Slade's Tale

Alexnandru Van Gordon

(Still stuck in nowhere…somewhere…in Slade's head. Lands on ground and moves toward the door.) Hello again, and welcome back to this crazy documentary on the complicated mind of Slade. Sorry it took me so long to write part two—I hope it wasn't killing you. I had to gather what sanity I had left to do part two and I also had to find a couple of missing people, but now that you are all here please try to stick together. If you see someone wandering off, grab and shake (or beat) some sense into them. Thank you.

Now, shall we continue?

DUSCLAIMER: (Shiver.) Give me three reasons why I would want to own this

CHAPTER SIX: Keeping what I want

Time seemed to go at a stable pace since his only problem was solved. Now that he had a sure successor time wasn't slow like it had been when he was left in dull silence or fast when he worked nights on end to create those many plans that failed. But he was sure it was long and agonizing for his apprentice…

Robin wasn't one to give in easily, an admirable trait when you thought about it. He always frowned or tried as hard as he could not to look at Slade when his master talked to him, determined not to give into something that was in everyone—something that needed a little push. It was the sanity that people called insanity but really wasn't the insane sanity the so-called sane people made it out to be.

Understand, or did I lose you somewhere back there?

To put it in simpler words, Robin had the potential to be the best of the cruelest, but he was holding back because he was afraid of becoming something great. What a silly fear! But it didn't matter; luckily Slade found him or he probably would have died as a hero.

What an awful thought.

"Robin? Robin! Please, Robin—where are you…?"

Truth be told, he was getting a migraine from listening to her call all night and day, trying to get Robin to answer when he wasn't even allowed anywhere near his communicator. But Slade kept it on because, besides his wanting of Robin's full submission, he left in on as a punishment to Robin for choosing the wrong side in the beginning. Even more so for his little stunt an hour or so after getting caught.

Last night Slade left to just check up on something he had on the table, another one of his inventions on the workbench which was a controller of sorts. It was just a little idea, you know, to be able to influence someone's words and actions. Not so much as the thoughts, but to control a person's body was a powerful weapon. He'd never use it on Robin, wanting him to learn and grow on his own, but this could be used for a person possessing a higher of status in society…

The act was not entirely unexpected. He had smoke bombs in his belt that he used when he was in a situation too sticky for his taste. Obviously he either dropped one or Robin somehow got it off him because the room suddenly filled with smoke and Slade wasn't having the happiest of times trying to find the source of the attack. He did, however, hear something move on his desk and then the clank of Robin's boots as he dashed toward the door to the main room where the main computer sat.

Spinning around, he blindly ran for the door and ran into the kid just before he turned on his communicator. Stumbling outside the small office, Slade kicked the door shut behind him to keep out the majority of the smoke and wrestled the communicator from Robin's hands. It wasn't easy, but in the end he knocked Robin back with a smart back-slap to the face and attached the communicator to his belt.

He underestimated Robin.

Besides a few hits in the attempt to pry the item from his fists, Robin wasn't punished further, seeing that this was a first-time offense. But he did give him a little trouble.

"Seeing that you have so much energy, I think it's about time you went outside to get some fresh air." Slade said and saw the wariness in Robin's expression. "You feel like seeing your friends?"

Robin said nothing, but his masked eyes narrowed in response. He knew what he was about to hear wasn't going to be anything good on his behalf.

"Ever hear of the thermal blaster?"

Robin frowned instantly in a natural response to such a question, knowing where Slade was heading at with this.

Yes, Robin, you're going to steal. Like it or not, you are going to ruin your past appearance to make room for the new one.

He gave the orders and watched Robin leave, a look of distaste on the former Boy Wonder's face as he left in silence. He knew Robin wasn't going to enjoy meeting up with his friends as a thief and would probably do anything in his power to get in and out undetected. As impressive as that would be to see, Slade hacked into the security cameras of Lex Corp. and the alarm system as well and watched from an outside camera as Robin dropped down from another building Kamikaze style and landed rather well. It wasn't long until Robin dropped down from a roof panel and quietly pulled out a bomb from his belt and chucked it at the glass container circling the thermal blaster. Two sharp blades protruded from either end, signed with Slade's trademark 'S', stabbing into the framework and cutting down quickly with the flash of tiny lights. Then it was activated and Robin walked through the small cloud of smoke toward his objective.

