Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans.
AN: So, this chapter is a little slow on the plot, but it picks up next chapter, so bare with me. The next few chapters should be updated soon. I'm working on editing the plot a little from how I originally had it.
Batman landed on the top of the Titan's tower roof. The four members were already up there to greet him before Batman was even out of the plane. Batman spent the next thirty minutes listening to what the Titans knew about Deathstroke, who they simply called Slade, and his interactions with Robin. Batman was surprised to find out that Deathstroke had been so obsessed over Robin. He wasn't sure how he felt knowing that Robin had gone through so much suffering and hadn't contacted him. He knew they hadn't parted on best of terms, but he still thought even Robin would know that Batman would always be there for him. Still, he didn't think about it too long. The titans explained that they had been fighting Cinderblock when Robin randomly disappeared. Cinderblock, they explained, often worked for Deathstroke. As the titans finished their story on how the last fight with Robin had went down, Batman paused deep in thought.
Batman was deeply troubled that this was not Robin's first time as a criminal for the man, but his third time. The first had been on Robin's own freewill to try and figure out what Slade had been up to. The second he'd been forced into it. This time, no one was sure. Batman was sure he was being blackmailed again, but with who this time if it wasn't the titans? Then Batman paused. It didn't matter who. Deathstroke could pull anyone off the street and threaten them. Robin would be forced to do as the man said if Deathstroke had a trigger on someone. So it could be anyone. Still Batman wondered if it were him that Deathstroke was threaten. He was tempted to ask Cyborg to scan him for probes, but then he thought Slade would not use the same trick twice. Or would he? This guy was a criminal master mind. Maybe he was counting on the fact that 1 the team wouldn't contact him at all, or 2 that Batman wouldn't check. After a moment of debate, he asked to be checked for the probes. They had told him he'd have to remove his crowl so he insisted to have a curtain between the team and him to keep his identity. They complied of course. They would be a fool not to.
Once it was determined that Batman did not have the probes, Batman replaced his crowl and decided it was best to spend his time looking at the battle scene. The team offered to go with him, but he insisted their time would be better spent trying to find first, Slade's next target, and second, where he was hiding from the control room. The titans gave Batman a communicator to call them with if he or they had found anything. He didn't expect to hear anything.
Batman was looking for firstly any remains of any device that Robin had used to see if he could trace him through that, and secondly which way Robin would've went when he escaped. If he could determine the way he went it might better help locate Deathstroke and put an end to this quicker.
Deathstroke's devices that Robin had used were completely incinerated. He could see were the device had hit the ground and exploded, but he couldn't find any remains anywhere he looked. He determined that Robin had escaped from the sewer passage though. A few feet away from the blast had been a man hole. Batman hopped down into the sewers hoping to find something. Come on, Dick. Batman silently said. Leave me some sort of sign. But there was nothing. Batman had no way of knowing which way he'd gone. He'd been careful not to leave footprints and he'd not marked the walls with anything identifiable.
Batman sighed deeply annoyed, but had one more thing to check. The titans had said Robin had stolen a motorbike. The license plate had been recorded at the Police station. Batman didn't want who the bike actually belonged to, just where they had been when the bike had been stolen. After talking with the police and going to the bar where it had been stolen, Batman only found a subway station close by the bar. It was like the sewer system, impossible to know which way he'd come from and if he had came from the subway station at all. Still Batman walked along the tracks looking for any sign. After a half hour of getting nowhere, Batman decided the search was a dead end. He could've taken a train to any part of the city or came from any part of the city by train and therefore it was impossible to know where to look.
Disappointed he'd found nothing, he reluctantly returned to the Tower.
The next two days Robin was silent during his training. If it bothered Slade, Slade didn't say anything. The only thing Slade said was pointers on how to improve. Robin took each pointer and would try again. Slade would praise him when he got it right, which only angrier Robin for causing any pleasure to the masked man, but he said nothing. Soon as he was released to his room for the night on the second day, Robin set a small plan into place.
Robin waited for almost an hour after Slade had left him in his room and then quietly slipped out. The door of course was not locked because Slade had said there was no point on Robin running unless he wanted people to die. But Robin wasn't running away. He had another goal in mind. He slipped into the room where he'd first been revealed he was Slade's apprentice again and was relieved that no one was in it. He then slide over to the controls where Slade had shown him the monitor with Alfred. If he could hack the system, he might be able to disarm the devices planted in the manor by Slade and send out a message to Batman on where to look.
