Chapter 33
The Titans, Batman, and Randall were in a van, heading to Paris, when Beast Boy spoke up.
"Uh, why would he be taking Robin to Paris?" he asked, still perplexed as to how Randall knew where Slade was likely to take Robin.
"That's the nearest place he has a home," Randall said, flipping through his book. "It's a big old house that used to belong to some duke back before the Revolution, and it has its own dungeon and everything. Back when it was built, it was on the outskirts of the city, but since it's grown so much, it's within the borders. It has tons of corridors, some secret rooms, and the walls are pretty much soundproof. Robin could be locked away for years there, and no one will ever see him in all that time. That's why it's the most likely place right now."
"What if he has taken Robin somewhere else?" Starfire asked sadly.
"Slade has his habits. Trust me, he and Robin are in Paris," Randall persisted.
"Is there any way for Robin to get out of that house?" Batman asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
"You mean with Slade not knowing?" Randall asked. "Probably. There's one way I know of, and I'm fairly certain Slade knows nothing about it. Why?"
"Would it be a way we could get in?" Batman wanted to know.
"The door only opens from the inside," Randall muttered, disappointed.
"Tell me where it is," Raven volunteered. "I'll be able to reach out to Robin and tell him, and he'll be able to get out, and we could just pick him up."
"Smooth thinkin', Ray," Cyborg said, giving her a high-five.
Randall grinned and described the house down to the minutest detail.
"All right," Raven said, closing her eyes and concentrating. "Azarath, Metrion, Synthos. Azarath, Metrion, Synthos."
Everyone was quiet while Raven worked, and her eyes opened after fifteen minutes. "I described the way out to him, and he found it and started to go down it, but he says that it's been bricked off."
Randall's jaw dropped. "Is he sure?"
She nodded. "All of the major landmarks were there, so it's the way out you mean, but the door's been bricked shut."
Randall started swearing. Everybody stared at him until Beast Boy whipped out a pad of paper and a pencil and began writing things down. Without taking his eyes off the road or looking around, Batman reached back and took the pad from him. "All of you, forget what you just heard."
"Please, what was—" Starfire began, but she was cut off by Batman's "It's not important, Starfire. Trust me."
"So now what?" Beast Boy wanted to know as the lights of Paris began to come into view.
"Well, the house is on the other side of town, so we'll have to think fast," Randall said, much more calm than he had been a few minutes ago.
Suddenly Raven stiffened and closed her eyes, concentrating. "He says he's found a way out!"
Everyone was quiet, listening to her.
"He says he's out into the gardens! He's climbed the gate, and he's up and over it. He's running from the house now! He wants to know what he should do!" Frantically, she looked at Randall and Batman for instructions.
"Tell him to take a taxi to Le Pont Neuf," Randall said, pointing the direction to Batman. "We'll meet him there!"
Raven nodded and relayed that to Robin, silently praying that the Boy Wonder would be all right until they reached him. She wasn't the only one in the van praying.
Space
Robin could hardly believe how quickly things could change in one day. He'd gone from being the Callais' prisoner to being Slade's once again, and now he had escaped by following some sort of tunnel out of the house. It had been a tight fit in most places, and he was certain that Slade would never have been able to do it, so he was certain that Slade had not remembered that the tiny tunnel had existed.
After receiving Raven's instructions, he flagged down a taxi, managed to tell the driver "Le Pont Neuf," and sank back into the seat, trying to catch his breath. As he thought about his last few hours with Slade, he had to admit that he was lucky to be alive, or at least up and walking. As soon as they had reached the house, Slade had taken him inside and put him through a martial arts drill that left him almost gasping. There were times when Robin seriously doubted that Slade was even human, and that was one of them. Then, Slade had been kind to him, giving him Tiger Balm for his sore muscles. Shortly after that, though, he'd been backhanded for what seemed like no reason. That was when he realized that Slade was doing classic conditioning with him: alternate kindness and harshness, leave your victim feeling confused and vulnerable, and you would have complete power over him. A few more weeks' worth of that treatment, and Robin would have been putty in Slade's hands. The very thought made him shiver.
The cab made its way through Paris, and slowly, Le Pont Neuf came into view. "Le Pont Neuf," the driver granted, coming to a stop. Robin opened the door and stepped slowly out, leaving the door open just in case he had to duck back in quickly. For all he knew, Slade could have seen him leaving and followed him.
The bridge was deserted that late at night, and fog had rolled in from the river. The only things he could see were the dark shape of the bridge and the globes of light caused by the street lamps. The driver was muttering in French, but Robin ignored him. He had to see if they were here. . .
"Robin!"
He froze: That had been Batman! "Where are you?" he called back, feeling a catch in his throat.
Without a word, Batman stepped out of the mist, followed by Randall and the Titans. Without a word, and oblivious to the cab driver's shouts of "Where do you think you're going? I haven't been paid yet," Robin ran straight towards his guardian, feeling as if the world were slowly resuming its normalcy. Slade seemed farther and farther away, and soon he would be home. . .
Wham!
A hand had come out of nowhere, grabbing Robin around the throat and pulling him back, choking off his cry of despair.
"What did you think, Robin? That you could run off and I wouldn't notice?" the villain hissed. "Do you think I'm completely daft? I've followed you all the way, you know. You were never out of my sight for a moment. . .You never will be again, I promise you that."
He's just trying to scare me, Robin thought, trying to pry Slade's hand away from his throat.
In all of the world, there was probably no one as hardened or dispassionate as Batman could be, but he did have his limits. He had fought mad villains, strange, mutant monsters, and had gone up against the toughest criminal masterminds in the world, but seeing that despairing look in his protégé's eyes influenced him more deeply than anything else could have. He took a step forward.
"Let go of my boy."