Frowning, Robin took the weapon and stared at it with disgust. Slade laughed to himself as he watched the boy when he activated the alarm system. As much as Robin hated himself now, he would get used to the idea that life was just a milder version of hell. You do some things you dream of doing and then you do everything else at the will of someone crueler and more powerful than you. You can either adapt to that strange fate or die trying to avoid it.

Easy as A B C.

Startled, Robin fled.

"He's got the thermal blaster!"

Go ahead, Robin. Run and see what's waiting for you.

Robin saw how this wasn't getting him anywhere and he was right. Somersaulting and pulling out his grappling hook, Robin shot at the roof and went flying in a flash just as the guards rounded the corner. They missed him entirely as he hung upside down on the roof, watching them with the same frown on.

Slade tapped into the communicator he gave Robin and laughed freely for Robin to hear. "Don't look so angry, Robin." He said and watched as Robin's eyes narrowed. "Now leave before something else goes wrong. I'm very disappointed that you tripped the alarms."

Robin gritted his teeth and refused to reply. He did, however, listen and dropped down onto the ground, off again at a run.

Then they came and Slade grinned.

"Freeze!" Cyborg shouted, now obviously the one to take command if ever Robin was absent.

In the dark of night, his four friends couldn't see his face, only his figure. The moon chose to hide behind the moon just then and Slade's grin left instantly. He wanted them to see him—wanted them to give up hope on him so that they would leave him to his future.

Seeing that he was in nothing more than a ton of trouble, Robin fled down a walkway toward the outside of the building, his former friends in hot pursuit. He reached the end and was met with a wall, turning around just as the moon chose to reveal itself. The light was brighter than Slade expected and robin's face was shown clearly as he faced the four remaining Teen Titans.

"That's not Slade, that's…" Beast Boy said, stating the obvious.

Then the alien girl's expression changed to one of utter devastation and disbelief—much the same as Robin's had been when Slade told him that he would be his apprentice and successor. It was apparent that the truth really hurt young children.

Slade looked to one of the lower screens, the one monitoring Robin's vital signs. Despite his worry, Robin was getting excited. Adrenaline was rising…everything was rising as Robin began to get excited.

Slade grinned to himself. He knew he was right—despite what Robin said, the boy didn't just fight for justice or the perseverance of peace—he fought for revenge and for the wonderful thrill of action and pain and outsmarting your opponent…Robin wasn't exactly a whole hero at heart.

"…Robin."

"Whoa!"

"No way!

"Robin, why are you—"

Slade could see Robin panicking even though he probably appeared menacing to his friends. To solve his problem, he pulled out a flyer and threw it at Starfire, driving her back along the walkway toward the other. The attack was merely to frighten her away, not hurt her, but the others chose to see it in another way.

"Yo!" The mechanical monster yelled.

Beast Boy seemed to look greener than ever and added a stupid. "What's your deal?"

As much as Slade would have loved to press the button and end their pathetic lives right then and there, he knew he had to keep them alive until his control over Robin was complete. They didn't deserve to live for all their meddling and for all the wrong decisions they foolishly made in life, but there was that pain attached to them that Robin had. He would do anything to keep them alive and that was good enough for Slade.

Robin looked to have a conflict going on inside his head that he wanted to tell them everything right now while he had the chance, but Slade decided to intervene. If Robin couldn't make up his mind and make the right decision, Slade would just turn him in the right direction.

"Not a word, Robin." He warned and Robin scowled at his master's voice. "They're not your friends anymore."

And that will be made certain when I kill them.

Robin aimed the thermal blaster he just stole at the walkway and opened fire. The walkway was blow apart in the center, creating an obstacle between him and his friends. Slade would have preferred to see Robin fight them, but it was obvious he was going to avoid that at all costs, but with time that could change…

"Robin…"

Slade listened to the girl as Robin faded into the smoke and stepped up on the wall; he pulled out his grappling hook, took aim and swung down to the roof of another building, taking off into the night as his friends tried to make any sense out of what they just saw.

Slade turned the main computer back to its blank screen and walked off into the darkness, waiting for when his apprentice returned.

This was going to be harder than he hoped. Robin was a little too strong. He had to have his spirit broken if Slade ever wanted him to become a true villain at heart. The plan was to change Robin so much that he was a criminal at hear—by his own will. Then he'd let Robin dispose of his friends. Soon, after they abandoned trying to save him, after he learned that he wasn't going to return to them ever…then perhaps he would gather the strength to kill them.

