Disclaimer: All copyright and credit goes to the original creators of the Teen Titans, Batman, and the DC Universe. This is for entertainment purposes only! I do not own any of the characters!

A/N: Hey everyone! It's been a while! Thanks for all of the reviews and the follows and the favorites! I appreciate the support:)

Alright, I hope you enjoy!


Chapter 12

Beneath the Facades

"AHHHHH!"

Scalding, hot water rushed down Robin's skin, stinging his body with sharp prickles of pain. The boy slammed the water off and swore, muttering ridiculous obscenities under his breath.

"Why is the water BURNING hot if the handle clearly says cold!" Robin yelled to himself as he looked at the taunting shower controls. Was it really this difficult? All he wanted to do was to take a shower with adequately warm water…

For the third time that morning, Robin blamed his problems on Slade.

Only a criminal mastermind would have a shower with controls that lied to you. The boy turned the other handle labeled 'hot' on, and ice, cold water came gushing out. Robin yelped as he was jarred wide awake by the sudden waterfall that beat down on his head. He allowed the freezing water to race over his skin for several more seconds before he flicked the other handle on. Eventually the water leveled out into a mildly warm cascade of droplets, and Robin sighed in relief.

He allowed his senses to fall away as he listened to the low roar of thunder that filled his ears. A dim and distant feeling of peace washed over him as the water surrounded him with an odd sense of security. Showers just always had a strange way of making him feel relaxed. When he was younger, he used to take showers until his hands were shriveled and withered with lines and wrinkles. After especially long night of patrols, he remembered he would stay in the shower for almost an hour at a time.

A rueful grin sketched its way onto his face as he remembered Bruce's face when the man had looked at his water bill. After that incident, he had installed auto-shut off devices in all of the showers throughout the mansion, and Robin's showers had drastically reduced in time.

The boy ran his hand through his hair and let out an extremely slow breath of air.

Taking a shower in your enemy's home?

Check that off the bucket list.

He chuckled and rubbed his hands over his tired eyes, feeling the dirt and grime run off of his face. The stress of this situation was getting to him. He could feel it building up in the back of his mind. It was like an avalanche – one pebble caused more pebbles to fall which caused bigger rocks to fall which eventually brings down the whole mountain.

Batman is the pebble and Slade is the massive rock that brings down the whole mountain.

And I'm stuck somewhere in the middle.

The boy sighed. Sometimes he wished he was normal. Sometimes he wished all he had to worry about was if he was going to pass a math test, or what he was going to wear, or if his crush liked him or not. Sometime he wished he didn't have to worry about the life of a person he cared about…

The boy ran his fingers through his wet hair and shut off the water. He didn't have time for long showers anymore. Every second he delayed, could be a second too late. With that grim thought, the boy grabbed a fluffy towel and stepped out of the shower. He dragged it over his hair and across his body, suddenly feeling extremely tired. Weary hands fell on the cold counter surrounding the sink.

Sometimes he wished he could just be a kid...the person under the mask.

Slowly he raised his head to face the foggy mirror in front of him, and blinked. A foreign pair of blue eyes blinked back at him.

If only he could remember how…


Slade Wilson considered himself a dedicated and driven person.

But after burning ten pancakes in a row, he finally gave up on his quest to continue breakfast.

The man leaned back in his chair and turned on his laptop, ignoring the burnt smell that hung in the air. He would let Will finish up breakfast whenever the blasted man got back from the store. For now he had more important work to do.

The Joker most likely relocated Batman to another hideout around Jump after Robin's suicide rescue attempt. Slade sighed and scrolled through his file on the Joker. There are two possible locations the crazed clown could have moved to. He just needed time to go and scout out each location. Afterwards, he could devise the best plan of action to follow which hopefully involved keeping Robin alive.

If that was even possible. The boy was so hard-headed, Slade was surprised he hadn't gotten himself killed by now.

Soft footsteps dragged Slade out of his thoughts, and he glanced up as Robin appeared from the hallway. It was odd to see the boy in something other than his traffic light colored uniform. Wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a loose fitting black t-shirt, Robin looked almost like a normal teenager. Well normal, except for the domino mask that remained plastered to his face.

For several seconds they remained locked in an unsettling silence as the two figures regarded each other.

