Anonymous

First Chance

Disclaimer: Not yet and probably not ever.

A/N: Questions, Comments, or Criticisms? Please Review!

Summary: In a world controlled by Slade since before his birth, a now servile Robin struggles to deal with right and wrong and good and bad, before the evil that controls the world swallows him up as well.

Slade used to utilize robots to do his dirty work. Now, Slade is a lot stronger and has his willing little minions to help him and he uses robot sparingly. Obviously humans have more winning aspects. They can think on their feet and improvise when the time calls for it. Slade doesn't care that humans are also more fragile and as the rate of success goes up so do the fatalities.

I found an old robot once, it was ready to be annihilated, probably because it was a later model or had some other defect. I watched, from my hidden corner, the robot walk calmly to its execution point and stand unmoving until it was obliterated by a blast of a laser.

I wondered later if I'd stand as still when it was my turn to go.

April 25, 1998

If you've ever seen Slade's Fortress, you'd be amazed. It's huge, rising past the clouds, a small blemish in a larger one that's the world. Inside, it's a maze of hallways, rooms and dormitories. Every single room has a specific purpose; Slade doesn't believe in wasting space. Some rooms are used for meetings, others for training, and still more have miscellaneous purposes like the room I'm sitting in right now that I've claimed as mine. It takes a long time and knowledge of these corridors to find empty storage rooms like this one. It's easy to get lost and believe me when I say that no one is going to come looking for you.

One day, a long time ago, when I was wandering around after basic training, I ran into a bunch of older recruits. I can recall turning my face upwards to look into their eyes and the light snickering I heard from the smallest one-a green furred creature. One of them, a dark haired witch was carrying a light and shining it into my eyes and the other a half-human was staring at me bemusedly with his mechanical eye. I could tell that they were wondering how a shrimp like me had gotten into Slade's warren.

Instead of answering their unspoken question, I made to push past them, but instead I was jerked back by an unforgiving hand on my shoulder. I stifled my cry and looked past the hand, traveling along the arm, until I finally saw to whom it was connected to.

It was my mentor, Slade.

I stopped and bowed like everyone else was already doing. Keeping my head respectably down, I politely inquired what my master wanted. I was such a disgustingly obedient child.

He murmured something about needing the light that I had forgotten back in the room I had been training in. I stared at the unlit torch in his hand for a while. I truly didn't want it back; it stank of Slade, so I quickly refused, proclaiming that I could find my way back to my dormitory without a light. The look Slade gave me could have frozen steel, but he roughly let me go to stumble my way back to my dormitory.

Well, maybe I did have a spark of defiance back then…

I only had gotten halfway down the hall before the older three students caught up with me, lighting my path. I don't think I'll ever forget what one of them said that day and I write it in here to always remind myself and any others who may chance upon it after I die.

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you have to."

Just because you can, doesn't mean you have to…

Remember how I said it was dark in Slade's lair? Well…I've learned since then that sometimes all you need, is a torch, a small torch that'll light up the darkness.

Signing off,

Robin

Robin led his team away from Slade's fortress without looking back. Behind him was a brilliant offset of the radiant red-yellow of the sunset and the looming backdrop of Slade's castle. Pollution, he knew, it wasn't beautiful, just pollution.

The road to the nearest safe house was waylaid with switchbacks and other treacherous traps. Robin and Cyborg jumped down a particularly steep cliff while Beastboy changed forms to avoid it. Raven snorted at all three of them and floated gracefully downwards.

"Which safe house are we going to Robin?" Beastboy asked, changing back to his human form.

"The one hidden around here, in the mountains." He answered, keeping one eye open for the hideout.

"Cool." Beastboy said, changing into a hawk and flying above them all.

"Robin…" Raven said, hesitantly.

"Yes, Raven?" Robin muttered, distractedly.

"When we find Batman…we're going to kill him aren't we?"

"Raven, Batman is psychotic madman; remember when he kidnapped Robin and forced him to help him take down Slade? He's a threat to the system." Cyborg said, answering the question as robotically as his metal parts.

"But he's-"

"It doesn't matter if Batman's views are right or wrong. Slade seems to have a personal vendetta against him and I can't say that I'm much better. Slade's orders are to take him down and we will." Robin said, interrupting Raven, "Lets not question Slade's orders right now. Clear?"

"Crystal." Both murmured, dutifully.

"Good, now where did Beastboy-"

With a thump, the crumpled form of Beastboy landed at his feet and quickly, Robin lowered into a fighting position and just barely stopped the punch aimed at his face. Robin jumped backwards and flipped up onto the outcrop of stone above him. He got one foot balancing precariously on it before something exploded below him and he tumbled downwards in a maelstrom of rock and dirt.

What…Robin's eyes widened, "Cyborg, Raven, spread out and keep to the air; the ground's booby-trapped."

Robin caught himself, and sticking out his pole, he vaulted upwards, landing elegantly on flat land, wincing as he did so, expecting to hear another explosion. Instead he was slammed backwards by a punch to the gut that made him spit out blood.

"Very smart; then again, I've always known that." A voice above him growled.

"Ah…ah…" Robin fell backwards hard on his left hand and heard a soft beeping sound underneath him.

Gasping, he shot upward and leapt to the side, rolling on the ground crudely. A few seconds later, the spot on which he had laid, blew up in a shower of dirt that propelled Robin even farther back…straight into the hard arms of an armored body.

The figure that had easily caught him dropped him to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and rushed back towards the caped man, but was stopped with one arm by the same person that had caught him: Slade.

"Children these days…they always seem to be in the way. Don't you think?" Slade said cruelly, pushing Robin to the ground.