-break-

One of these days he was going to kill him. He didn't care about his code of honour where no one deserved to die no matter how cruel or unjust they were—

He was going to kill Slade.

-break-

Robin came into the darkness and Slade watched him from one end of the room as the boy stood before the five main computer screens and looked around in search of his master. In his hand he held the stolen good he had taken from Lex Corps.—the thermal blaster. It was a neat little toy, but it was nothing like what Slade created. It was nothing compared to the controller he was inventing and the nanoscopic probes he implanted into Robin's friends.

It was really all just a test.

"Excellent, Robin. I'm pleased." Slade said as one of his spot lights turned on and illuminated the boy. "You're already proving to be the perfect apprentice."

"This deal can't last forever." Robin shot back in defiance. There it was again…his show of strength. Slade could hardly wait until he saw the boy finally submit entirely.

"It can...And it will…" He pressed a button on his wrist and the row of monitors flashed on, showing Robin the ordeal he missed last night. Robin watched in awe and horror as he saw everything Slade told him last night come to life before his eyes. Now he knew Slade wasn't lying.

Slade's blackmail was hard to destroy.

"The Titans have no idea that my chronoton detonator was more than a decoy. Now that my probes are inside their bodies, they could remain undetected for years—decades."

He added that last threat and saw Robin's shoulders drop slightly as he counted the years of his life that he'd spend as Slade's apprentice. When you were young, even one year seemed like a lot. When you were forty or fifty, ten years was a little long, but to someone as young as Robin, ten years was close to two thirds of his life. And that was much longer…

The show finished and the screens went blank.

"Unless, of course, you disobey me—"Slade said with distasted, stepping out into the light so that Robin could see him. "—and I decided to destroy your former friends with the push of a button."

The controller slipped into his hand and he showed it to Robin, killing off any ideas the boy had running through his head. He wasn't going to let Robin build up hope, because hope was petty and hope was strength. Slade had to destroy any defiant sources of strength for Robin and then he begin his real work on the boy.

"Sooner or later, you'll let your guard down." Robin threatened; surprising Slade slightly that he still chose to fight. But weren't threats dishonorable, something that brought Robin closer to his future self? "I will get that controller, and the instant they're out of danger, you will pay."

But Slade was seeing to it that that never came to be.

Oh, he did so enjoy seeing a person suffer.

Slade stepped toward him and his one eye narrowed as he gazed down at the boy. "That sounds like a threat, young man." He snarled and took the blaster from Robin. Quite a good threat, actually. Betrayal, destruction, revenge. We really do think alike."

Another cup of salt to the wounds.

He knew Robin could hold out on that insult and held the controller slightly out to humor the boy. Sure enough, Robin took the bait and spun around reaching to grab to controller with his quick hands. He was a fast little devil but Slade was faster and grabbed Robin's wrist in one quick motion, bending his arm back sharply until the grinding sounds warned of bones on the brink of breaking. Robin bit back a yelp, but Slade could hear him grinding his teeth together, trying to look strong despite the immense pain he was dealing with.

It was amusing—really.

"I monitored you vital signs during the mission." Slade said plainly as Robin struggled to avoid a broken arm. "Elevated heart rate, adrenaline, endorphins…You won't admit it, but at some level you enjoyed stealing for me. It was a thrill, wasn't it?"

He felt the shiver that ran along Robin's spin just before he released his arm. Robin stumbled forward and spun around while rubbing his sore arm with daggers in his eyes. He hated Slade and Slade didn't mind. Hate is vital in survival. It is what drives you to do the unthinkable when you need to do it most and evens out the score when you're thirsty for revenge. Without it, you'd be as innocent and stupid as that annoying alien freak, Starfire.

Slade took the blaster over to his table and started adjusting it to enable the user to fire it off their arm. He removed the muzzle and started fixing it to his liking as he continued to lecture the boy.

"You're going to keep stealing, Robin." He explained simply, making it clear that Robin wasn't going to avoid the excitement he unwillingly felt when he was in action. "And you're going to keep getting that thrill. And sooner or later—you will see things my way."

The foundations of your mind will slowly collapse, and the wall, which blocked you out from the truth, will finally crumble and fall.