Robin raised an eyebrow as he broke eye contact and swept his gaze around the room.

"Having trouble cooking?"

A prickle of irritation crawled up Slade's spine, and he slowly narrowed his eyes.

"Sit. Will should be back soon, and breakfast is almost ready," Slade said after several seconds, ignoring Robin's slight jab. The man fixed him under an authoritative stare, almost daring him to challenge the order.

Robin eyes gradually came back to the seated man. He seriously was getting annoyed with this whole situation. If Slade really thought he was going to eat breakfast with him like a civil human being while Batman was missing and being held captive by the Joker…well the masked man had another thing coming…

"No time," Robin responded dismissively. He hadn't even moved an inch when Slade's ominous warning floated over to him.

"Be advised, Robin. Breakfast is not an option. Now sit down." Slade said sharply, his words slithering into the air.

A growl of annoyance burned through the boy's lips. He clenched his fists together as he focused his gaze on the impossible man. "You can't be serious! The Joker probably moved hideouts after my failed rescue attempt. I should be out searching for him! You can't help me if I don't even know where Batman is!"

"Sit down, Robin. Now." Slade snapped, shutting his laptop with a deafening thud. The man's body grew stiff as the tension in the room continued to rise.

"It's already nine o'clock! I should have been up hours ago. I'm going out to search for him," Robin growled, taking a step forward.

"One last chance. Sit and eat."

"No."

The word carved into Slade and his last bit of remaining patience with the boy filtered from his body. He slowly rose from his chair, his physical statue towering over the pathetic boy. The insolent attitude would end – now.

"Why the heck do you even care if I eat or not!" Robin shouted, glaring daggers at the being blocking his way.

"I suggest you watch your tone," Slade snapped, his single eye narrowing in disapproval.

"Why should I? I need to be out there, and you're standing in my way. " Robin shouted, throwing his hands in the air. Anger bubbled up in his body and he dropped his gaze to the floor, taking deep, calming breaths. Slade was being ridiculously unfair right now. He was an idiot – a complete utter idiot – to think that the man would actually help him find Batman.

"I told you I would help you, and I am. You need food. Now either you will sit down and eat willingly, or I will force feed you."

Robin looked up at the man mortified. Slade was not one to make threats lightly. If the man said he would, he would.

"I don't have to listen to you!"

Slade took a step closer to Robin, his voice going deathly low. "If we are going to work together then you will listen to what I have to say. Now sit down."

"Dammit Slade! I don't have time for this!" Robin screamed, snapping his gaze up from the ground.

Slade hissed, stalking closer to the boy. "Watch your language, boy."

Robin glared at the man blocking his way as he balled his hands into fists. He hadn't felt this way since he had fought with Batman. It was the same exact weak and helpless sensation that made him feel like a pathetic child again. It was the same patronizing glare, the same condescending tone, and the same serious body language. But at least Batman had attempted to listen – even if only for a minute. Slade didn't even bother to take into consideration anything that was said. The man was like a cold brick wall – and Robin was sick of it.

"You know what! To hell with you! I'm done with this crap!"

A powerful hand cracked over Robin's face, throwing him to the floor.

The boy slammed onto the hard tile and swore under his breath as stars exploded in front of his eyes. He gasped as a fiery pain spread through his jaw and throughout his face. That had hurt. Bad. A dull throb pushed its way through the painful haze, and Robin growled as he felt the beginnings of a nasty headache appearing.

A dark shadow fell over his hunched over form, and two strong hands latched onto his shirt. Robin weakly pushed against the hold and gasped as he was hoisted to his feet and harshly slammed against the wall.

"Look at me, boy." Slade growled.

Robin froze in his movements and gradually lifted his masked eyes to face the gray depths of Slade's single eye. Slade pressed him harder into the solid wall, and he bit his tongue, barely holding back a sharp cry of pain that started to break free from his lips.

"That's better. Now you will stop your disobedient behavior or you will face the consequences. Understand?"

Slade's low and menacing voice cut through Robin like a thin icy blade. His tone was deep and ominous and carried a heavy weight that dug into the boy's body. Robin flinched, shoving down the rising fear that crawled up his spine. He would not let Slade intimidate him. He would not allow Slade to treat him like a child. He would not let this man control him.

