Disclaimer: Characters still not mine.

Chapter Three

"I had no idea you wanted to see my room this badly, Robin." His voice was colder than the center of an iceberg.

"Master, I—"

"I don't want your excuses!" He shoved me forward and I fell onto his bed. I barely had time to turn onto my side before he straddled me, effectively pinning me down with his body. I writhed in his grasp, but he only held me tighter.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean—"

"Shut up!"

Slade was far too close to me. I could feel his body against mine, and I wanted nothing more than to flee the room in fear. I wished desperately to revoke what I had done, but no amount of wishing would change it.

I could hear him breathing behind his mask, and his eye burned into me with more intensity than an inferno. I felt small – exceedingly so – as if I were a spider that he could crush under his boot without a second thought.

His grip on my wrists was far past bruising – I was surprised my bones had not already shattered. I knew that if he applied any more pressure, he would break my wrists.

It was terrifying to be in the complete control of a psychopath.

"You're scared; I can see it in your eyes. It's so strong I can almost taste it. You've never been this afraid of me before, have you?"

I could not tear my gaze from him. I was paralyzed with terror. It had crashed over me in a destructive wave, drowning me in its murderous undercurrents.

"Answer me!" Slade yelled, tightening his hands around my wrists, forcing me to cry out.

What I felt was far beyond simple fear. It was something much more than that. It froze me – I could no longer move or fight back against him or convince myself to answer him. Slade was livid with fury, and I had no idea what he would do to me. I was irrevocably under the power of a madman.

It was undoubtedly the most terrifying moment in my life. Trembling, I looked into his eye, my heart fluttering wildly in my chest. I daren't even blink – I feared to break eye contact with him lest it deepen his anger.

"You… I have given you everything! I offer you all I know and you… you have the nerve to go the one place you will never be welcome!" He threw me out of the bed and I collided with the wall painfully. I fell to the floor hard, before trying to make myself as small as possible, curling into a protective ball.

"How dare you?" He drove his steel-toed boot into my back. Clamping my hand over my mouth, I attempted to stifle my cry, as tears of pain spilled down my cheeks. He seized my arm and hauled me to my feet. I could barely stand due to the pain coursing through my back.

Slade snapped my arm in one deft move. He wrested it behind me swiftly, and I screamed. The sickening sound of my own bones breaking filled my ears.

"Get out!" he yelled and hurled me out of the room.

I clutched my broken arm to my chest as I stumbled down the hallway, my head spinning with pain. I ran and ran and still had no idea where I was or where I was going. Eventually, I stopped to lean against a wall. I slid down it, still hugging my broken arm to my chest. It hurt – the pain was a conflagration that consumed my entire limb.

I gave a short, bitter laugh. Look what has become of the fabled 'Boy Wonder.' I scoffed in my head. I despised myself.

Yes… look what's become of me now. I buried my face in my knees. Look what's become of your son, Batman…. I felt the tears on my face, and not just from the pain.

How had I let this happen? How had I let Slade win – and keep winning? I was lazy, stupid, foolish… the list would never end.

I would have welcomed the cold embrace of death in that moment as I sank into a pain-induced oblivion.

When I regained consciousness, the pain in my arm had not subsided. If anything, it had gotten worse. I cracked one eye open and saw Slade bending over me. I jumped, and tried to rise off the cold surface I was on. I realized with horror, however, that I was strapped to it. There were thick, leather straps over my chest, waist, thighs, ankles, and two secured my uninjured arm. I could barely move an inch. It was plain Slade didn't want me moving at all.

"Sla—" He cut me off by shoving a thick piece of leather in my mouth.

"This will hurt." He cautioned me emotionlessly. He pressed on my arm slightly and I groaned, trying to twist away, but to no avail. "It hurts, doesn't it? It'll get worse…"

I felt his fingers smooth my hair gently away from my forehead. Warm. His fingers were warm. I looked up at him in confusion. He wasn't wearing his gloves.

He paused a moment to brush his fingertips across my cheek before he lifted his hand from my face. "Bite down. I have to set your arm."

He gave me no more warning before grabbing my broken arm and sliding the bones back into place.

I hadn't thought there could be anything more painful than Slade breaking my arm. I was wrong. He hadn't given me anything to dull the pain of him putting the bones back into place. He was still angry with me. I was lucky he had not decided to kill me and, that he even made an effort to fix my arm.

I was suddenly very grateful for the leather in my mouth. Without it, I probably would have shattered my own teeth. I moaned and struggled against my restraints as he carefully reset my arm. The bindings did not give way – Slade had done his job well in strapping me down.

He finally released me and I collapsed back on the table, all strength gone from my body. Slade took my arm and bound it to something straight and hard. My chest rose and fell laboriously as I tried to will away the fiery pain caused by his manipulation of my arm.

"This will do until I can get you a doctor. You did well, Robin." He took the leather from my mouth and inspected the teeth marks on it. Then he trailed his fingers down my cheek again, and I could almost pretend he did so fondly. Then he inserted a piece of bread in my mouth and left me alone, enclosing me in darkness.

I tested my bonds again, but gave up quickly. Slade knew what he was doing and I doubted that even if I were to escape my confinement on the table, I would find the door locked. Besides, it would only anger Slade more if I tried to escape after what I had already done. I decided it would be best to walk softly around him for the time being.

I slipped back into a restless sleep. The next time I awoke, it was to the feel of muscular arms picking me up and holding me against a warm chest. I opened my eyes blearily. My arm still hurt like hell, but it was now cocooned in a glaring white cast. I started when I realized it was Slade who was carrying me – of course, who else would it be? The feel of his hands on me sent sickening shivers crawling up my spine, but I forced myself to remain still. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done – to let the most despicable man on the face of the earth touch me, much less carry me.

"Good morning, Robin." Slade said as he finally laid me down in my own, familiar bed. He stayed hunched over me, looking into my eyes, and I could see his lips curve into a smirk behind the grates of his mask.

"Good morning… Master." I whispered.

He chuckled. "Nice try, Robin." He seized my chin roughly, the cold metal of his gloves pressing into my skin. "Do you know why I haven't killed you yet?"

"No, Master." My heart was filled with dread upon hearing his answer.

"It's because you're still useful to me. I'd suggest you keep it that way because, while you would be difficult to replace, it wouldn't be impossible. One more 'adventure' like the one the other day, and I swear to you I won't hesitate to press the button that would kill your precious friends before drawing a knife across your throat and watching you die in your own blood and misery. I have no use for an apprentice who does not obey me."

((Author's Note: Hey, guys! I just wanted to let you know that I love you forever for reading my story and not… uh… dying from it… or something. Anyway, I also wanted to apologize for my slow updates. It's because I'm currently working on my original novel and it demands more of my time because the chapters are around 3 or 4 times the length of these… so I'll try to write this as fast as I can and such. Thanks again!))