Chapter 60: Intentions
Robin wished for more than anything that Slade would just disappear one day, all of the above. Little did he know that after the old man he'd met had come and gone that morning, that he'd finally have use for the book he'd been given. Robin slept in the same room without supper that night. Putting up one hell of a fight just for the sake of getting Slade angry. He wanted alone time and got it, nothing in his stomach, but a book on his bedside table.
Slade, he knew didn't like the fact that Robin was so into the book. It gave him tons of info on the place he now resided in. Slade and his comrades feared the old man might have been one of the rebel helpers of the queen, Light. A goddess living up in the heavens. THAT is why the book needed to be confiscated and Robin punished in time. When he got back to his room, Robin realized that his bed had been remade and his pillows fluffed. No way had it been another maid, because as he saw it the book, was gone!
"Oh crap, where did it –
Robin looked up from under the bed. Slade was standing outside his door, with the book. He wasn't looking too great at all. "Looking for this." He asked, a curtain hanging over his lies. Robin stood in front of the man. His vision of Slade coming into the room was wary enough to frighten even he himself. "Give it back."
Robin held out his hand waiting for an answer. Slade just stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. Book flap showing. "I can't have that Robin, even you of all people should know this as betrayal." He held up the book to show what his plan meant.
Robin sneered. "So? It's not yours. He didn't give it to you –
BUT he gave it to you. Which is all that I need to know." Seeing the boy's fists come together expecting a fight, Slade said nothing back and simply put his hand up in defense. "Not now. We need to talk." He sounded serious as he found a seat by a desk in the room. Robin sat on the bed, slowly reclaiming grip. Slade grunted as he sat while Robin scratched his face thoughtfully.
"I've sent him away so that you won't see each other any
What!" Robin knew this sounded too much like a threat. It was too much to take in even for a second. Robin wanted to throw himself at the hated man as quickly as he could. Just to get back at his new friend and teacher for the best. That man had made him laugh. And he was a servant to some beast. Slade even. That does it!
Robin lunged at Slade and didn't notice that the book was in his hand until it was dropped slowly. "I've had it with you bossing around the innocent! Give it back! – ugh..." Robin was hit in the gut as he fell to the floor. His eyes had been on Slade so long that he'd forgotten to watch his opponent fully. His vision grew dark as something came in over his head.
"That man trusted him too much we can't have that in our young sire."
Voices.
"Do you think he's awake? Slade'll have his head for sure, but Roku might not want him…who knows?"
Who were they?
"Gentlemen, to see this to its end I'll need to get to the bottom of his fits. So out of the way if you please."
An English guy? Who –
"Good day Richard." The man was clad in a cloak just as the others had been from the temple. His mustache was gray and black but cut short enough down the sides. His hair was black too, but he looked old for a man with no dye in it. He had green cut eyes that pierced through flesh so that it would run crawling down your back. He was not a good guy. That was for sure.
"Do…I know you?" Robin asked as he sat up in his chair Wait! That was what it was! Robin remembered his temporal wish. That 'almost made him freak out' fight and Slade…SLADE. Where was he?
"Slade isn't here as of today, you didn't get a chance to injure him the least. And since his power has grown this entire time, he got your attention so that you of all his enemies would keep in mind who was still your master!" The man finished as he breathed. "Aye, so then let's get started shall we?"
Robin groaned as the man made him dizzy in his position. He was staring down at the boy wonder. The room, he realized was all yellow and painted bright with no doors or windows as it lit up. Robin thought the light might blind a person as he struggled in binds that held him to the chair in the center of the room. "Wha- how?"
Robin pulled at his restraints viscously and looked back up at the man who gave a yank to a suitcase that was next to the chair. Out popped a pile of papers falling out of a large folder.
"So, Richard Grayson is it? My, my. A healthy bonus life here and there, you are terribly fit. Looks like we'll have to change that…hmm…then let me check my papers, Aha! Here we are!"
"Look sir… I don't belong here! My friends are out there somewhere and I have to get away from here as soon as your, whatever is done. Please, who are you? What do you want with me?" The man looked at the boy as if he were in shock and then began to laugh heartily and loudly. "Richard my boy, as you can see this isn't your room. You've been held here for other reasons to clear that naughty little head of yours from attempting escape into the unknown."
"What? Naughty? Who gave you that dumb idea mister…?
Dr. Regis. My boy, Dr. And yes I am here to sedate you before your big mission."
"Who – Slade!"
Robin shook and rattled his binds as they fell away. No doubt on purpose. "Tell me where he is!" The doctor was quick, with a pull of the wrist he took Robin into a state of separate types of possession as painlessly as a mosquito bite. He latched his hand around the boy's arm and made his shot with the liquid. It was blue, clear and painless. Robin jerked away with a yelp as frustration now grew in the place of hatred. Slowing the master planner as he looked at the man with that anger.
