It's a strange thing love. It can come in many different ways and many different places. Love for a child… love for a parent, love for a pet, love for a wife, love for a husband…
And love for a friend.
People say Love can make us do crazy things. Maybe their right, or maybe love just makes us do stupid things… that are mistaken for crazy or bravery.
Robin didn't know what to call this act of love from his friends. They were brave because they had told Slade to buzz off. They were crazy for coming into Slade's lair. And they were down right stupid for putting their life on the line just for him!
"Leave him alone!"
Robin lifted his head as much as he could with Slade's hand still on his head towards the sound of the voice. He didn't have to look to see who it was; he recognized the voice all to well. And he cursed himself for letting her come.
Starfire.
Lifting his head he could see that he was right. There standing a small distance away from where he and Slade had been wrestling on the ground stood Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg and of course in the front of the party, Starfire. She was standing proud, back strait, red hair flowing behind her. But something was different. He face, it wasn't happy and glowing like usual. Her pretty features were darkened with concern and sternness.
Slade released Robin's head and ran. The coward. What was he afraid of fighting four teenagers?
"Fight them with all you got Robin." Slade hissed before he disappeared into the darkness.
No he wasn't afraid of teenagers. He just rather have Robin fight them. He wanted to see if he could torment longer. To see if he could once and for all break Robin.
But Robin didn't want to fight. He didn't want to be forced into that again. It was unbearable the first time. And that was when they had fought back. This was different. They were here to help Robin… not to mention Robin just got the crap beaten out of him by Slade. How the hell was he supposed to fight them now?
"Go!" Robin yelled rounding to his friends. He'd just have to warn them and hope the left. "Go! Run! You don't know what those beams did to-"
"Dude." Beast Boy cut in.
"We know." Cyborg added, with out blinking.
"And we don't care." Raven finished.
"We are your friends Robin." Star walked closer to him with out a second thought. Did she really not care that all their lives were on the line. "We are not leaving with out you."
"How very touching." Slade hissed, flashing Robin a look at the button in his hand. "But Robin doesn't need any friends."
Robin stared. Did they just say what he thought they did? They were willing to sacrifice everything. FOR HIM! He wasn't worth their lives…He was nothing. He had allowed his enemy to take control. He had but his friends in danger. He had betrayed his father. He didn't deserve their love.
But- he had done it just to save them. Maybe he really was a hero. He was just doing his job. He had been protecting lives. He was saving people. Wasn't that his job? Wasn't that what he was supposed to do?
"Apprentice! Fight them." He heard Slade yell from behind them.
Robin struck a pose. Maybe his friends would change their minds and do what was best for them and run. But they didn't. They stood still. Just staring at Robin. They weren't going to budge. They were really going to go threw with it.
Robin straitened his back and faced his friends. They were really there, he wasn't just dreaming. All the time he spent with Slade he had dreamed, and thought about this moment. He never thought it would truly happen. He always thought that he would be the one who would save his friends. Not his friends saving him.
Because that was the way it always worked. Robin was the hero, the main leaders. His friends were… oh' no. He had been treating his friends like his sidekicks…
He had always hated being called the "Boy Wonder". And he hated being called the "Sidekick." People weren't afraid of him because he was tough and scary himself, people feared him because he was The Dark Knight's Squire. Mess with Robin and you messed with Batman. And Robin hated it.
Things changed when he joined the Titans though. He had become the leader for once in his life. The city knew he was the leader too. If something went wrong you talked to Robin first and maybe he would tell the team, the people didn't really care if he did or didn't. When something went wrong they people knew that Robin and the team would get them out of it, not just the team. Robin heard them talk, so did the other titans. But never really listened, he knew they were a team.