Bright blue eyes hardened in a determined glare.

"Go to hell."

The words were like venom out of the boy's mouth. The moment they hit the air, Slade's eye narrowed with an evil glint and a dark chuckle filled the thick air.

"I've already been there," the man replied, tightening his grip on Robin's shirt, "I might as well show you what it's like."

In a single instant, Robin was sent flying through the air and crashed against the coffee table. The wood cracked and splintered under the terrifying force, and it shattered down the middle sending Robin crashing to the floor. His body shrieked under impact, and he let out a straggled moan of pain as all of his senses were overwhelmed in a powerful wave of fury. Measured steps echoed in the room, as Slade advanced towards the boy.

Robin rolled over onto his stomach and wrenched himself to his feet. Gripping his sore shoulder in his arm, his blazing eyes settled onto the towering form in front of him.

"You're a freaking psychopath!" Robin screamed, the words burning his throat.

Another wicked hand flashed across his face, making the boy stumble back under the brutal impact. A sharp pain raced across his jaw, and the bitter, metallic taste of blood exploded in his mouth. The boy inhaled a ragged breath and squared himself off in his traditional fighting stance.

He was so beyond pissed right now.

With a roar, Robin charged at the masked man. He was sick and tired of Slade's games. He was sick and tired of being thrown around like a rag doll. Right now he wanted a fight – plain and simple.

The boy threw a sharp uppercut powered which was deftly blocked and countered with a sharp kick aimed toward his side. Robin ducked the kick and followed through with a low jab that slammed into Slade's stomach. The man let out a low grunt, and an echo of satisfaction raced through Robin's system. The small victory didn't last long however as a strong knee came hurtling towards him and slammed painfully into his stomach.

Robin stumbled back, gasping for air that refused to enter his burning lungs as a strong kick smashed into his side and flung him to the floor. Instincts and finely honed reflexes forced the boy to ignore the pain and roll out of the way of the incoming foot aimed at his head. He somersaulted to his feet, and staggered back as he was assaulted by a barrage of attacks from Slade. He was barely able to keep up with the blur of jabs, kicks, and punches that hammered him from every direction at a wicked fast speed. A prickle of fear wormed its way into Robin's mind as he realized that Slade was slowly driving him into the far corner of the room. Noticing this, Robin quickly feigned a low jab and in the split second Slade moved to block the jab, he grabbed the man's shoulder and flipped over him.

The graceful acrobat landed effortlessly on his feet, whirled around and sent a roundhouse kick flying towards Slade's head. With cat-like reflexes the man dropped to the ground, and Robin's well-aimed kick sailed clear over his head. A shout of alarm spewed from the boy's lips as his momentum sent him stumbling sideways.

He swiftly regained his footing and whirled around to see a foot hurdling towards his face. Before he could react the powerful force slammed into his head in a thundering crash, and Robin's vision exploded into a series of violent black splotches. He doubled over in pain as a second – even stronger kick – nailed him on the back, throwing him to the ground.

The boy landed with a painful gasp on his stomach as Slade's foot pressed down on his back, pinning him to the floor.

"Now, Robin. If you can't beat me, what makes you think you can beat the Joker?"

The boy was paralyzed as the pressure increased on his back. His vision flickered between the floor and dark splotches as he struggled to reorient himself. It was slowly becoming harder and harder to get air into his fragile lungs as the pressure increased on his back.

"Slade, sto-" Robin gasped out, flailing his arms around.

The dark spots began to grow in volume and a heavy fog settled in his mind while his lungs screamed in bitter agony, desperately trying to grasp any amount of air. His eyelids flickered as the darkness began to pull at his mind.

"THAT. IS. ENOUGH."

The words boomed through the air, and the foot immediately moved from Robin's back. With a whoosh, sweet air rushed into the boy's lungs and a strangled gasp bled between his lips. Wheezing, Robin rolled over onto his back as his mind began to reorient itself. The boy blinked several times until he dully became aware that his savior was now standing only a few feet away. He turned his head to the side, letting his cheek hit the cold floor as his blue eyes settled on the last person he thought he would ever be so thankful to see.

Mr. William Wintergreen.