Robin growled as if thinking it would manipulate his enemy. Maybe even induce some kind of fear. But it was futile as he began to feel dizzy in the head, knees knocked together and he was out as close to the floor as expected. "Just a prick 'twas it." The doctor explained to his patient. "Maybe a few cells damaged." He watched as the child crumpled to the floor.
"There!" Raven pointed at a bot escaping to the next room of the warehouse. It ran another ways round the corner and up a ladder but was stopped by Beastboy who came in from on top of the ladder. He was a monkey on the elongated thing as it stuck out like a sore thumb for the others to follow. "Haa!" He came down and onto the robot's head as it let go and fell into the air. Beastboy was about to jump when he saw a cool looking watch the bot had on its wrist. What was it, Bb didn't care, he wanted to show it to Cy and Raven. He jumped and was caught by Starfire and her 'high flying action.'
"Star! Lookie what I got!" He smiled; an evil villain toy. Robin wouldn't be the only one! He sounded like a child to her as she flew to the ground where the bot had fallen and brought Beastboy down with her. "Robin would not appreciate you commenting those guys, especially Slade, Bb." Cyborg wagged his finger at his friend's new toy request. "Aww, C'mon. It can't be that bad. Slade made it and he only makes the really bad ones for
Special occasions." Raven finished. Beastboy pressed the button on the watch and all of a sudden it glew and he and the others were sent to the exact time the robot was going! A time watch! Sweet!
The group landed in a place similar to their own except the castles and monuments of a dragon! Raven gaped, as did Starfire and Cyborg. Beastboy was in trouble he knew. "Um, oops?"
"Where are we! Beastboy!" Cyborg was ready to throw a fit until the little wizard stopped him. "If I am certainly correct, this must be Lord Roku's past. His son that is."
Starfire saw a group of farmers and gasped. "Robin?" the other boy turned around and began speaking some kind of weird language. "Yes, then ok!"
She floated to the others. "It was not him…" Her head drooped.
"I know he is here, I can sense him somewhere…beyond that mountain." Mal looked up into the air just enough to watch Verra drop from his own portal appointed by a major goddess of the heavens. He fell on top of Beastboy who screamed like a girl in the attempt of catching him. Cyborg laughed consciously and pointed with a finger at the two goons.
"Ha! Serves you right for what you did B." Chuckles Cyborg caught his breath and sighed.
Starfire had her hand in the air as she pointed at a bird flying over the mountain. It was large in size and wingspan reaching its beak into the clouds that surrounded the spot. She gasped as he was seen further and then closer up and screeched as he came in to dive on her friend Raven. Blocking with her power the thing evaded and sent down a scroll, tied with string and a leather strap. Raven caught the paper as the bird disappeared miraculously into the skies. It was a map, with directions to a field that covered the mountaintops. She blinked and watched the bird from her standing point, it was gone.
"That, was close…" She said handing the parchment to Malchior. He opened it and looked for himself. His eyes lay on the mountain after he had it given to Gregory for safekeeping. "That is from her highness…the goddess's bird."
Greg stared at it for a minute before putting it in his sack. "We go over those hills as it tells." He directed the group to the hills. "Onward team!" Verra waltzed over and up over a bump in the road. Starfire looked at Cyborg who shrugged and answered the calling by following.
"I'm thirsty…I'm Hungry, I'm Booored! Ah!" Verra and Beastboy were both given glares by the others. "Robin would not want you to misbehave he would only want peace." Starfire stated.
"You sound like a monk," Spit Verra. "I AM bored!" Both sighed heavily and eager as they continued. "Where are we?" Raven stopped as the mapped ended. Mal followed her up the side of a cliff. "We're here." He answered.
Robin awoke to a surprise as his arms and legs were tied to a wall of stone and steel. "Hello again…"
"Alice?" Robin scrunched his face as she did the same in disgust. He hated her ways. She was soon interrupted as she squeaked and turned around to face Slade. He looked down at Robin. They were both surprised, all but Slade. "Welcome to The Wall, apprentice." He was smirking as no one could see. This was just getting weirder —
Oh is it? Well I'm sorry you feel that way, don't you my dear?" He looked at Alice who turned to look at Robin with hate, but something else. Regret? "Can you guess why I have him here? Alice?" He turned to her.
"Your master is displeased with your actions." Her eyes sent chills into Robin. "Men are punished here, tortured sometimes. You are to meet the same fate till you learn to control all actions." She ended with a breath. She was good, too good to Slade…
"So." Robin wanted to spit at the two, just to tick them off for good. "I can still wait till it ends
But…What if it doesn't? Like Alice explained to you. Torture is instructed here. Welcome to The Wall. Learn to like it."