Wintergreen and The Tag And Release
By Ms. Kinnikufan
Disclaimer: I own none in this fic
It had only been 5 days since Robin was forced to become Slade's "apprentice".
Robin was already praying for death's sweet release. Or for Slade to have death's sweet release. He wasn't too picky at this point.
Robin had been awake since he became Slade's apprentice. When Slade was awake, so was he. Slade never seemed to sleep.
"Apprentice drink your cola-coffee before it gets cold." Slade took note of Robin's unfinished mug of cola-coffee.
Robin drank the vile mixture quickly, so the combined taste of bitter coffee and the sweet fizziness of cola would not linger on his tongue. Slade had yet to offer Robin a morsel of food. In fact, Robin had yet to see Slade consume anything but cola-coffee or the occasional cup of tea.
The fact that Slade owned a cute daisy teapot surprised Robin.
Slade took notice of Robin's sour expression.
"Look apprentice. The cola-coffee mixture may be nasty now. But you will learn to love. Love it!" Slade creepily emphasized.
"Cola-coffee is what kept me alive during Vietcong. Kept me awake so my enemies on both sides wouldn't kill me. It wasn't cola mixed with coffee either. It was coffee powder in cola."
"Vietcong? Just how old are you?" Robin got slapped.
"That's a rude question apprentice."
"Touchy about your age, Slade? Never expected that of you." A elderly man stepped into the light. What Robin first noticed about this man was that he was carrying bags of groceries. At least that's what Robin was hoping they were.
"Wintergreen, how the hell did you get in here without me noticing?" Robin was surprised that Slade did not attack this Wintergreen fellow.
"Maybe because I'm guessing you have gone days without sleeping or eating again."
Wintergreen placed the groceries down and faced Robin.
"So you're the tag and release Slade keeps ranting about." Wintergreen patted him on the head like he was a cute little puppy dog.
Robin shook off the condescending feeling and began to stuff his face with twinkies from the bags.
"Slade did you forget to feed your apprentice?" He stared at the boy who was eating like a pig at a trough.
Slade poked his fingers together and mumbled something incoherent.
"Slade if you keep forgetting to feed your apprentice, he'll runaway. Just like your hunting dog."
"No he won't. I filled his friends full of probes that can kill if I choose to activate them. I told him I would activate them if he disobeyed me. So he won't be running away anytime soon."
"Maybe. But that's no excuse to forget to feed him. Please tell me you haven't been giving him that God-awful cola-coffee mixture we use to drink while in the army. That'll stunt his growth."
"Oh please. That's just a urban legend. Just like the so-called experts who say you'll die if you don't get 8 hours of slezzzzzz." Slade fell down snoring in midsentance.
It was the most surreal sight for Robin. Wintergreen tucking in the evil man who had put dangerous probes in his friends (and forced him to drink that evil cola-coffee) like he was a small child...or lover. Robin shook that unnerving thought out of his head. Who in their right mind would love Slade?
"Make sure he eats something when he wakes up. Also the butler quit because Slade kept forgetting to pay him. . One day he's going to slip into a coma because he's forgotten to sleep and starve to death. Only then will he learn."
"Sir...would that really be such a bad thing? If he were to die? He has done so many horrible things. He deserves to die"
Wintergreen made a move to slap Robin, then lowered his arm as if in defeat.
"Look. I know that. I know of things he has done. Things that you don't about. But those were both good and bad things. I'm also aware of all the wrong things he has done. All I known to do is stay by his side and try to guide him in the right direction-"
"Why don't you turn him into the police? Why do you stand by and let him do these shitty things to people? When you just stand by and let him do these things, it makes as bad as the one who's actually doing them!" Robin's shouting echoed throughout the hideout.
"I...care for him."
Robin suppressed the shudders of disgust going through his body.
"Look, let me make one thing clear: I'm not homophobic. If my friend Cyborg decided to elope with Fixit or Beast Boy and Aqualad decided to adopt a thousand sea-horses together or even if Raven and Starfire decided to run off to Saskatchewan and have a big lesbian wedding, I wouldn't stand in their way. I would be happy for them. Maybe a little surprised, but happy for them. But that's because all the people I mention are good people who don't go around destroying things. But your affection for Slade sickens me to the very point of my soul. I also doubt your mental state. Only a really, really, really, sick person could have affection for someone who likes to hurt people. What the hell is wrong with you?" Robin's echoed word slapped Wintergreen again and again.
Wintergreen did not have an explanation. At least not an explanation that the little tag and release would understand.
Wintergreen patted Robin on the head once more.
"Tag and release, you very mature for your age. But someday you will realize that you do not understand all that there is. Or that sometimes people don't even understand themselves."
Wintergreen made a quiet, graceful exit.
"Hey! My name is Robin." Robin screamed at the already departed Wintergreen.