He turned around with the adjusted weapon and walked up to Robin, grabbing the sullen boy's arm and attaching the thermal blaster on quickly before he could ask what he was doing.

"Who knows…I might even become like a father to you."

He was suddenly brought back to the memory of his two sons and daughter. His sons were dead because of him and Rose…he wasn't exactly the best of a father, but still, he knew how to be one.

"I already have a father…" Robin said softly, more to himself than to Slade. Slade boiled with rage and that reply, but said nothing. He had attacked enough of Robin's pride in one day and right now he had better things to do than fight with a fifteen-year-old child.

A swarm of bats fluttered out from the rafters as Robin said that and they both looked up to watch them take flight.

I see

It would make sense that Batman's sidekick was also his son—after all, Richard Grayson was adopted by Bruce Wayne after a vengeful Tony Zucco cut the wires at the circus. Slade knew a great deal more about Robin than he thought, and he sometimes wondered what Robin did when his parents fell with a loud thud and died upon impact. Did he cry? Did he kick and scream and try to murder anyone he could take his frustration out on?

Slade was guessing the latter of the two.

"I have another job for you." Slade said and Robin's eyes fell from the bats to his master. "The night is still so young…"

-break-

Once again, the moment Robin was gone, Slade hacked into whatever systems he could and logged onto the security cameras of Wayne Enterprises. And again he sent Robin off to retrieve something that wasn't of any importance whatsoever to him. He was just sending the boy off to his surrogate father's company building in Jump City simply because all robberies were caught on tape and sent to Mr. Wayne within the same day of the crime.

That was another sweet part of revenge—not only showing Batman that he did a better job at keeping control over a kid, but taking his kid to prove it. The Dark Knight seemed like the calm collective type of person, but Slade bet he wouldn't be too happy to see his son now as Slade's apprentice and successor. He might even break a few necks when he heard the news and saw the tape.

He tapped into the alarm system and watched as Robin broke into the building. Slade set off the alarm but kept the lights and sounds off, simply turning on the tapes and allowing a message to be sent to the Teen Titans. The moment Robin was in the room with the device, Slade had enough taped to make certain that Robin was clearly seen by his old mentor. That was also the exact same time the Titans showed up, just as Robin was reaching out hesitantly to steal another weapon he had no intentions of taking.

Guilt? Slade would have to see to getting rid of that…

"You're not walking outta here, Robin." The new leader informed Slade's apprentice, but Slade knew that Robin was going to do the exact opposite. He knew how to take down his friends—none of them could stop him. "Not without a fight…Titans! Go!"

Ooh, stealing your previous leader's battle cry—pathetic and stupid. But Slade could see the look on Robin face when his former best friend stole your saying as though it didn't matter if he was ever the leader.

"You better stay and fight." Slade muttered to the boy, but not through the communicator. The room wasn't very easy to escape from and that was why Slade sent him to steal something from it—so he couldn't flee from his former friends.

Robin muttered something unheard even to Slade beneath his breath and charged at his friends.

Don't run… Slade thought, trying to will his apprentice not to. You can't run anyway because—

Robin dodged Cyborg's punch and leapt into the group. Slade actually thought Robin would stay, but the boy was smarter than what he gave him credit for. Grabbing hold of a thin beam keeping the ceiling up, Robin swung and kicked open one of the panels, flipping out of the room as his four comrades stared after him flabbergasted.

Damn him! This was worse than apologizing!

Robin kicked through the next set of panels and jumped out onto the roof, landing like a cat and gazing around to check for watchers before dashing toward the edge of the roof.

"Not so fast, Robin." Slade sighed into the communicator, not at all pleased with his apprentice fleeing. "You have yet to achieve your objective."

"The device was too heavily guarded." Robin tried to cover. It was easy to tell he didn't want to hurt any of his friends, but it was futile to try to outsmart Slade. "I'll have to steal it another—"

"NO!" Slade hollered and Robin slid to a halt, just as Slade noticed on his cameras the other Titans climbing the fire escape to get to the roof. "Go back. Unless you want me to destroy them, go back…"

"Robin!"

Robin jumped and turned his head to see the Teen Titans waiting for them. The new leader was trying to look understanding, but Slade knew Robin wanted them alive more than he wanted for them to comprehend the trouble he was going through to keep them alive.

"Look, I don't know what's going on—but we don't want to fight. We just want to talk."

