Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters.

Chapter One

"Robin," Slade drawled listlessly in his cold, heartless voice. My head shot up, my heart thundering erratically in fear. "Stand up, Robin." he ordered.

I complied, my hand clenched around the communicator in a defiant grip. Slade grabbed my chin roughly, forcing my eyes to meet the single sinister eye that glared out from behind his mask. "What is this, Robin?" he asked, yanking the communicator from my hand. "I believe I told you to get rid of this, did I not?"

"Yes," I growled. The back of his hand connected with my jaw suddenly, and I stumbled backwards, bringing a hand to my stinging cheek.

"What did you say?" he demanded.

"Yes, Master." I spat, bringing myself to full height. I had grown, but I was still not quite as tall as he.

We stared at each other, a contest of wills to see who would crumble first, and he chuckled. "Good, Robin. You haven't lost your fire. You're more like I am than you know. It's quite admirable."

"Bastard!" I shouted, launching myself at him. He caught me easily and drove his fist into my stomach. As I doubled over, he grabbed my shoulders and whispered in my ear, "Now, now, Robin, don't get carried away." He released me and I knelt down, clutching my stomach and trying to draw a breath. He kicked me viciously in the side, sending me rolling across the floor.

"I would advise you not to forget your place. Remember what you gamble with. We will talk of this later. I expect you at breakfast in five minutes." He strode out of the small room, closing the door firmly behind him.

I tried my best to dampen my rage as I grudgingly pulled on the uniform that had replaced my Titan colors. In the walk to breakfast, instead of becoming calmer, I became more infuriated with each step. I felt as if I was about to explode when I stepped into the dining hall and saw Slade there. He motioned me to a chair opposite him. I sat down in it as calmly as I could. I stared at the plate of food in front of me rather than risk looking at his face.

"You may eat."

My lip curled, but I picked up my fork and proceeded to forcefully mutilate my eggs anyway. I knew if I did not eat, I would pay for it later because of whatever Slade had undoubtedly planned for me that day. I finished quickly, but I still refused to look at the man I hated more anything.

"This is not the first time you've disobeyed me, Robin." I stayed silent, my rage quenched by the mounting dread growing in my heart. The tone of his voice had changed significantly, sending shivers crawling up my spine. "Perhaps it is time I show you your place, since you seem determined to keep forgetting it. Just the press of a button, Robin. It's that easy."

I finally looked at him, my mouth as dry as ash. My palms were sweating. He wasn't bluffing. "No, please, you can't!" I croaked.

"Oh?" his voice lilting in amusement. "And why is that?"

"Please," I repeated. "I'll do anything. I swear."

"Kneel before me."

I swallowed my pride and, shaking, I stood. Hesitantly, I walked before him. Dropping to my knees, I spread my hands out to my sides, palms up, in a sign of obeisance and bowed my head.

He grabbed my hair roughly, twisting it painfully until I cried out. He bent over me and snarled, "You are mine!" He shoved me to one side and stood up. "You will do as I say!"

"Yes, Master." I whispered, defeated. For the Titans, I reminded myself. Only for them would I bow to and obey Slade Wilson. I longed so badly to drive a dagger through his blackened heart, but every time I fought him, he proved once more who was stronger and who held the power. He would beat me near insensible and he would laugh as I struggled time and again to rise to my feet to face him.

In those moments, I hated myself more than I hated him. I hated the fact that no matter how hard I tried, Slade always beat me down, his eye glaring down at me as if I were no more than an ant in his way. I could have sworn that, under his mask, he smirked down at me arrogantly, flaunting his superiority over me.

How I loathed him. I detested losing to him and he knew it. He knew it because it was one of the several traits we shared. The things I despised about myself were the very things I abhorred about him.

"Come, Robin, I have something to show you."

Reluctantly, I rose to my feet and followed him deeper into the labyrinths of his lair. Finally, he brought me to a dark room. He shut the door behind me, enclosing us in total darkness. I tried once more to quell the panic rising in me as he grabbed my arm roughly and pulled me forward.

"Slade, what—"

"Silence!" he interrupted me, and finally propelled me into another dark chamber. I heard the click of a door closing and then the lights flickered on, illuminating the room. I had never been here before, but he gave me little time to gawk at my surroundings.

"Sit down." he ordered and took a chair beside a smooth, black desk. I sat down on the other side of the desk, my stomach tying itself into knots. He propped his chin up in one hand and looked at me.

"Tell me, Robin, what do you know of the Titans since you left their company?"

His question surprised me. For almost a year, I had done my best to watch the Titans when I could until Slade had started demanding more and more of my time and I could only catch glimpses of them every so often. I suspected he had kept me busier because he had found out what I had been doing, but he had never outwardly punished me for it. I believed it was because he found it amusing.

I took a deep breath and relayed to him what I knew. After they had realized I would not be coming back, things quickly fell to pieces. The group had become disjointed and tempers had been high. Fights were sparked from nothing. It had nearly killed me to see them tear themselves apart from the inside out.

After a while, however, things had stabilized. The city had been nearly demolished from the outbreak of crime, and the Titans had come to the conclusion that, whether I was there or not, they had to stick together or the city would be lost to the corrupt and power-hungry. In the last few days I had been able to watch them regularly, Raven had assumed the role of leader.

"Well-done, Robin," Slade said after my account. "But there is one thing you missed." Abruptly, the visage of a blonde-haired girl appeared on a giant screen behind him. "Her name is Terra. She had a brief encounter with the Titans, left, and returned several months later. In those months, she learned… adequately… to control her powers. Since then, she has taken your place on the team." He paused, gauging my reaction, before speaking again. "However, she is still very headstrong and has not tapped the deepest resources of her power yet. She seems to keep her distance from the other Titans, especially Raven. They quarrel often, much like you and I."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked stiffly.

"It's simple, really. I want you to bring her to me."

He shocked me again. Aside from the first few tasks he had assigned to me, most of what he had me do had nothing at all to do with the Titans. Most of the time I had had to travel far out of the city to do what he asked of me. He had done that for a reason, but still allowed me my few glances of the Titans when I could.

I could feel my hands shaking. He… he would let me near them. I could see them… see her, the one person I had missed the most. I felt a stab in my heart. There had to be something else. It was a trick. Slade was lying to get my hopes up. He had to be.

He pulled out a stack of papers from the desk and handed them to me. "I expect you to read through these." I looked at them briefly and nodded.

I could sense his sinister smile from beneath his mask. "You will enjoy this task won't you, Robin?" he drew his words out cruelly. He knew I would. He always knew, but I nodded in assent anyway.

He chuckled mirthlessly. "Good." He shoved his chair backwards and walked until he stood behind me. I sat still, paralyzed in my seat. I jumped a little as his steel gloves dropped on my shoulders. I tried to force my breathing to a normal pace.

"I look forward to it." he murmured seductively in my ear. I felt sick, having him so close to me. It was nearly a relief when he hauled me to my feet once more and guided me through the dark rooms and into the dimly lit hallway.

Once I was back in my room, I trembled, this time with excitement. I would see them again. Finally, I would see them!

Then I remembered why I hadn't seen them. Slade. Always Slade. I was their enemy. They would… hate me.

But still, I would be able to see them, even if they would not look upon me with the same fond eyes I looked upon them with.

I sank down onto my bed, setting the papers beside me and burying my face in my hands. Despair flooded through me. I wanted things to be like they were three years ago. I wanted to laugh and smile and joke around with my friends.

They would never smile with me again. It was the price I had paid for their lives.