Robin hadn't even touched the controls when he heard a voice behind him. "What do you think you're doing?" Slade asked. Robin jumped and froze where he was. "You're supposed to be resting." Slade said calmly, but there was an underlying threat in his voice.
Robin turned around to face him. It was no good to pretend he wasn't there. He glared at Slade harshly, but knew he would not be able to hack the system tonight with Slade watching him.
"Apprentice?" Slade said, his voice holding that same threat.
"Yes?" Robin responded though he hated the title.
"What were you doing?" Slade demanded.
"Nothing." Robin sighed and turned to head back to his room. Slade caught his arm and Robin glared back at him.
"If you're so eager for your next mission, I can help." Slade said, and Robin could almost see the smirk behind the mask.
"What is it?" Robin demanded pulling away from the man's grip.
"Come. I'll explain on the aircraft." Slade replied. Robin creased his eyebrows in confusion.
"Air craft?" Robin asked.
"I have business to attend to elsewhere. Come." Slade said simply and turned walking away from Robin. Robin reluctantly followed. Robin supposed he shouldn't have been surprised when Slade put a blindfold over his eyes. Every time he tried to take it off, he received a sharp smack from Slade, and so reluctantly, Robin left it on and allowed Slade to lead him. When the blindfold was finally removed, Robin was in a large aircraft. He wanted to ask how Slade had been able to afford something like this and where in the world he could've hidden something like this in Jump City, but he knew the first answer he didn't want to know and the second answer wouldn't be told. So Robin just took a seat as the craft took off. Slade sat across from him with a laptop in his lap.
"Where are we heading?" Robin asked after a few minutes of tense silence.
"Gotham." Slade replied shortly scrolling through some information. Robin was shocked by the answer and gaped at the masked man.
"Why?" He asked dumbfounded.
"I have work to do." Slade said. Robin wasn't sure if he wanted to know what kind of work. He was terrified all of the sudden that Slade had brought him on this to force him to watch Slade kill someone. Or worst yet, had he brought him here to make him kill someone?
"And me?" Robin asked feeling sick.
"Will not be with me." Slade assured him looking over the boy's face for a moment before returning his gaze to the screen. Robin felt immediately better, but then confused.
"What will I be doing?" Robin questioned.
"William will be talking you through your mission while I handle business elsewhere. I'm sure by now I don't need to tell you the price of failure." Slade responded almost absentmindedly.
"You trust me to be out of your watchful eye?" Robin raised an eyebrow.
"Is there a reason not to trust you? Besides, you'll be watched by William." Slade reminded him. "And before you get any ideas," Slade got up from his seat and stalked over to Robin. Robin watched him glaring. Slade clipped a bracelet on his wrist. Robin looked down at it with confusion. "This will ensure you don't step into the Wayne manor. If you do, the bracelet will trigger the gases within the manor and most likely both you and Alfred will die." Robin's glare intensified as Slade merely walked back to his seat. Robin looked over the bracelet, looking for any way to get it off when Slade wasn't around. Slade went back to reading his file. And the two sat in silence for a while.
"So, why did you decide to bring me along, or was that the plan the whole time?" Robin finally asked.
"Actually, I was coming to lock your door, but when I found you out of bed at the controls, I figured you could use something to do. Besides, it makes less work for me since I was going to have to do a couple of jobs while there anyway." Slade replied.
"How did you know you'd need the bracelet then?" Robin challenged.
"I'd originally been planning for you to come with me, but after today's training, I thought you would've been too tired to complete the mission without trouble. I supposed I underestimated you." Slade admitted. "It won't happen again." He assured.
And with that, they were left in deafening silence again. Robin continued to stare down at the bracelet while Slade continued with whatever work he had on the computer. Robin was tempted to see what the other rooms were in the aircraft, but didn't really want to deal with Slade if he wasn't supposed to go in the rooms.
Finally after about three hours, they arrived in Gotham. Slade left Robin in Wintergreen's hands without so much as a goodbye or threat. Robin didn't need it though. He knew what the threat would be and he didn't want to be forced to talk to Slade anymore anyway. After Wintergreen handed Robin the ear pieces and utility belt, he told Robin which building he would be going to. Robin sighed as he left the aircraft. Time to get this over with.