Robin was wise not to speak, and instead answered with his feet, delivering a lovely side kick to the machine's head. The green changeling then surprised Slade with what he said, being the one to make the best comments when he wasn't acting stupid.

"Guess there's nothing to talk about."

Famous last words.

They tried to defeat him—and he tried to save them with petty hits that would simply knock them back so he could make a break for it. The demon girl was gentle with her powers, the alien girl was purposefully a little off with her aim, the half machine banned the idea of using his arm cannon, and the green changeling stopped his array of attacks the moment he hit Robin to hard.

"Dude, are you okay?"

Stupid beast.

Robin answered with actions again and sent his friend reeling backwards with a good punch to the jaw. Then the game was on for real and his friends decided that playtime was over.

"Fight to win, Robin." Slade ordered. "Use the thermal blaster."

The demon girl was wide open as she began her chant, but Robin ignored his master completely, still being as stubborn as ever. He hesitated…and let her grab him with her powers, from the neck to knees he was trapped in her shadows besides his right arm, and he controller slipped into Slade's hand. If Robin wasn't going to—

Robin whipped out a disk with his free arm and tossed it at her. It exploded in her face and released a blaze so brilliant, Slade turned his eye away from the screen momentarily until it dimmed. Even then, there was an afterimage shadow over his eye as he blinked to get rid of it. He could only half watch as Robin did an impressive acrobat flip onto of the giant A of WAYNE. Then he fled.

Dammit! Robin was really getting Slade t-ed off…

"Stop! Do. Not. Move…"

Robin slid to a halt on the E and started at her in slight surprise as she aimed at him with her hell flame powers. There was no way she could avoid hitting him now at such a close range…

"I thought I told you to use that Blaster!" Slade yelled, losing his patience—a rare thing indeed. "Attack! NOW!"

Robin reluctantly raised his arm and took aim at the girl as the thermal blaster hummed to life. They stared at each other with a forced hate, trying to look unaffected and emotionless at the exact same time, but there was a deeper tie between the two of them and that was something Slade worried about.

Finally, Starfire was the one to drop her end of the threat and cooled her glowing hands as she gave into the grief in her heart. Voice trembling, she made and attempt at bringing down Robin's disguise as a villain. She somehow knew he wasn't truly that at heart.

"Robin, you are my best friend. I cannot be in a world where we must fight. If you are truly evil—then go ahead…Do what you must…"

Best friend? How sappy?

Goodbye, Starfire.

Slade prayed that that little show of affection wasn't going to water down his fury, but it did, and all his vital signs almost returned to normal as he calmed and stared her in a sorry frown. Despite her naïve nature and unquestionable faith in others, her words hit hard.

"Starfire no. I—"

NO!

"ROBIN! I gave you and order!" Slade yelled and there was horrible feedback on the communicator as it just about exploded in Robin's ear. "If you won't attack, my probes will…"

There was a look of panic on Robin's face, and Slade took the controller into his hand, pressing down on the button before Robin could fight for words to say. All Robin had to do was fight them—not kill them or anything. Just fight them, leave them with a couple of broken bones, and return to Slade. That's all! NO—instead he had to let his hero nature kick in and prolong the fight because he was afraid of hurting them.

Well, now they were going to do.

Slade grinned behind his mask as their flesh began to glow a radiant red-orange and they fell to the ground in agonizing pain. Robin caught the alien girl as she fell and stared at her in horror, now realizing how true Slade's words were when he warned that he would truly kill them. Now here they were—dying! Happy yet, Boy Wonder?

"Stop! Please—stop!" Robin begged, slowly breaking now that he was on the verge of being responsible for the death of four individuals he cared so much for.

As much as Slade enjoyed seeing the pain it cause Robin, the fact was that he couldn't destroy the Titans without destroying his presently only blackmail. Perhaps when he created more of the probes and implanted them in more innocent people, he could toy with Robin's mind and kill off his friends, but now he had to settle with seeing a sample of him in true pain.

Oh well. There was always next time…

"Attack, Robin. It's the only way to save them…Attack with everything you've got…"

"Robin…" The alien girl moaned weakly as he set her down, taking aim with the blaster.

"I'm sorry."

