"I don't think that will be necessary, Slade." Robin lunged at Slade, attempting to knock him down.
But Robin found himself on the floor. He had gone through Slade. Robin looked at Slade, whose image was flickering.
"A hologram!" he observed angrily.
"Yes, Robin. You have such a fire in you. It's so hard to put out... I had to take some... precautionary measures."
"Coward!" he spat. "Since when were you afraid of a fight?"
"Nonsense, Robin. I just see no reason to be hurt. You might see myself as a coward, but, I assure you, I'm not stupid." Slade made his way over to Robin and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Wha... how did you...?"
"I have my ways, Robin. I always do." He let a finger trail up Robin's neck before strangling him. "Now. I am to dictate your Will to you. Do you understand?"
Robin gagged and gasped for air behind the metallic arm's grasp. He tried to kick Slade away, but his foot went through his form once again. Slade's grip tightened. Robin wheezed, trying to speak.
"Well?" He released his hold on the boy's slender neck.
"...W-why?" he panted wearily.
"Why what, Robin?" Slade's voice remained calm and patient, yet spiked with malice. "Why must you write your Will?" A panting Robin nodded weakly. "In case you continue to... resist me, of course."
"Wha... d'you... want... from me...?" Robin was on all fours, trying to regain his strength.
"I believe I've already told you, many times over. In your dreams, I have told you. But you continue to disregard them as dreams. I see something in you, Robin; I see me. And two is better than one."
"You want me to work for you," Robin stated.
"No. I want you to work with me, Robin. There is a difference."
"I won't lower myself to you, Slade." Robin scowled behind his mask.
"Don't flatter yourself." Slade grabbed at his sleeve. "I'm not giving you a choice. Had this been a proposal, it would have come with an ultimatum. But no, this... this comes with a threat. I will kill you, Robin. But not before I kill everyone you've ever loved right before your very eyes. Slowly. I'll let you hear them scream."
Robin listened to the rain and thought about her... about Starfire. Slade caught on
immediately.
"She will die last. You will watch her suffer. I might let you kiss her before she leaves, but you will do so in between her shrieks and sobs."
"Don't you think that's a little cliché? I'd have thought you'd think of something better than that, Slade."
"I'd hoped I wouldn't need to."
"I won't be your sidekick, Slade!"
"You stubborn boy. If you can't settle for anything below total control, life will be cruel to you. Don't you know that? Do you think your friends enjoy your dictatorship? One day, they will leave you. Perhaps soon, perhaps not. But it's inevitable."
"Liar!"
"Am I? I'm older than you, Robin. I've experienced things you haven't dreamed of yet... I've lost things you haven't had..."
"Yes, but you forget, you're the villain," he spat. "I'm the one who's going to take you down."
"Robin, only children separate the world into heroes and villains. When you're a hero, you think you are invincible. Unconquerable. This makes you even more vulnerable than your nemeses. And that's why heroes fall, Robin. Heroes always fall."
But Robin found himself on the floor. He had gone through Slade. Robin looked at Slade, whose image was flickering.
"A hologram!" he observed angrily.
"Yes, Robin. You have such a fire in you. It's so hard to put out... I had to take some... precautionary measures."
"Coward!" he spat. "Since when were you afraid of a fight?"
"Nonsense, Robin. I just see no reason to be hurt. You might see myself as a coward, but, I assure you, I'm not stupid." Slade made his way over to Robin and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Wha... how did you...?"
"I have my ways, Robin. I always do." He let a finger trail up Robin's neck before strangling him. "Now. I am to dictate your Will to you. Do you understand?"
Robin gagged and gasped for air behind the metallic arm's grasp. He tried to kick Slade away, but his foot went through his form once again. Slade's grip tightened. Robin wheezed, trying to speak.
"Well?" He released his hold on the boy's slender neck.
"...W-why?" he panted wearily.
"Why what, Robin?" Slade's voice remained calm and patient, yet spiked with malice. "Why must you write your Will?" A panting Robin nodded weakly. "In case you continue to... resist me, of course."
"Wha... d'you... want... from me...?" Robin was on all fours, trying to regain his strength.
"I believe I've already told you, many times over. In your dreams, I have told you. But you continue to disregard them as dreams. I see something in you, Robin; I see me. And two is better than one."
"You want me to work for you," Robin stated.
"No. I want you to work with me, Robin. There is a difference."
"I won't lower myself to you, Slade." Robin scowled behind his mask.
"Don't flatter yourself." Slade grabbed at his sleeve. "I'm not giving you a choice. Had this been a proposal, it would have come with an ultimatum. But no, this... this comes with a threat. I will kill you, Robin. But not before I kill everyone you've ever loved right before your very eyes. Slowly. I'll let you hear them scream."
Robin listened to the rain and thought about her... about Starfire. Slade caught on
immediately.
"She will die last. You will watch her suffer. I might let you kiss her before she leaves, but you will do so in between her shrieks and sobs."
"Don't you think that's a little cliché? I'd have thought you'd think of something better than that, Slade."
"I'd hoped I wouldn't need to."
"I won't be your sidekick, Slade!"
"You stubborn boy. If you can't settle for anything below total control, life will be cruel to you. Don't you know that? Do you think your friends enjoy your dictatorship? One day, they will leave you. Perhaps soon, perhaps not. But it's inevitable."
"Liar!"
"Am I? I'm older than you, Robin. I've experienced things you haven't dreamed of yet... I've lost things you haven't had..."
"Yes, but you forget, you're the villain," he spat. "I'm the one who's going to take you down."
"Robin, only children separate the world into heroes and villains. When you're a hero, you think you are invincible. Unconquerable. This makes you even more vulnerable than your nemeses. And that's why heroes fall, Robin. Heroes always fall."