But even though he knew that they were a team, he also knew that he was more trained, more skilled and just better at fighting then them. And he liked the feeling. He liked being on top, being the one that got noticed. The feeling was a good one…
Maybe he got too into it. He started to think that everything was up to him and forgot about the team. Just like Batman would forget about him…
And he had let it happen. How could he? He promised that the titans would always be friends and always be equal. And he had forgotten that. He knew what it felt like and he let it happen to his friends anyway.
He had treated them like they were sidekicks. And he was ashamed.
"Robin. I said fight them." Robin turned to Slade who was not standing that far from him now. Then he looked back at his friends. They didn't move, just stood there looking at him. They were really going to fight for Robin… after he had treated them so bad.
But Robin remembered times that Batman was in danger. He never held anything against him for being the one ever one knew about. No. He was worried about Bruce. And he didn't want anything to happen to him. He didn't care if he got hurt, he wanted Bruce to be alright…
Was this what the titans were feeling right now?
"Robin, you don't have to." Cyborg started. It was great to hear someone other than Slade talk. "You don't have to serve him anymore. We can help you."
"Yeah. Come home with us, Rob." Finished Beast Boy.
Home?
"ROBIN!"
"Shut up Slade!" Robin yelled rounding to his 'master' "I'm not taking orders anymore."
Robin could feel his friend's smiles widen from behind him. But he wasn't paying attention to them right now. His eyes were focused on Slade, whose eyes were focused on him. They may not be not be blood related and they may not even like each other, but Robin had to admit, they sure could glare the same. Their eyes had the same cold fire burning deep within them.
"What?" Slade hissed. He heard Robin; he just wanted to give him time to change his mind. But Robin wasn't going to.
"It's over." Robin hissed. He waited for Slade to strike, but this time he would win no matter what; he had his team behind him. If he didn't see it coming they would. If he didn't make the hit, they would. He was safe. Nothing could beat him now. Nothing at-
"You'll wish you never said that." Slade hissed. He pulled out the button to the probes in the titan's body and held it out in victory.
Damn it. He had forgotten about that stupid thing.
Before Robin could react in any way, Slade closed his hand down on the red button.
"Aurg!" He heard all his friends cry out all at once. It was the cry of utter pain.
Robin forgot about Slade and rounded to his friends. They began to fall to the ground, one by one and all looking painfully.
Robin watched in horror unable to do anything, as Starfire's graceful body arched into a stiff arch and gently fell to the floor. Slowly the team followed her in their painful way to the ground.
Robin stood there unable to do anything but watch. He felt his insides turn numb, his brain dropped to his stomach with one painful plunge. He felt his lunges turn to ice and chip away slowly, he could feel the air leaving them quickly.
Fear wrapped its clammy cold hands around Robin's heart. It showed no mercy. Sharp fingernails dug into his heart. Why was this happening? Why did he have to feel this pain of worry ness?
"Do we continue until they die Robin? Or do you do as I say?" Slade hissed still in his dark corner.
Robin's fear was replaced with raw fury. How dare Slade treat his friends so bad? How dare Slade try to take advantage of death? Nothing gave him the right to do that. Nothing gave anyone in the world the right to torment teenagers… adults, anyone for that matter!
He had to do something; there was no way he was going to let Slade win. Not now, not ever. He wasn't going to lose.
That's it!
The gears inside Robin's head began to turn quickly as he looked around the lair to see if his plan would work.
Lose. Slade hated to lose just as much as he did. But if Robin was to lose… Slade would to. Robin was just the 'student' and if the 'student' fails then the 'teacher' was the one who got blamed for it. In other words, Robin was the solider, Slade was the King, if the army was to fail, and the plan would fail.
So now Robin had to find a way to lose and do it with out killing his friends at the same time. That might be hard… and deadly. But whatever he was going to do he had to do it fast, his friends were dying in front of his eyes, and he had to stop it.
Robin knew the lair well now, he knew where Slade kept his weapons, were he kept his computers, and where he kept that fucking machine that controlled the probes and-
Wait. That's it. The probes. He couldn't stop them, but Slade could… if he was forced to. It was all starting to come back to him. The way he used to make up plan on how to beat the bad guy at the top of his head. He was starting to remember how to win again.
