Cyborg felt like an ass. He hadn't been able to sleep, all night his conversation with Robin had been playing over and over in his mind. He should have been gentler, or maybe he shouldn't have said anything at all. Batman would have come; Batman would have been able to deal with him, without pissing him off.

He arrived outside Robin's door. He hoped the night would have cooled him off and Robin would forgive him. Before he could change his mind, he knocked on the door.

'Hey Rob, you awake?' he said quietly. There was no movement on the other side. 'Rob, I know you're pissed at me. But can we talk? I just want to apologise. I shouldn't have said what I did.'

Still, there was no answer so Cyborg knocked again with a little more force, maybe Robin was in the bathroom or had headphones on.

'Robin?'

'Dude, what's up?'

Cyborg looked to see Beast Boy approaching him.

'Just trying to talk to Robin.' He considered something and then asked his teammate. 'Can you hear what he's doing in there?'

Beast Boy shrugged and turned himself into a dog, approaching the door. He stood and listened for a few moments, his ears twitching. He changed back and shrugged again.

'He's not in there.' He said.

'Is he in the gym?'

'No, I've just come from there. I haven't seen him since he left last night.' Said Beast Boy. Cyborgs concern was contagious. 'He did come home, right?'

'Check the garage.' Said Cyborg. He started walking towards where they kept all of their vehicles. Beast Boy followed closely behind him. He wasn't sure what had gone down the night before. One-minute Robin and Cyborg had been doing the dishes in the kitchen, the next Robin was storming out of the tower. His emotions had been so wild that BB had seen Raven wince.

'What happened before he left?' the green hero asked. 'In the kitchen?'

'I asked too many questions.' Said Cyborg. They entered the garage and went over to where Robin kept his bike. The motorcycle wasn't there.

'Shit.' Said Cyborg, making the other's eyes widen. The eldest of them never swore. 'Beast Boy, do a sweep of the tower, see if he's wandering around.'

Beast Boy nodded and ran off, transforming back into a dog as he went. Once he was gone, Cyborg pulled up the computer on his wrist. He tried calling Robin a few times, but it went straight to voicemail. He then tried calling the number KF had given him.

'Hello?'

'Kid Flash, it's Cyborg.'

'Oh hi, what's up?'

'It's Robin, he's gone.' He explained briefly what had happened the night before and that it didn't look like Robin had come home.

'Crap! I mean I knew he was a potential flight risk, but I didn't think he would actually run.' There was a groan and the half robot could imagine the redhead running a hand through his hair. 'I'll inform Batman and I'll be there within the hour.'

Once KF had hung up, Cy tried to call Robin again, this time he left a message.

'Rob, its Cy. Please call me when you get this. I need to know that you're ok. Please,' he took a shaky breath. 'Please don't do anything you'll regret.' He hung up, sighing to himself. 'Where the hell are you dude?'

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A knock came on the door of his study, Bruce looked up from his work as Alfred entered.

'You have a guest Master Bruce.' The old man stood aside allowing Wally to enter.

'West, what can I do for you?'

'I'm sorry, I should have said something sooner.' The words spilt from the red-heads mouth. 'It's all my fault.'

'West, slow down. What's wrong?'

'I went to see Dick, he wasn't doing well, and I told him he had to call you, I was going to give him until today before I told you myself.'

At the mention of Dick, Bruce stood from behind his desk.

'Wally?'

'I had a call from the Titans. Dick went for a run last night and he never went back to the tower.'

'He ran away?' Bruce grabbed his phone, calling Dick's cell.

'There's something else.' Said Wally, guilt washed over his face. 'On the bridge, when Robin was thrown into the water…he didn't try to save himself. He didn't swim, didn't fight. He just let himself sink.'

'Why didn't you say anything?' shouted Bruce. He had phoned Wally; the boy had said he would let him know if he was concerned. He had taken the fact he'd heard nothing as a sign that Dick was doing alright.

'I know, I'm sorry. But Dick was so upset, and I wanted to give him a chance to tell you himself. But all I gave him was a chance to run…' a dark thought crossed Wally's mind. Both of the older men saw it. 'Oh god, what if he…?'

'Alfred, call Clark. Tell him to meet me in Jump, but to be discrete.'

'Yes, Sir.' Alfred left the room and Bruce turned back to Wally.

'Run ahead to Jump, get the Titans to start a search if they haven't already.'

Wally nodded. 'What about you?'

'I'll be there soon. I'm going to see if I can find him on security footage, see if I can track him. If he's run away, I might be able to work out where he's gone.'

