Chapter 18: Proposition

It had been so easy, almost too easy. He had always thought Red X was more cunning than that. But then again maybe he was over estimating his opponent. No matter, he was gone now.

Slade walked slowly, with long, powerful strides back to his hideout. Few people were on these streets, and the homeless individuals that were cowered when they saw him coming, never looking him in the eye. Slade loved how powerful he felt, even the beggars knew his name. And feared him.

The doors of the warehouse swung open, clanging loudly against the walls. Dust rose from the ground as sunlight streamed into the dark interior. Slade stood framed into the doorway for a second before entering.

Wintergreen seemed to appear from thin air and closed the doors behind Slade, cutting off the fading light, making the room almost pitch black.

"Is Robin awake yet?"

"He woke up several times, sir. I gave him a tranquillizer a few minutes before you came back."

"Good. I want to be there when he wakes up." Slade brushed past Wintergreen, and went into a smaller room. Robin sat tied to a wooden chair. His head hung down onto his chest, which was riding and falling with steady breaths. Slade pulled up a chair and sat down next to the boy, staring at him intently.

OOOOOOOO

Robin was slow to wake up. His eyes felt like they where weighted down. Thinking he had just gone to sleep sitting up in the T-tower he made a movement to lie down. The ropes around his wrists tightened painful, causing Robin to let out a yelp and his eyes to snap open. The sight that greeted him made him wish he was still sleeping.

Slade sat across from Robin,

"You're awake"

"Yeah" Robin responded groggily, but still with defiance in his voice.

"I suppose you know why you are here"

Robin didn't answer, instead worked on getting his hands free. It wasn't hard the knots where loose and flexible. Almost as though Slade's intention was for Robin to be able to break free.

His thoughts where interrupted when Slade back-handed him in the face. Robin coughed and the metallic taste of blood stung his mouth.

"When I ask you a question, I expect an answer"

God, how he loathed this man, Slade lectured him as though he was his father.

"You will never be my father" Robin whispered to himself, his voice shaking.

"What was that Robin?" Slade leaned closer to him. Robin pulled his head up and looked Slade straight in the eye and spat. A mixture of blood and saliva hit Slade's mask. Sighing Slade wiped the spit off with the back of his gloved hand.

"That was stupid Robin, very, very stupid."

Robin quickly pulled the lose ropes off his wrists while Slade was distracted. Before he could move a strong hand clamped around his neck, pulling upwards. Robin's feet brushed the ground as Slade lifted him, then without warning Slade slammed him into the cement wall. Robin saw stars and gasped as the hand tightened cutting off his air supply.

"I thought you might have grown up since our last meeting but obviously I was wrong. You're still the same insolent little child"

Robin gasped for air. Pulling his arm back he made a motion to bring his forearm down on Slade's elbow. Hoping that Slade's arm would buckle and he would release him from the death grip.

Slade saw what was coming and grabbed Robin's arm with his free hand. Robin made to send a punch at Slade's face but he caught that too and twisted Robin's arms so they where pressed against the wall over his head.

"Give up little bird, give up and I will give you everything you ever dreamed of"

"No"

"Why Robin? What is you reason for not giving into me?"

"Robins….don't….like…cages" he was almost out of air, he had to do something and quick, or risk passing out.

Robin chambered his knee and let out a swift kick to Slade's abdomen. Slade let out a grunt as the blow landed. Relinquishing his grip on Robin, he backed away a few steps.

Robin slid to the floor gasping for breath and rubbing his throat. He got to his feet, leaning against the wall for support. Looking up at Slade, Robin let out a low growl. Slade stood feet away in his usual manner, his hands clasped behind his back. Walking forward he pulled Robin's chin up with the tip of his finger. Slade chucked softly.

OOOOOOOO

"Robin?" Starfire called hopefully, peeking her head inside the refrigerator.

"Yo Robin?" Cyborg lifted up the couch with one hand.

"Dude where are you?" Beastboy changed into a bloodhound and started sniffing at the ground.

The Titans had searched every inch of the tower but there was no sign of Robin.

Cyborg had gone into the living room in the morning, Raven was sitting drinking tea but no one else was with her. Thinking Robin had gone for a walk Cyborg asked Raven where Robin was. As it turned out Robin had been gone when Raven came in to get tea at half after midnight and Robin hadn't been there. They first looked in Robin's old room, then Starfire's room. They looked through the whole tower, the whole city in fact and couldn't find him anywhere. He had just vanished.

"I can't find him" Raven opened her eyes, "He must be too far away" she stood up from the cross-legged position she had been holding for hours.

"Don't worry about it Rae" Cyborg said, "Take a break for a while okay?"

Nodding Raven sat down on the couch. Beast Boy stood behind her, holding onto Starfire as she cried endlessly into his shirt. She made muffled howls and was talking in quick, muffled words that no one could make out. Beast Boy pet her back gently and made awkward shushing noises.

"Come on team" Cyborg spoke up, "Robin has been missing for less than twelve hours, we can't fall apart now. I'm sure he will turn up pretty soon" The last part was a total lie, they all knew where he probably was, none of them wanted to sentence it. It would make it more than a horrible dream, it would make it true.

"Robin where are you?" Starfire sniffed into Beast Boy's shirt.

OOOOOOOO

He hate that laugh, he hated everything about the man standing in front of him, the way he walked, the way he taunted Robin, making him seem like a foolish little child. He knew what string to pull when and exactly how to make Robin tick. He always seemed one step ahead and Robin could never catch up.

Slade stood ramrod straight hands clasped behind his back.

"I suppose you are wondering why you are here? Why I wanted you?"

"Let me guess, you want to kidnap, torture and pretty much ruin my life again?" This comment earned Robin a punch to his ribs, causing him to double over.

"Manners Robin, didn't your parents ever teach you not to talk like that to your elders?" Slade easy dodged a blow send his way by an enraged Robin. He could almost laugh, he so enjoyed watching this, the angrier Robin got, the sloppier he became, that made it all the easier for his plan.

"The great Batman taught you how to fight like this, pathetic, to think I though of him almost as my equal and this is all he taught you? You will do so much better under my guidance."

Robin let out a yell and sent a fist straight at Slade's face. Slade stopped the blow inches from his face. Holding onto Robin's fist with his own gloved hand, Slade slowly tightened his grip. Leaning forward so his face was mere inches away from the Robin's.

Sweat beaded on Robin's brow as he tried to pull away from Slade.

"Let…go" he gasped

"No" came Slade's malicious answer. "I have a proposition and you are going to hear me out".

A/N:

I'm not going to respond to reviews for last chapter as they are really old and I bet no one remembers what they wrote and it would take a while so I wouldn't be able to post this chapter for another like week.

It has taken so long to update this story and I am sorry for that, don't worry I'm not giving up on it ( I HATE when people do that). It has just been a really busy time for me. I went to a highland games this weekend and got sunburned so bad. And the highlight was trying on this medevil type dress and the woman lets you walk around in it for fun and she said all the guys would be drooling and I didn't believe her but jeeze I had guys whistling at me (something I have never had) and a girl I was with said every guy that walked by was staring at me...so advise for all you girls out there..Go buy one of these dresses now! I wish I could have bought it other than a) It cost over $3000 and b) where am I ever going to wear it? but it was fun.