Slade had only put the probes in the Titan's body so he could control Robin. He had given Robin new weapons to keep him save. To make it short Slade didn't want him hurt. He wanted him safe and well for as long as he could.
Well what if something happened to Robin? Slade would help him right? Well what if at the same time of helping Robin, he was also helping the titans? Would Slade still help him?
The whole time that Robin had been with Slade, Slade had been obsessed with calling Robin his son, and that he would someday be Robin's father. No matter how hard Slade tried, no matter what Slade did, Robin would never think of him like a father. He had a father. And Slade could never compare to him. There was only one Batman.
Well Robin may not like Slade… but did Slade like Robin? Did he really think of Robin like a son? Or just an 'apprentice'. But then again… those two things sometimes go hand in hand.
People thought of Robin as Batman's apprentice, but Bruce called him his ward… Maybe it worked the same way with Slade.
Robin looked at the machine that controlled the probes; he stared at the strange orange glow that surrounded it. All it took was one touch to get infected with the things…
"Lets see how much you really care…dad" Thought Robin bitterly.
Without warning Robin charged at the machine and plunged at it. Slade wasn't even going to be able to react. Wrapping both hands around the glowing orange globe that stuck up from the machine.
Then it hit. That pain. First it sent scorching fire threw his brain and then down his back as it made it's way down to his feet. The sting sent itself threw his veins and to his heart. His brain turned cold and numb. His heart pounded madly within his chest, so hard that he thought it might explode.
He could no longer see everything was fading turning a strange color of gray and white. Nothing made since anymore.
Memories began to swirl in his mind. He could only hear voices that filled in the distance. As if he was listing to a CD of his life. Then another sound began to feel his head… the sound of his pounding heart….
THUMP THUMP
"Don't worry, I'll take care of you."
"Train me. Make me your partner."
"If you work for me, you have to give it all you got, then give it more. Got it?"
Thump THUMP"You wanna adopt me? Really?"
"The day was saved thanks to the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder!"
"Whoa, you were great! What did you say your name was? Cyborg?"
"Your Beast Boy! From Doom Patrol!"
"And you're Robin The Boy Wonder! Dude!"
THUMP BA-THUMP"My earth name is Starfire new human friend."
"Their all great at fighting!"
"They… want me to- umm… be their leader."
"Do what ever you can to protect them… then you will be a be a man."
"From the inside out."
DA-THUMP- THUM-DA-THUMP"There's only one Batman, Cy."
" You see with a push of a button my probes will destroy your friends."
"From the inside out."
THUMP-THUMP-DA-BA-THUMP
"No way would I EVER work for-""I'll do what ever you say."
"Good Boy. And from now on I want you to call me master."
"Robin you are my best friend. I can not live in a world were me must fight."
"Blast her or watch he die!"
It was pounding faster now. Robin was curtain that it would bust open with pain, watching the machine with his blood. But he had to hold on. He had to be sure that the probes were in his body.
Thump-da-bu-ba-thump"Who knows I might become like a father to you."
"I already have a father."
"You can't beat me. Your nothing compared to me."
"Be strong Robin. Fight this!"
THUMP-THUMP-DA-THUMP-THUMPTHUMPTHUMP-THU-BAUMP"That's my boy. Good work apprentice."
"What do you want?"
"Leave him alone!"
"We are your friends Robin. We are not leaving with out you."
"How very touching… But Robin doesn't need any friends."
THUMP-DA-BA-THUM-UMPUB-THUMPTHUMP-THU-BADA-THUMP"I'll destroy them."
"From the inside out."
"You'll be a man"
"From the Inside out."
"Inside out."
"Inside"
"Out"
"From the Inside out."
"FROM THE INSIDE OUT""ARGGGGGGHHH!" Robin let out a cry of agony. In pain he let go of the globe.