Sorry?...Apologizes are for the weak…

But oh well…

Slade watched as the blast jolted Starfire's body before he turned off the probes and continued to view the rest of the battle. But before he did, he said one last thing to Robin…

"That's my boy…"

-break-

Eye still hurting, he rewound the camera tapes to watch the battle over again and took note of Robin's moves. True to what his files said—Robin was a born acrobat and a perfectionist of the martial arts. Despite his attempts of fighting a light battle, Robin gave enough of an entertaining show for Slade to watch.

"Thrilling…" He said to himself, waiting for Robin to return. He leaned back in his chair and adjusted the controller so that it sat on the back of his wrist instead of the inside. Staring at it, he smiled. "My apprentice is progressing even faster than I had hoped. All he needed was a little…motivation."

He jumped slightly and his eyes widened when a smaller hand grab his wrist and he suddenly noted how stealthy Robin could be when he was in one of his moods. He turned his head to face his apprentice and frowned when he realized the boy was only trying to be more defiant.

"Motivate THIS!"

The fist came for his face but he easily caught it without flinching and wrenched the arm to one side, flinging Robin toward and set of overhead gears. As skilled as he was, Robin adjusted himself in mid air and landed in a crouch on the floor. As he stood up, Slade left his chair and flexed a handful of fingers, actually pleased with the show of the three elements to being a true villain.

"Robin." He said, sounding a little surprised, but very impressed at the exact same time. "That was vicious, dishonorable, and ruthless…Excellent work. You're becoming more like, me every second."

He was over his fit of fury that grew when he watched Robin battle his friends. He was impressed with Robin because he knew how people thought—and soon he could make Robin as uncaring and unjust as he. Then Robin could truly stand by his side and help him to rid the world of the stupid peace and serenity heroes fought to preserve.

Instead of letting Robin fight his friends again, Slade thought it was about time to give Robin a little training session—something of a gift to let him attempt beating Slade for capturing him in the first place. After all, he was trying so hard to be just as vicious, dishonorable, and vicious…

Slade turned away and almost started back toward his chair before he spun around with an array of attacks against Robin. Robin dodged and tried a few counterattacks, turning too much on his last punch and leaving his back open to Slade. Slade slid his arms around the boy and caught his neck and right arm, squeezing the air out of the boy's chest as he lifted him up off his feet. Struggling to breath, Robin swung his leg up and back into Slade's face and caught him dead-on.

Seeing stars, he released Robin and they both paused to catch their breath and clear their heads. Robin was tired, and that meant Slade would in soon, but Robin still had that those bursts of energy that equaled attacks like the one he just delivered to his head.

Damn, that hurt…

Neither took too long to gather their thoughts and Robin thought it was about time that he attacked first. Flipping backwards, he aimed a leg toward Slade's face and started to descend after his angelic flip. Slade was ready for this and looked up, standing at the right time and grabbed Robin's ankle before he could realize his mistake. With his inhuman strength, Slade tossed him like a rag-doll off toward the gears, listening as his shoulder scraped the ground with an eerie nails-on-chalk-board screech.

Robin shouted and frantically reached out to catch something, taking hold of a passing crankshaft to stop himself from flying into the crunching teeth of the gears. Slade watched as Robin's arm was almost yanked from his socket before he ran toward the gears and grabbed hold to lift him up to level with his apprentice. He grabbed hold of many more before standing on a larger one, watching as Robin warily made his way through the gears toward a clear section of the room, stopping by a bank of levers before a cloud of steam erupted in his face.

Slade stepped off the gear to face his apprentice and watched as Robin eyed him cautiously, knowing that the battle wouldn't end until Slade wanted it to end.

"Good, Robin." He said, referring to the kick to the face and the aerobic flip kick. "You're doing much better than last time. A few more years of training, and you might actually pose a threat."

He knew he was mocking Robin, but it was the plain truth (didn't you just hate the truth?). He stole Robin fair and square and now he was going too keep him, because lives weren't much more than goods You could trade, give, or take a life, and here was one he took on his own. If Robin couldn't stop Slade from claiming him, no one else could. Nothing was going to change that.

Robin backed away, but Slade could tell by the look of him that he wasn't going to flee. No. He was going to arm himself—a smart move. Grabbing hold of one of the levers, Robin kicked it hard at the base and the metal snapped as easily as a twig.

Go ahead, Robin. You're really only continuing to impress me.