The man in front of him however was an entirely different creature than the eccentric old man he had met the day before. Gone was the loose, care-free attitude. Gone was the devious gleam in his green eyes. Gone was the soft smile and warm disposition. The figure before him was almost as terrifying as Slade.

And he was absolutely furious.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?"

Brown grocery sacks hit the floor with a deafening thud. Wintergreen's face looked like a pressurized tank that was waiting to explode – bright red and twisted into a dark look of fury that etched itself into every wrinkle and crease of the man's skin. The man's nostrils flared as he slowly inhaled a deep breath and honed his deadly eyes on scene in front of him.

Robin felt Slade's presence shift farther away from him.

"Will-"

"Don't Will me, Slade." The man snapped while placing his hands on his hips. His coat whipped at his heels as he whirled around the room, taking in the damage in a single sweep. Sharp, hawk-like eyes fell onto the frozen boy sprawled on the floor, who was currently trying to make his ragged breathing as quiet as possible.

The eyes swung back to the masked man and narrowed.

"Were you trying to kill the lad, Slade!" Wintergreen shouted gesturing wildly toward the boy.

"No it-"

"Because it sure looks like you were!"

Slade held his hands up in the air. "Let me explain, Will." His tone was low and calm and washed over the tension in the room with a cooling wave. However his words had the exact opposite desired effect on the ravenous man.

"Explain! Oh, sure! Please, explain Slade! Can you explain why my antique coffee table is in pieces? Or why the wall has a dent in it? Or maybe why the boy IS IN A CRUMPLED HEAP ON THE FLOOR, STRUGGLING TO BREATHE?"

The masked man wisely chose to remain silent.

The loud outburst left the room filled with a heavy silence. Mr. Wintergreen's eyes blazed with a deep fire as he inhaled loud, roaring breaths of air in an unsuccessful attempt to calm himself. He clenched and unclenched his hands as his body shook with a powerful rage. The man threw his hands in the air and whirled around, marching away and muttering undecipherable words under his breath. He had taken three steps before he turned back around.

"Do you not understand that you could have killed the lad, Slade?"

"I never was goin-" Slade started but was quickly cut off as Will waved his hands frantically in the air.

"But you could have! You could have severely injured him!"

"He brought it upon himself, Will. His disrespectful attitude will not be tolerated."

"He's just a boy, Slade! You can't-"

"I have a name you know."

The moment Robin said those words, he wanted to grab them from the air and shove them back down his throat. Sharp eyes swung over to him, and he struggled to swallow under the intense gazes that pressed into him.

"A name! Oh of course, a name! How could I forget about your name? Because that what's really important right now," Wintergreen drawled, rolling his eyes.

The mocking words stung the boy as he struggled to push himself to his feet, his arms shaking under his weight. He shot a dark look towards Wintergreen which the man fearlessly matched with a scathing look of his own.

"Well, I don't appreciate being treated like I'm not even in the room!" Robin snapped, wiping the thick layers of sweat off of his face. Slade immediately took a sharp step toward him as a dark tension overcame his body. The wrathful disposition slammed into Robin, and the boy stumbled back quickly throwing his arms up in a fighting position. The intensity flared up among the two figures, but in a flash, Wintergreen appeared between them and hastily proceeded to wave his daunting finger in Slade's face.

"Do not lay another hand on the boy. I'll handle this."

It was quite comical really, to watch Slade be deterred from his course of action by a weathered finger of an old man. Robin would have laughed had the same finger not suddenly whipped around and accosted his own face.

"I do not appreciate your insolent attitude, young man!" Wintergreen snapped, driving like a thundering train towards Robin. The boy back-pedaled at high speed as the mad man came hurtling toward him.

"The least you could do is to show some gratitude towards the man that is helping you!"

"Helping me?" Robin cried incredulously while halting in his retreat. "The only thing that psychopath has done this morning is to prevent me from finding Batman!"

The finger dropped from the air, and Mr. Wintergreen raised an eyebrow at the panting boy. He cocked his head to the left as his eyes lighted on Slade. The masked man stepped forward in a swift motion, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"The boy wouldn't eat his breakfast, Will," Slade said smoothly, his eye shifting over to Robin.

"Name! I have a name, Slade!"

"Quiet!" Wintergreen snapped at the boy, flickering his impatient gaze toward the boy.