Wally nodded again and ran out of the door. Bruce took his phone again and called a number he didn't often call.

'Arthur, I need a favour.'

'Bruce? Sure, what do you need?'

'I need you to meet Superman in Jump City.'

'Jump? Is this about Richard? What do you need me and the big man for?'

'I need you to scan the waters around the city and about a mile out.' Bruce was trying his hardest to keep his voice from breaking.

'What are we looking for?'

'A body.' His voice cracked a little. How had it come to this?

'Anybody in particular?'

Bruce took a deep breath, it shook a little as he let it out. 'Dicks.'

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Slade pinched the bridge of his nose, preparing himself for the conversation he was about to have. There were not many people who could make him anxious. His wife…ex-wife, and obviously his children. The only other person was his oldest friend, a man he had fought wars with and who had followed him into the life of a mercenary. He knew the man would help him through anything, but he also knew the man would give his honest opinion about it as well.

'Will. I need a favour.'

'Hello to you too.' Said William Wintergreen, 'What do you need? It better not be a new safe house, do you have any idea how long it took me to secure the last one?'

'I've done something…reckless.'

'So, what's new?' the old man chuckled. Will was of a similar age to Slade himself, maybe a little older. He held the highest respect for Slade, as the other man had been his commanding officer. But Slade was also one of the few men in this world who he would consider his true friend. And as such, he wasn't afraid to tell him what he was really thinking. He knew Slade could take it.

'I need you to bring me some supplies.' Said Slade, tapping his fingers against the table.

'Guns?'

'No; food, clothes. Enough for a few weeks for two people.' He glanced at the bathroom door, Dick was in the shower. He could still hear the water running, he was keeping an eye on the time. He would give the boy ten minutes before he knocked.

'Two? You with Joseph?'

'No, I've found myself in a bit of a predicament. I'm going to be underground for a while.'

There was a sigh – 'What have you done?'

'Something very out of character.' Slade chuckled. 'Bring me the supplies and you'll see for yourself.'

'I'm not going to like this am I?'

'Probably not.'

'Text me what you need, and which base you're at. I'll be there in a few hours.'

'Thanks, Will.'

When he put down the phone he listened. The shower had been switched off and he could hear movement on the other side of the door. When Dick came out, he was dressed in a new set of sweats, his hair was freshly washed, and his skin had a slightly pink tinge. Slade made a mental note to check the temperature of the water. He looked more comfortable, but he still looked a little unwell. It didn't surprise the older man. That much exposure to cold water in one day would make anyone's immune system freak out. But at least they had avoided anything too serious. A few days rest and some mild pain killers and the boy would be right as rain…. physically.

'We've got supplies coming.' Said Slade, pushing the opposite chair away from the table with his foot so Dick could sit down. 'I've got a few loose ends to tie up before I can go off the radar. Do you have something to keep you out of trouble for a few hours? School work?'

Dick rolled his eyes. 'You sound like my dad.'

'I will take that as you do have school work to finish.' He figured as much. Dick was sixteen, even though he was living away from home, Slade doubted Bruce Wayne would allow his only son to be a high school dropout. 'Been having issues with that have we?'

'I really don't see the point.' Dick shrugged.

'How long have you been feeling like that?'

'Last month or so? I don't need a diploma to be Robin.'

Slade nodded and then leant forward so his companion would know he was being serious.

'I think that was when your breakdown started to fully manifest.' When Dick frowned, he continued. 'Losing interest in things is a common symptom of depression and trauma.'

'I'm not depressed…' Dick cut off, he wasn't sure he could say that phrase truthfully anymore. Not after the previous night's events.

'What's more, the fact you can't see the point in getting a diploma, sounds to me like you stopped planning for the future. Your stunt last night wasn't a snap decision. Whether consciously or not, you've been building up to it for a while.'

Dick decided he wasn't going to particularly enjoy his time with Slade. Not because the man was being mean, or abusive or even unpleasant. But because he seemed to be able to read him better than he could read himself. Everything Slade had said so far made perfect sense. He hated that.

'So, my question to you is, do you want to die?'

The question was so blunt that it made Dick blink for a moment.

'No.' he said and realised it was an honest answer.

'You don't want to die?' -Dick shook his head – 'Do you want to live?'

Again, Dick thought for a moment and answered honestly.

'Not particularly.'

Slade nodded. He didn't freak out or give him a lecture about how precious his life was. He just nodded.

'Obviously, this is just my first impression,' he said slowly, his grey eyes locked onto the boy in front of him. 'But I think you are currently passively suicidal.'

'Passively? What do you mean?'