He gave it a twirl before taking up his stance, and Slade replied by arming himself with his own Bo-staff. Extending it as more steam rolled out beside them, Robin attacked first again and charged Slade with his weapon raised. Slade parried his attacks with ease and they finally braced against each other with their full strength. Though strong, Robin was small and light—easy for Slade to shove back, hit high, and drive him back into one of the pipes.

Robin looked dazed for a second before he leapt upwards the moment Slade stabbed at him. The staff caught the pipe instead just as Robin landed professionally on it in a crouch, and swung his own staff directly at Slade's head just as boiling hot steam erupted from the puncture and blinded his one good eye. He felt the blow shove him back, but ducked blindly to move under Robin and behind him, opening his eye as the steam began to settle.

Robin looked for Slade straight ahead in caution and jumped just at the right moment as Slade brought his hand down in a karate chop to break his Bo-staff. It snapped as Robin flipped backward way up high and landed on the bend of the broken pipe.

Damn, he moved fast for a kid.

Slade caught hold of a nearby gear and held on until he caught the camshaft that rocked back and further in front of Robin. He landed just as Robin began to back away and stayed a few seconds to watch the shock on Robin's face at the trick. He grabbed hold on the camshaft again and held on until he landed on another platform, watching as Robin searched for him ins bafflement.

Slade leapt down toward him and body checked him in his broadside, knocking him down onto a lower horizontal gear that was stationary for the time being. He was dazed again and struggled to lift his head, but somehow Robin knew to move aside just as Slade came down toward him with a bone-break punch.

Now that the pressure was on, Robin was showing true skill. He was getting harder to hit.

And he started to hit back too.

Once Slade stood and cracked his knuckles, Robin's eyes narrowed with hatred and he got smart. He made it look as though he would use a side kick, but changed it into a back kick tat sent Slade staggering backwards. A second unexpected back kick sent him falling back onto the main level beside his monitors, cracking the left side of his mask.

He cracked it.

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that…" He growled as Robin jumped down to face him and stepped forward to frown down at Slade.

"I only wish I'd done it sooner." Robin scowled and tore the S emblem from his chest, tossing it down in front of Slade.

Robin was not his own person anymore. He was the property of Slade, and no matter what he did—he wasn't going to back out of being his apprentice. Slade would let him go when his body was cold and his heart couldn't beat anymore.

Enough was enough. He'd teach Robin for being so damn defiant…

He voiced a low growl before he charged at Robin, forcing the unready apprentice to go on the defensive side as Slade attacked with a few simple—but painful—moves. Robin didn't want to give up his winning streak just yet and attempted another one of his tricky back kick—but Slade caught his leg, pulled him up and flipped him over so that he landed on his back, smiling behind his mask as Robin grunted in pain from suddenly being winded.

Robin struggled to stand and Slade began his lecturing again, drilling into Robin's mind that he belonged to Slade now.

"I have much to teach you, but the first thing you need to learn is gratitude."

Robin wiped a small trickle of blood from the corner of his lips and eyed the monitors showing the probes in his friend's bodies. There was great worry in his expression before it transformed into hate, and Robin attacked Slade with a punch.

No, Robin. You're going to listen.

He grabbed the rebellious boy's arm and twisted it backward as he pulled it back behind his shoulder and slammed his upper body backwards to the ground. There was a popping sound that could have been the dislocating of Robin's arm as Slade released him and watch as Robin rolled onto his knees while holding onto the injured arm, biting back a yelp of pain..

"I made you my apprentice." He began. He could have chosen someone from Hive, he could have chosen someone from his old team, he could have chosen someone from anywhere in the world—but he didn't! He chose Robin because Robin could handle it, because Robin could stop just about anything in his way. And he deserved it for working so hard to be the best he could be—but why didn't he want it! He could do so much as destroy the world if he would only give into Slade.

But he didn't.

Foolish…

Slade continued and knelt beside Robin. "All my knowledge, all my power—all for you!" He grabbed a fistful of Robin's hair and pressed his forehead to the ground. "But the only thing you care about is your worthless little friends!"

Then he released his hair and stood listening as Robin stood up behind him.

He was going to make this really clear for Robin.

"If the Titans are so distracting, maybe I should just get rid of them…"

He looked at his wrist and brought it up to press the button—

"Don't…" Robin said weakly, steeling himself to submit himself to Slade's hell. "I'll…do whatever you say…"

That's all he needed to hear.

