Robin panted as he walked after Slade, knowing instinctively that this training session would be one hundred times worse than all the others. But when the training began minutes later, Robin realized he'd been wrong. It wasn't just a hard training session; it was impossible.

Not only did the training go on far longer than it usually did, but Slade pushed Robin's mind and body to the breaking point. Slade continually pressured Robin's broken wrist, which was bad enough, but the mental strain was torment. Slade humiliated him, continually reminded him of his injuring the Titans, and, when Robin lost control over and over, revealed to him how weak he was.

After what seemed like days, the training ended. Slade left, and Robin painfully dragged himself into a sitting position, panting and putting his head back. At least the numerous times he'd lost control had sped up his healing process. That, and he'd gotten off quite easily with Slade. Considering the fact that he'd found the antidote to the drug inside him, he was surprised that Slade hadn't killed him on the spot. Still, the painful pulsing of his wrist reminded Robin to not disobey Slade again anytime soon.

"Apprentice."

Robin looked up, trying not to glare at Slade as he used such a filthy term to refer to him. He had to stay calm. He couldn't lose control. "Yes?"

"I have a job for you," Slade said. "Come."

Pushing down another twinge of anger, Robin got up and followed Slade.

"I'm sure you know the layout of this building, Robin," Slade said, pointing to the screen on his control room.

Robin looked, flushing with anger as he recognized Wayne Enterprises. "Yes," he growled. "I know it."

"Good," Slade said. "You are looking for technology, a bomb, located on the fifth floor, second hallway, third door in the building. Do you think you can manage?"

Robin nodded.

"Then begin," Slade said.

Robin walked away, breaking into a run. How he hated this! How he hated working for Slade and doing everything the man told him to do! Right before he left the compound, however, Robin halted. Sudden curiosity overcame him. If Slade kept the vials in his room, odds were that he ran out every so often. If he ran out, when did he have more created? Was it when Robin was sleeping or . . . was it when Robin was out fulfilling one of Slade's jobs?

Sneaking back to the control room, Robin looked around when he saw Slade wasn't present. Where had Slade gone? Sudden footsteps returning to the control room made Robin stiffen, and he was barely able to sink into the shadows before Slade walked in. Slade stood still for several moments, then turned his head in Robin's direction. Robin held his breath, afraid that he would be caught, but after a minute Slade turned and walked out, dropping something in the garbage can on his way out. Robin let out his breath, dizzy from lack of oxygen.

Listening for another moment, Robin moved out of the shadows and went to inspect the object Slade had trashed. When he saw what was inside the garbage can, Robin gasped. No! It couldn't be! But it was!

It was a vial of clear liquid!

Robin gently lifted up the vial, staring at it and felt as though the sun had shone down on him. How lucky could you get? This was it! It was the cure! Slade had finally let his guard down and slipped up. Now Robin was going to conquer.

"Robin, why are you here?"

Robin, not even hearing Slade's approach, whirled around, pocketing the vial. "I . . . was just rechecking the hallway I was supposed to take," he said.

Slade's eye narrowed, and Robin feared that Slade didn't believe him. "Leave. Now."

Robin nodded, taking off without a glance over his shoulder. That'd been close. Too close. Slade had almost caught him. Still breathing hard when he reached Wayne Enterprises, Robin decided to not inject himself with the substance yet. No, it was better to wait until he was far away from Slade to do that. He would wait, yes, he would wait until the Titans were present. Then he would be free from Slade's grasp.

But, just to be safe, Robin couldn't alert the authorities now. He had to pretend like he was still on Slade's side. If he played stupid and triggered an alarm now, Slade might catch onto him. Nodding as though to convince himself, Robin landed on the top of Wayne Enterprises before attaching a grappling hook to the roof of the building. He used his grappling hook to scale down the outside of the building, stopping when he reached the fifth floor. Once he made it to the fifth floor, Robin kicked in a window in front of a couch, so the glass landed on the sofa and made no sound. Silently, Robin slipped into the building.

"Good, Apprentice," Slade said through Robin's communicator.

"Yes, Slade," Robin said. As he continued on toward the second hallway, Robin was unable to suppress a grin. Within the hour, within minutes even, Robin would no longer be Slade's apprentice. Soon, Robin would win.

"Your endorphins levels are up, Apprentice," Slade said silkily. "Are you enjoying this?"

Robin grinned again; Slade had no idea. "Yes, Slade," he said.

"Good," Slade said. "You'll be feeling this thrill for quite a long time."

Robin was practically laughing now. "Yes, Slade." Robin continued on down the hallway, stopping in front of the third door. He opened it and was surprised when he saw a dozen guards facing him. Robin smirked. Well, this was Wayne Enterprises, after all. Somewhere above him, an alarm went off. Robin let out a laugh as he leaped in to attack the guards, not even caring that Slade heard him. Within seconds, they were all unconscious.

Grabbing the bomb, Robin fled the room, making his way back toward the place he'd entered by. Seeing guards coming from that direction, Robin kicked open a door on his left and entered the stairwell. He flew down the stairs, coming out on the main floor. Seeing another dozen guards in front of him, Robin threw another of Slade's gadgets in the center of the room, quickly slipping an oxygen mask over his face as the bomb released a flood of knockout gas. Racing through the main door, Robin tore off his mask and stood up, facing the Titans.

"Run," Slade hissed in his ear. "Escape before you annihilate your friends."

The Titans faced him, ready to attack, but Robin only grinned. "It's over, Slade!" he shouted.

"What?!" Slade shouted.

Robin took out the vial of clear liquid and positioned it on his neck. "I found the antidote, Slade. It's over; I'm no longer your apprentice."

The Titans were looking at him as though he were crazy, and Slade was screaming something in his ear that he didn't pay any attention to, but Robin only laughed as he plunged the needle into his neck and filled his body with the substance inside the syringe. He threw the syringe to the ground and it shattered. "It's over, Slade!"

"Yes, Robin. It is over."

Robin's smile faltered as he heard the calm inflection of Slade's voice over the intercom. "What do you — "

"Do you think I would be foolish enough to provide you with your only means of escape?" Slade asked. "No, Robin. You have become your own downfall."

Robin blinked again, then suddenly fell to his knees as panic flooded his system. What was going on? He hadn't been losing control just a few moments ago . . .

"I told you, Apprentice," Slade hissed in his ear. "Disobedience would be punished. This is your punishment."

"No," Robin whispered. His breath caught, and the last thing he remembered was looking up at the Titans. "Guys, please, I didn't know . . . I'm sorry." Then Robin attacked.