heated conditions. I will set the temperature of this room to approximately that of the Vaults. Let me know how it feels."

It felt like working out in a sauna. Slade soon had him running on the treadmill, and Robin found that hot air seemed to hold less oxygen. Well, that perhaps wasn't true, but it felt like it. The man instructed him to try and breathe in through his nose, and that helped a little bit for a while. The exercise lasted for around half an hour, and Robin was drenched in sweat as Slade opened the door again. Slade himself didn't seem troubled, but then again, he hadn't been running, had he?

"You better take a shower and change quickly. I don't want the temperature-variations to make you sick."

"It's going to be that hot in there?!"

"Yes. I told you that's why heat-sensors were useless, didn't I?"

"Yes, but…" Robin stopped himself. What was he going to say? 'Make it cooler'? "I'll take that shower now…" he mumbled instead, and set off towards the bathroom. It made Robin extremely annoyed that they hadn't found a way to defeat Slade and escape yet… there was always the risk that Slade would get back at them by revealing Batman's identity if they escaped. Deep inside, though, Robin thought that Slade would rather keep the secret and use it against Robin later… it was a great hand he held, after all, why give it up out of spite? And in the mean time Robin would have a chance to warn Bruce, maybe they could set up some doppelganger-scheme to make it seem impossible for Bruce to really be Batman…? He knew the dark knight would come up with something, and by then, Red would also be out of harms way.

Returning to Slade after the shower Robin discovered that most of the equipment that had been laid out for testing had been packed away. Only the few things he was to carry on him: a micro torchlight, which was flat and round and fitted in a pocked on his stomach, three meters of rope and the suit with the low-friction back brace, was laid out.

He looked questionably at Slade, who stood by the equipment. The man tilted his head slightly.

"You are good enough. You'll go tomorrow."

To be continued…

A/N: All right, kind of a boring chapter, eh? Sorry, it's a bit of a transition… The end is near, though! More action then, I promise!I'm not sure if the next chapter or the one after that will be the last one… but if you like this pairing, there will always be drabbles… ;o) I hope to be able to update this weekend… Saturday or Sunday…