'I mean, I don't think you're at any risk of putting your head in the microwave the moment I turn my back. However, you have no interest in living or preserving your life either. Which can be equally as dangerous, especially in your line of work.'

Again, Slade's statement made sense and Dick felt slightly sick. The word suicidal was almost as bad as the R-word he couldn't bring himself to say out loud.

'Are you a therapist now?' said Robin, falling back on sarcasm to hide how ashamed he felt.

'I have a PhD in psychology, yes.'

'What?'

'I have various qualifications under my belt.' Said Slade with a shrug. 'Knowledge is power my boy. Which is why your studies are so important. This first diploma might seem simple to you, but it is a building block to further knowledge.'

Dick blinked at him. No one had ever put it like that to him before. Sure, he knew school was important. But in the depths of his pain, he hadn't been able to see why. But now it was becoming a little clearer again. A little piece coming back from the darkness.

'Ok.'

'Good lad. I'll set you up on one of my secure networks.' He found one of his many laptops and set it up in front of Dick. The boy logged into his schooling and began working. Soon they were both engrossed in their work. Every now and then, Slade would look over at his companion. Dick's fingers were flying over the keys and he was completely focused on the work he was doing. The boy had been in his care a little under a day and they had already made progress.

After a couple of hours, Dick stopped. He brought his hand to his forehead and groaned quietly.

'What's wrong?'

'Headache.' Said Dick. Slade noted that the boy did look a little off. He got up and fetched some Advil from the cupboard, handing it to the younger along with a glass of water.

'Take this and go and lie down for a while. Our supplies should be here soon, I'll wake you when we have food.'

Surprisingly, Dick agreed. Taking the medication and going back to bed. Within minutes he was asleep.

An hour later, his phone buzzed. It was Will, letting him know he was outside. Slade went to the door and opened it, putting his finger to his lips.

'Why do I need to be quiet?' asked Will at a whisper. He handed some boxes to Slade and they both carried the supplies down to the base. When the boxes were laid out on the table, Slade showed William to the bedroom, he cracked open the door and the older man peered inside.

Dick was curled up on his side facing them. His breathing was rising and falling in a deep even pattern, showing he was deep in sleep.

'Slade, is that who I think it is?' Will hissed.

Slade pulled him back and closed the door quietly.

'Slade Wilson, why is Richard Grayson in your safe house?'

Slade briefly explained the previous night's events and his theory without going into any of the personal details Dick had given him. When he had finished Will shook his head at him.

'Why are you doing this Slade? It's not going to change what happened.'

'No, but it might change what happens to him.' Slade indicated to the bedroom door. 'He needs help, Will.'

'But why you? Send him home. All you are going to do is piss off the Batman.'

Slade faced his friend and lowered his voice.

'Will, he doesn't need the Batman right now. He needs space to work out whatever trauma he's been through on his own terms.'

'But why you? Of all people. Wilson, this boy is Robin. Chances are you are going to have to fight this boy in the field at some point.' Will gave his friend a concerned look.

'Right now, he's not Robin, he's Richard and he's scared and broken. He just needs a guiding hand.'

William shook his head. 'Why you?'

'Will, if this boy left my care and I later heard he'd ended his life…' he paused. William knew all about Slade's past, he got the picture. 'I need to help him as much as he needs my help.'

Finally, William understood. This wasn't just about helping Grayson, this was about helping himself.

'Alright.' He threw his hands up. 'I'll help if I can.'

Slade gripped the man's arm. 'Thank you, Will.'

'Is he alright?' said Will, gesturing to the door again. 'It's the middle of the day, why is he asleep?'

'I gave him some Advil, he's still a bit under the weather from the exposure to the cold. He'll be out for a little while.'

Will helped Slade un-pack the supplies before he decided to take his leave.

'Please, don't tell Joey about this. I'm not sure how he would react.' Said Slade as he walked Will to the door.

'Alright, I'll keep it quiet. But if you are going to keep him with you for a while, I would suggest letting the boy's father know he is alive.'

Slade nodded, he had been wondering all morning how he was going to let the Batman know his bird was in safe hands. Before he walked away, William took a step closer to him.

'I hope you know what you're doing.' He then walked away leaving Slade to watch him go.

'So do I, Will. So do I.'

A/N: A few points. Firstly, I'm kind of using the new Aquaman's version of Arthur in this story, because that movie was great! Second, this story is taking place before the whole Slade/Robin Apprenticeship thing. This is the first time Slade and Robin have really met face to face. Hence why Dick doesn't completely hate his guts. Please review! - Karin x