"Good boy…." He turned around to face the sullen apprentice and stared down at the weak that clay he could continue to mold. "And, from now on, I'd like you to call me Master."

The attack that came for him had been just as unexpected as when Robin suddenly showed up a short while again and tried to slug him. He was knocked aside by a set of starbolts that came from alien girl at the entrance to the main room. With her were the rest of the Teen Titans.

Blast them.

"Leave. Him. ALONE!" Starfire shrieked, hands still glowing from her starbolts.

Slade wasn't going to put up with this.

Standing, he looked to his apprentice and gave the next order. "Robin—attack!"

But Robin was still on the defiant side.

"Get out of here! Go! You don't know what those beams did to—"

"Dude."

"We know—"

"—and we don't care."

"We are you're friends, Robin." The girl finished for the group. "We are not leaving without you."

How they found out, he had no idea. But it didn't matter. They still couldn't stop him.

"How very touching." He mocked as he watched them tense visibly. He put his finger above the button and saw Robin turn to stare at him in horror. "But Robin doesn't need any friends."

He pressed down on the button and watched as his probes activated in their bodies. Turning orange-red they fell to the floor in agony as Robin stared at them in terror, fearing for their lives. Then his shoulders fell as he realized what Slade was going to make him do.

"This is the price for your disobedience, Robin. Now do as I command—ATTACK!"

The alien lifted her head at the sound of his command and stared at Robin with tears in her eyes. The sight was heart-breaking for Robin and Slade noticed the strength it gave his apprentice in that instant.

"No."

One word said it all.

"Robin!" Slade hollered as Robin dashed toward the gun that shot the probes and transmitted the commands from the controller to the probes. He planted his foot on the rig as he reached it and grabbed it with both hands, suddenly consumed by the red glow of the gun. Another screen popped up on Slade's monitors—this one showing the probes attaching to Robin's red blood cells.

The Boy Wonder was shot back quite a few feet and landed as his body smoked. But somehow Robin stood and hauled over toward Slade, falling to his knees from the strain.

This was getting to be too much.

"New deal, Slade." Robin groaned with difficulty. "If I lose my friends, you lose your apprentice. And I know how you hate to lose…"

Very smart move Robin. Getting to know your enemy's weakness and then exploiting it to strengthen your attack.

So maybe you did learn something after all.

But there was that word…weak…He hated it and he would never get out the frustration it caused him.

He had no mind to remember his first failure in a number of years. He gave into Robin's deal because either way he went he lost. Though he hated Robin, the boy was still his number one choice as an apprentice and a successor—but perhaps another day he would find a way to snag him in an inescapable trap and bend him to Slade's will. But until then, someone else would have to substitute in his absence until that day.

They bet him—plain and simple—and he set and explosion to go off in the building to give him time to flee. Then he ran to his office and took what he could of his latest invention but had to leave much behind as he fled from the collapsing building. They escaped too, but Slade left Robin with something to haunt his mind until the day he could reclaim him came.

Another day, Robin…another day…

-A-

THIS IS NOT THE ENDING! I repeat—as much as I hate Terra, this is not the ending. You get to see every TT episode Slade is in. But I am adding an episode as my next chapter. It does not have the Teen Titans but you get to meet Red-X before he's Red-X…but not exactly. It sort of leads things up to Red-X finding about the Teen Titans and how Slade gets to find Terra in the first place. But Terra isn't in it…he finds a friend who will find her—OH—JUST READ THE CHAPTER! You mainly get to see him in his contract-killer mode and that's why I'm giving you a head's up on the warning—

WARNING: For those of you who just lied about your age to read higher-rated stories—I'm giving you a fair warning to skip the next chapter. It contains blood, a lot of action (which really isn't too bad), and you get to see Slade torture someone in a way that may make you shiver. I can write dark, but I'm actually making the next chapter so dark because of Slade's real personality in the oldies comics and because I made a bet with my cousin Victor. I want you readers to give me a dark rating in your review (if you review the next chapter) from the numbers one to ten (one being Barney boring, and ten as the "OH MY GOD—I CAN'T WATCH!" spooked-out spas attack). I had people tell me I'm pretty talented with dark, so tell me if they're right in saying so.

Besides that—I'm going to start on the next chapter. Not to mention I have another chapter to write for Not Again…I just love that one…

Bowing low,

Alexnandru Van Gordon