It all started when he uttered three simple words. Three words that if traced back, were the origin of his decadence into the darkness. They were so simple. So simple that he had laughed when he recalled. It seemed he laughed for an eternity, after being dragged through hell itself, his psyche desperately latched onto anything that could lift him. The dramatic irony of the verbal trio was enough to shake him from his apathy.

But it was also enough to instigate that familiar acid tsunami of regret. He could never hold it back. It was a powerful emotion that overwhelmed him, cracking through his self built dam at the slightest provocation. It didn't take much for him to remember what he had lost. He had always tried to be the hero, but once you become the leader, the decision maker, the one looking out for everyone, the beautiful untouchable poster boy of justice, you gain respect, friends, power, love, a new family. You also gain things like attachment, and responsibility, fear of loss.

Those things broke your heart over and over. Just when he thought he could sink no lower, something else was taken from him, causing the guilt and ravaging sadness all over again. Even the things he had thought were insignificant, things he had never valued or paid attention to when he was surrounded by light became pure gold once he was in the abyss.

But as long as he never looked down, was never at rock bottom, he could always look up through the shadows and see something that was precious to him, they buoyed him up and he thought for a fleeting moment that there was something more waiting for him beyond the chasm he had plunged into.

But he had learned a long time ago that heroes like him have so much to lose. It wouldn't be long before that last coin of golden hope would be spent, his head lifting view would be gone and he would have to look. He would have to face down into the darkness, he would have to obey the gravitation and he would plummet, a free fall dance until there were no more cracks of sunlight that could reach him. And it would be over.

Those three words. They began the road to that abyss. They began the road to regret. He finally remembered those words after an eon and he wondered why he had ever bothered to burden himself with the secrets of scary people.

"Who is Slade?"

Robin knew the answer very well by now. He was that void. The gulf where all shadows gathered. The dark place where the little bird had fallen.

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Another reposted fanfic. Banished the bad grammar and the unprofessionalism. Too bad I didn't give it any more structure than the first version. XD