Robin huffed and rolled his eyes, "Stop treating me like I'm five!"

In a deathly calm manner, Wintergreen turned around and replied, "I will, but only when you stop acting like it." Robin's eyes widened behind his mask, and the boy's mouth fell open. Wintergreen sighed, shaking his head to himself and dragged a tired hand through his thick, gray hair. His green eyes dimmed in resignation as he focused on the monumental task set forth before him.

"Both of you, apologize to each other."

One could hear a pin drop in the deafening silence that followed those words.

The older man glanced between the two opposing sides and let out another tired sigh from his lips.

"Fine. No apologizes. No breakfast," Wintergreen snapped, moving to pick up the grocery bags sprawled on the floor. "And Robin, you're not leaving until you apologize and eat your breakfast. This Batman character will just have to wait until you learn to behave like a mature young man."

Seconds ticked by as the silence washed through the air.

"Will, you can't be serious right now."

The man gathered his grocery bags in his arms and crept slowly to his feet. His green eyes darkened with a hard light as he stared down at his long-time friend.

"I have never been more serious in my life, Slade. Do not mock me right now." The last words came out in a quiet hiss as the man turned away and stalked back toward the kitchen. The grocery bags slammed down onto the counter top, and the man glanced around at the ravaged kitchen and sent another look of pure fury in Slade's direction. Wintergreen muttered something under his breath and began to clear off the burned food from the skillets and pans.

Robin blinked. And blinked again. His blue eyes focused on the senile man as he remained numb in shock. Wintergreen couldn't be serious, right? Apologize? To Slade? Apologize? To his worst enemy?

Nope. Wasn't going to happen.

This man must have finally snapped or gone insane, because no earthly force would ever make him apologize to his arch-enemy. The boy allowed his eyes to slide to the ominous figure a few feet away from him and flinched as Slade's gaze swung to face him.

"But Batman-" Robin started and was hastily cut off as Wintergreen's spatula slammed on the counter top.

"Can wait," Mr. Wintergreen interrupted, "I won't let this problem persist any longer. Both of you are acting ridiculous right now."

"Will, you are the one being ridiculous right now," Slade snapped, a vicious edge entering his voice. Robin grimaced and took a step farther away from the man. He had heard that tone in Slade's voice before – and nothing good had ever come from it.

The older man was hardly daunted by the tone however. "Oh really, I'm the one being ridiculous right now, Slade? Last I recall I'm not the one that dresses up in a costume and goes around fighting other people who dress up in just as terrible and horrid costumes!"

Slade let out a menacing growl, and chills raced down Robin's spine as Slade's dark and menacing aura shifted and washed over him.

He really needed to get out of here.

His blue eyes flickered over to the rusty colored door, and the boy quickly ran through a list of options. He didn't have his utility belt at the moment so that sliced most of the possibilities off of his list. He didn't have any explosives, so he couldn't blow it up. No bird-a-rangs so he couldn't cut through it or pick the lock. But maybe he could kick it down. The normally outrageous thought seemed somewhat plausible to the boy. The door didn't look very strong; it was probably made of some pliable metal that was more for decoration than for protection. One solid kick should do it.

"The door is made of Titanium, and the lock is a steel alloy. So unless you have the key, or you want to break your foot, I suggest you do what I say," Mr. Wintergreen said without looking up from the stove.

"What the heck do you need a solid Titanium door for?" Robin cried, throwing his arms in the air.

"Oh I don't know. It was on clearance and I thought the color would go nicely," Mr. Wintergreen said thoughtfully. "Now better start apologizing or you'll be suck here all day."

Nope. There was no chance of that. It appeared he was just going to have to find another way out of this mess. Never in a million years would Robin apologize to his archenemy, and it appeared Slade shared his thinking.

"Will, stop this nonsense now." Slade said after a long period of time simply staring at the old man.

"The only nonsense in this house is the two of you," Wintergreen responded while whipping up a new batch of eggs and sausage. He flowed quickly and efficiently through the kitchen and within a blink of an eye, a thick, rich, heavenly aroma drifted through the room.

Robin took one look at the old man and knew that neither Slade nor he could win this battle. Despite his charismatic tone, Wintergreen was deadly serious – his normally light and effervescent green eyes were hardened into small solid rocks, and his actions were harsh and direct.