"I wouldn't know." Batman's voice, how Robin despised that voice, was steady.

"Really?" Slade stepped hard on Robin's clenched hand, causing him to yelp and release his bo-stick involuntarily.

Slade picked it up in up in one fluid motion and placed his foot on Robin's slender neck with another, "Are you sure, you did take care of Robin for me for a week; surely he acted like as much of a petulant brat there as he does here…or did you enjoy having someone to lord over and control. It's quite a power trip, isn't it?"

Ah yes, Robin knew he hated the sound of someone else's voice more.

Batman growled and charged forward.

"Well, it seems as if someone isn't as noble as he pretends." Slade pressed down on Robin's neck and an audible, distinct crack was heard.

Batman stopped suddenly, jerking to forced halt.

"One more step and I'll kill him; what'll it be like, knowing that if you attack me, you could win, but you could also sacrifice a young life. One who could still be saved."

Robin gasped through the constructing object that was crushing his larynx. His hand scrabbled like a flailing wild animal in the soil, searching for something to free himself with. That was what Slade had reduced him to; a sniveling worthless animal…no more than the dirt on which he lay. He didn't want to die; he couldn't just lie still and wait for Slade to press down and down and slowly let his life seep out of him like sand through a sieve. Batman wouldn't just stand there to save him, not after what Robin had done to him. He would have to save himself. Finally, his thrashing hand latched onto something smooth and hard: Slade's ankle.

"Batman…Batman, you really are too kind, what you do-" Slade paused his diatribe, "Let go of me Robin; what are you trying?"

Robin gave no response other than his difficult labored breathing. He refused to move his hand. He didn't want to die…

"Let go of me Robin." Slade commanded again, this time pressing down harder on Robin's abused neck.

Robin stared up at him, gasping, panting, and wheezing, writhing like a small insect caught in a trap. He really didn't want to die.

"Now!" Slade whispered deathly still, accenting the command with a vicious twist of his foot.

Slowly, laboriously, Robin dropped his hand from Slade's ankle resting it only inches away. He went still and quiet, completely subdued. He also, didn't want to upset Slade.

"Good boy-OMPH…"

Robin, moving faster than a snake, again gripped Slade's ankle and this time, using the last dredges of his power, he yanked as hard as he could. Slade went flying over a crest of a hill and Robin scrambled away sucking in deep breaths of precious, beautiful wholesome air. Robin breathed deeply almost intoxicating himself.

In the end, Robin supposed, the will to live, overcame to will to obey…Robin felt like crying but didn't…couldn't.

A large hand was placed on his back comfortingly and Robin leaned into it gratefully, "It's sad," the owner of the hand said, "to see children who've never felt the warmth of a mother's touch."

Robin jerked away from him, the talker, Batman, "Get away from me!" he rasped.

Batman snarled under his breath and turned his back on the small boy.

"Wait…" Robin called suddenly, more cognizant, "Why…didn't you attack?"

Batman turned and sighed, "Because I remember, and so do others, a time before Slade's rule and it was so much better than this farce, this pretend world that Slade forces us to live in. I don't want anyone to be scared or oppressed; everyone has a right to be happy and safe…even you, a child in Slade's army. I saved lives before Slade came to power because it was right and I'll end Slade's rule for the same reason."

"I…don't understand." Confessed Robin.

"I didn't think you would…your name's Robin right? It's a nice name, a symbol of happiness, joy and freedom. Slade's contaminated it, you and him; you've twisted that beautiful word into something sick and horrid, an abomination."-Batman turned his back-"Just so you know, if Slade's never told you during his lessons, it's never too late…for anything."

Robin buried his head in his arms and laughed weakly, "Do you realize that you just said more to me right here than you said in that entire week we spent together?"

A rustle of cloth on stone, "Well this is the first time I've seen you act like anything other than a worthless clone."

When Robin finally looked up, Batman was gone and Slade stood in front of him.

"Stand up." He barked vehemently.

Robin, tiredly, pulled himself too his feet. Swaying slightly he stood in front of Slade, barely coming up to Slade's shoulders.

"Is…is there a problem, sir?"

Slade stared at him and then knocked him to the ground, "What, Robin, is my name?"

"Slade…Master Slade." Robin hissed in pain.

"If you ever do anything"-Slade kicked him in the ribs-"like that again…remember it isn't just your life at stake."

Slade stepped back and at an angle at which Robin could see his entire body, he held up three fingers. Then slowly, he put down one finger and left the other two standing. Robin's fists tightened and his resolve strengthened. He was going to beat him…who as of yet, he didn't know.

The minute Slade was out of sight, Robin rolled onto his back and let out a spasming cough. He wiped his hand and felt the wet blood on it. Disgustedly, he pulled off the glove with his teeth and threw it away.

It landed at Batman's feet.

Robin blinked jadedly; the surprises just kept on coming today. Robin wondered which of the angry Slade-gods he had annoyed this time.

"Do…you want to come with me…this time willingly?" Batman stuck out his hand

He looked at the hand in front of him. A new life? …Against Slade for Batman was surely against Slade. Robin thought back to his parents and their perfect house in the mountains. He thought about his friends who weren't supposed to be his friends but he couldn't fight destiny, not when it regarded them. He thought about the countless hours of pain, anger and fear…what would it be like to leave that?

"No," he whispered quietly, "this…this doesn't change anything."

As Batman disappeared yet again, Robin realized that this was his life now; he was tainted and ruined for the light. Now there was only the darkness…only the darkness to live for; only the darkness to pray to…he guessed…he hoped…because he wasn't sure what he would do if it wasn't.

Two more chances.

To Be Continued…