He fell to the ground with a horrible thud. But it was nothing to the pounding in his chest and head.
His arms found they way to wrap around his chest and clutch as if that would stop the pain. It didn't.
Wait his Arms.
With all the might he could muster he looked at his arms. Yes. They were glowing the strange orange glow that matched his friends; he could see his blood flow as if his skin was an orange tinted glass.
He was infected with the probes.
Time to test Slade's so called love.
Painful Robin stood on shaky legs. He was certain that he was going to fall to the ground again, but he forced himself to stay up. His bones screamed in protest. But he had to fight it. He had to protect his friend. Even if that meant killing himself doing it.
Robin limbed as fast - which was really very slow- in front of Slade. Slade did not look happy. He stood with his back strait and his fist clenched.
"Go ahead Slade." Robin whimpered with pain. "If I lose my friends, you lose an apprentice."
That was it; his heart felt liked it just popped. Robin fell to the ground in front of Slade's feet. With the last bit of strength he had, he glanced up at Slade's face.
"And I know how much you hate to lose." Robin hissed. "Ahh…."
Robin let go of all his bones and just sunk to the floor. In his mind he hoped, he prayed that Slade would rather have robin alive then dead. Even not as a son, but as a servant. He begged that Slade still wanted to be in control of the boy's life and run his every move. Please let him be that stubborn.
A low growl was all that Robin could hear from Slade. Then he blanked out.
When he awoke… the pain was gone. It was if it was never there. Not even a head ach was filled in his head. He expected his body to ach everywhere, his heart to be weak and painful… but nothing.
Was he dead?
Opening his eyes slowly he saw that he wasn't in heaven, but still in his personal hell. Slade's Lair.
Slowly Robin stood up? Looking to his left he could see the damn button thingy… lying on the ground… destroyed. Slade had saved him after all. Good. That meant his friends were safe. And the probes could hurt them anymore.
Sure enough looking behind him Robin could see his friends getting up to their feet. Unharmed and save. Robin had one.
But the victory dance would have to wait. Slade was still out there. And he was going to be mad. Really mad.
Robin was right. After only a few moments standing up on shaky legs robin heard a cry of rage from behind him, turning he just barley avoided a monstrous blow from Slade.
Slade wasn't about to let some kid, who was supposed to be working for him, make a fool out of him. Not to mention he wasn't ready to watch his 'weapon' walk out the door… or maybe he wasn't ready to let his son go…
Slade did waist time throwing a neither punch at Robin. Robin ducked and avoided it easily. It was easy. Maybe it was his friend's presents that made him fight better.
In raged Slade kicked for Robin's chest. No good, Robin wasn't going to fail his friends again.
He caught the foot in midair. He smiled.
"Face it Slade." Robin hissed in a low, dangerous voice. "You can't beat me. Your nothing compared to me."
From what Slade's mask showed of his eyes, Robin could see them widen. It was a nice change to use Slade's own words against him.
Slade tried to wiggle his leg free of Robin's grasp. He tried kicking Robin in the rips but it failed. Robin let his grin widen. This was going to be fun.
Robin pulled at the leg and threw Slade against the wall. For how tall Slade was he was really light for a grown man. Good. It made it all the easier to kick his ass.
Slade shook it off pretty fast. Standing up he rounded at Robin again. But again robin was just too fast. He did a few graceful back handsprings and landed in front of his friends.
"TITAN'S! GO!"
All right, I was going to put more, but I don't want it to long. Anyway I need your opinion on something. I was going to start to write a fic about how Slade some how brought Terra back, he brain washed Robin, now he has the unstoppable team of apprentices. It was going to be titled, DIE-namic Duo. (you know, like dynamic duo… like batman and robin…) What do you think? And how should Slade do it? I thought maybe with his new powers… I HAVEN'T SEEN THE END PARTS YET, SO SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED PLEASE!