Regardless of his best efforts, the blissful smell slowly filtered into his body and Robin longingly looked at the food Mr. Wintergreen was cooking. This just wasn't fair. In fact this was downright torture. Did the man really expect him to apologize to Slade and then eat his breakfast like a good little boy?

His stomach growled in protest.

Darn.

Why did Wintergreen have to be such a good cook?

"Better hurry, or it will get cold." Wintergreen said with a smirk and a wink. He placed a platter of steaming fluffy pancakes on the table, along with sausage and eggs. The man proceeded to sit down at the table and fix himself a heaping plate of food. He painstakingly poured the gooey maple syrup over the pancakes and let out a long drawn out sigh.

"Oh how I love hot, fluffy buttermilk pancakes in the morning," he cried happily, eyeing Slade who was staring incredulously at his old friend. Wintergreen took a bite of the pancake and hummed joyously. Robin's mouth started to drool, and his stomach traitorously growled again.

Several seconds passed before, Slade determinedly walked toward the table and reached for a plate.

SMACK

Slade reeled back as a wooden spoon flew through the air and missed his hand by mere centimeters. Mr. Wintergreen gave the man a stern look and slowly put the wooden spoon back down on the table.

"No apology. No breakfast." Wintergreen said with a malicious twinkle in his eye.

"Will! You are being-"

"No acceptations."

Slade let out a low snarl that sliced through the air like a viscous whip. The older man merely leaned back in his chair and took a long sip of his coffee. Smacking his lips together, he picked up his fork and proceeded to eat his pancakes, undaunted by the glowering mercenary inches away from him. For a few brief seconds, Robin thought Slade was about to unleash his wrath on the man. But to his surprise, the masked man simply huffed in annoyance and spun around, stalking away from a smirking Wintergreen, and turning his attention back to the source of all his problems.

As the dark eye fell over him, irritation boiled up in the small boy. He straighten his back, and faced his accuser with a strength that came from deep within himself. "Don't look at me, Slade. This is your fault," Robin snapped, rolling his eyes.

"Really, Robin? We wouldn't be in this predicament if someone would have eaten breakfast," Slade countered, his sharp, menacing voice cutting through the air like a whip.

"Well, you could have just let me leave!" Robin cried.

"You could have eaten breakfast like a normal teenager."

"I don't need to eat breakfast! I need to-"

"Be out searching for Batman! Yes I know. You have made that very clear," Slade said slowly while pacing the floor. "But let me make something clear, Robin. You are not superhuman. You need to eat and sleep to stay alive. You are going to drive yourself into a grave if you don't!"

"Gosh Slade, even Batman wasn't this controlling!" Robin drawled, rubbing his head in frustration.

"Well Batman isn't here. I am. And because I am, I am not going to let you kill yourself trying to find Batman."

Robin opened his mouth, but then snapped it shut. This was odd…was Slade actually concerned? So maybe he didn't take care of himself from time to time? So what? He was Robin, The Boy Wonder, he could handle it. He had handled himself fine for the last two years of his life. He didn't need someone to micromanage his decisions. He didn't need someone to be concerned – especially not his arch enemy.

Right?

The boy let out a deep breath and tried to push the anger out of his system. Maybe he thought he was indestructible sometimes. Maybe he was rash and presumptuous at certain instances. Maybe he blatantly ignored his health occasionally. He just hated to wait around for evil and chaos to strike. Protecting his city was a twenty-four hour job that required his full attention. He couldn't just stop because he was tired, or sick, or hungry – he always had to be working, planning, and patrolling. And with Batman missing, it was a million times worse. It killed him to sit and eat while Batman was out there suffering at the hands of the Joker.

"Slade, I just can't let myself sit and eat while Batman is out there. You don't understand…."

Slade stopped mid-stride and turned to face the boy directly. "Then make me understand."

Robin shook his head and felt a depressing weight fall on his shoulders. "Forget it, Slade. Just forget it."

"No Robin, I am not going to forget it. Maybe Batman did, but I am not. What do I not understand?"

"Stop bringing him into this!" Robin yelled, his anger filtering back into his body.

"Why shouldn't I? He's why you're here isn't he? He's why you're in Jump city to begin with. He kicked you out, fired you-"

"HE DID NOT FIRE ME!"

