Disclaimer: I do not own any of this! The Teen Titans are not my idea and belong to their rightful and respected owners! Enjoy!
Ch. 14-Now and Forever
"NO!" Slade shouted as he watched his precious bird shot through the window and plummet to the ground. Whirling around, Slade screamed at Batman,
"YOU'VE KILLED YOUR OWN SON!"
But Batman wasn't looking at Slade. As the other villains managed to hold him down, the Bat's face was watching the screen, his face contorted in shock and pain. Slade looked at the screen too, his heart falling as he realized Robin was headed for the bay right outside the tower.
"Slade!" Mad Mod tossed Slade the microphone that controlled Robin's thoughts. Grabbing the microphone, Slade turned it on and shrieked into the microphone.
TTTTTTTTTTT
Betrayal, anger, pain. Betrayal, anger, pain. These thoughts cycled through Robin's mind as he fell deeper into unconsciousness. They tumbled over each other, adding more confusion to Robin's already shocked state. Betrayal, anger, pain. Betrayal, anger, pain.
"Robin, wake up!" a voice shrieked into his mind.
*Why?* Robin thought. *Soon this will be over. This will all be over.* The darkness was coming closer and closer to Robin, and this time, Robin wasn't going to fight it. This time he would let the dark claim him forever. It was better than waking up; better than facing the betrayal, anger, and pain.
"Robin you have to wake up!" the voice yelled. "You have to fight it! You've never given up before!"
*That's true,* Robin reasoned. The darkness receded a little bit. *But that was when I was a Titan. That was when I knew what to fight for…*
"Fight it Robin!" the voice ordered.
*I can't fight anymore!* Robin whined.
"You've always fought Robin! Always! You've never given up, and you won't give up now!" The water was getting closer to Robin now; he could feel himself accelerating. A few more moments and he would be put out of his misery. But was that was he wanted? To quit?
*No,* Robin suddenly realized. *I can't quit. I can't…stop…fighting*
As Robin fell closer and closer to the water, he moved his sore arm to his belt. Reaching into one of the pockets, he pulled out his bird-a-rang shooter (I have no idea what to call that, it's the thing that Robin uses in episode 9 in the beginning) and pulled the trigger. He listened as the bird-a-rang looped around the tree and snapped into place, grimacing as his momentum stopped. Swinging himself onto the small ledge that the tree was precariously perched on, he skidded into the ground painfully.
"That's my boy."
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(Slade's POV)
"That's my boy," I spoke proudly as I watched Robin save himself. Unlike the other Titans who would have accepted defeat, Robin hadn't quit, hadn't given up.
*He's so much like me,* I thought. Thrusting the microphone into Mad Mod's chest, I began to walk towards the door, passing by Batman. The Bat tried to lunge at me but he was already restrained.
"Where are you going?" Mad Mod asked confused.
"To collect my apprentice," I said calmly. As I walked out of the room and closed the door behind me, I smiled at Batman's scream of rage.
"He's not your apprentice!" Batman shouted, his voice carrying through a thick steel wall.
*He is now.*
TTTTTTTTTTTTT
Robin winced as he felt a shard of glass digging into his heel. He had felt the tiny piece ever since he had started walking, and had debated taking it out, but it wouldn't have helped. There were still hundreds of shards still lodged in his skin, cutting his skin painfully. Blood flowed heavily from Robin's wounds, particularly a wound on his shoulder, leaving Robin's skin stained red. He needed to find a hospital soon, or he would likely die from blood loss.
"Ow!" Robin cried as the shard of glass shifted, catching him by surprise. Without warning, Robin's legs gave out and he fell to the ground with a sickening thud.
*Have to keep moving,* Robin urged himself. *Have to keep fighting.* He hoped the voice would chime in again and give him more pep talks, but after silence, Robin realized he was on his own. Stretching his throbbing arms out, Robin began to crawl slowly across the cliffs that lead into Jump. But as Robin began to crawl, he grew even more tired. The glass was shredding his skin now as the ground pushed it deeper into his body.
"Beast Boy!" Robin shouted as he crawled another painful inch.
"Raven!" Still no answer. Did the Titans truly hate him that much to shoot him out a window and then leave him to die slowly.
"Cyborg!" Robin's hopes were dimming. No one was going to save him tonight.
"STARFIRE!" Robin screeched, yet no one came. No helping hand offered itself to him; no gentle voice soothed his fears.
"Batman!" Tears were beginning to form in Robin's eyes. Not even Batman was here. Batman was far away, off in Gotham. He wasn't thinking of Robin right now.
"Bruce," Robin cried desperately, as the tears made their way down his cheeks. Sobs began to burst from his chest, causing only more pain. As Robin stopped crawling and waited on the ground to die, another name slipped into his mind.
*No,* Robin thought, *he won't come. Not again…he doesn't love me like the others. I'm nothing to him. Just a pawn.* Still, Robin lifted his head and found himself speaking the name.
"Slade," Robin croaked.
"Robin!" At first the surprised exclamation did nothing for Robin. The boy merely thought it was just a hallucination; a product of Robin's passionate wish not to die alone. But as the man suddenly appeared from the shadows, Robin's eyes widened.
"Slade?" Robin squinted his eyes as Slade's full figure came into focus. "Slade!"
"Robin!" Slade cried again, and upon seeing Robin, knelt beside the boy wonder.
"You…came…for…me," Robin said incredulously.
"I will always come for you, Robin," Slade responded, pride filling him to the core as he saw Robin's innocent look of hope. Slade smiled beneath his mask. Finally, Robin realized just how loyal Slade was to him.
"The…others…lied…" Robin muttered bitterly as Slade gingerly picked up the boy like a bride.
"Do not worry about them," Slade spoke softly, beginning to walk. "I'm here Robin, and that's all that matters."
"All…that...matters," Robin repeated as he closed his eyes. Then, more urgently, he moaned
"Slade…"
"Yes, my boy?"
"You…were…"
Robin paused for a long time. Slade, assuming the boy had passed out, gently pushed the boy against his chest to conserve the boy's body temperature. It was a cold night and Robin's uniform was torn to shreds, leaving his skin exposed.
"You were right."
Slade almost dropped Robin as the soft phrase made its way up to Slade's ears. Then, as Slade recovered, a smile formed on his lips yet again.
*You are mine now, Robin. Now and forever.*
Oooh…creepy! But awesome! Haha I think so anyways! Alright so I'm starting to think about the ending and I can't decide if Robin should go with Slade or give the Titans one last chance. Any thoughts? Read and Review, I hope you guys liked it!