A shaky breath fell through Robin's lips as a rush of emotions flooded his system. He turned away from Slade's penetrating gaze and wrapped an arm around his waist. He couldn't think about this. Not now. Not in front of his enemy.

"Then why did you leave?"

Robin shook his head, too numb to speak. Pain. That's all he felt. After two years the pain had yet to go away. It was still there, festering under the surface, pushing him to work harder and faster. After two years he still felt like the same helpless child drowning in the shadow of his mentor. After two years he still hadn't learned how to move on.

And now he was forced to face his past once again.

"I didn't have a choice."

The room was deathly quiet as Robin tugged his hand tighter around himself. He felt everything. All the pain, all the worry, and all the stress from the past two years flooded into him and drowned him in a sea of chaos.

"I – I can't fail again, Slade. I just can't."

Robin looked down at his hand, feeling the haunting memories rise to the surface. He couldn't afford to fail. He couldn't afford to lose another person from his life. He couldn't afford to stand around and wait for the dice to fall. He couldn't let fate decide the end of this game.

He had to play it himself.

Heavy footsteps advanced toward Robin, and the boy immediately stiffened, and shied away from the powerful presence in front of him. He felt so helpless. What chance did he have against the Joker? If Batman had been defeated by him, what did Robin think he could do? Go in and save Batman like the little hero he was? He had already tried that, and he had almost gotten himself killed.

He wasn't like Superman. He didn't have powers. He was just a scared boy who had donned a cape and a mask so he wouldn't have to accept the deaths of his parents.

He wasn't a hero.

He was just a boy.

Powerless in a world full of evil.

A strong hand gripped his chin, and Robin flinched. He didn't feel like fighting Slade right now. He didn't feel like facing the man's scathing eye. He was done.

The strong hand lifted Robin's chin up so that his brilliant blue eyes met a soft, gray eye.

"I won't let you fail."

Weighted silence entered the air, but it wasn't thick with tension like before. This silence was soft and fluid, wrapping and twisting around the room. The words sunk into Robin, anchoring him down to the floor as Slade released his chin and stepped back.

"I'll be in the gym."

A crashing tornado of emotions slammed into Robin. He didn't understand Slade's words. How could a man so evil and malicious offer a sense of peace so deep and reassuring that it washed over him in a placid wave? He numbly watched as Slade turned around and disappeared down the hallway. His heart hammered in his chest as he asked himself a question that had plagued his mind since he had moved to Jump.

Just who was the man behind that mask?

But this time the question was different. It was deeper than just an identity – a person for the police to track down. It wasn't the criminal mastermind that plotted to destroy the Titans. It wasn't the specter that haunted Jump. It was the man, the human being that had spoken those words to him. Who was that man?

Robin couldn't deny the soothing peace that floated over him. As much as he wanted to reject it, he couldn't stop the relief that flowed through his body. Why had Slade's words offered so much reassurance? Why had the man said those words and more importantly, did he actually mean them?

Those words had offered Robin a feeling that he hadn't felt…since his mother had been alive. His mother had always found the right words to make him feel better. She could always make Robin see the light at the end of the tunnel. This time though, it felt like Slade had shown him that light.

However, Robin couldn't exactly look over that fact that minutes before Slade had almost knocked him out unconscious. One minute the psychopath was trying to beat him into a pulp and the next he was comforting him. The world just didn't make any sense anymore.

He walked over to the table and sat down, his head feeling very heavy. He ignored the green eyes that fell over him and turned away. A dark cloud seemed to loom over him, jumbling up his chaotic emotions.

So was he relieved?

Yes…

Confused?

Yes…

Slightly traumatized?

Yes…

Did he know what to think about anything anymore?

No. No he did not.

Robin let his hot head fall against the cool wooden table and groaned.

Today was just not his day.


A/N: Sooooo what do you think? Leave a review and let me know! Feedback is always extremely helpful.

This chapter was a lot and looooong...Let me know what you think about it. Like it/love it/hate it - let me know!

Also, I apologize if I missed any typos! It was kinda late when I edited this:) I'm going to try to update at least every two weeks - maybe every week if I can handle it...

OKAY! WELL I hope everyone has a great week and until the next update...

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!