Insaneiac: Good to see the last chapter was a hit as well. I also love the feedback. Trust me, Robin is going to get some attention real soon, but if you think Slade is done with Blink, you're wrong. Blink's just beginning to see how bad he really has it now. Yet first…

Reviews:

Alexnandru Van Gordon: Nice catch with the comic. Always did like Nightwing. Yes, the sad part is, Bumble Bee is in fact dead. I decided after much pain that in order for the city turning effect, I needed to seriously make Robin look like a deserter. The death of a leader would do that, effectively. Glad to see you love me making people suffer… though it is slightly creepy.

Slade Wilson – Deathstroke: Why just one submit, where's the fun in that? Besides, Robin has always been a tough one against physical torture. Now I won't spoil it, but I will say this. The most effective form of torture against the boy will come, and I guarantee you will love it.

Insaneiac: And with that… lets go!

Disclaimer: See the Aussie? I own him. Nothing else. TT is not mine, nor will it ever be.

Chapter 9: Damian Grace

It was still dark when Beast Boy woke up, and he still felt like a man beat by bricks. Yet he could now move, and without too much pain from basic movements. It took his eyes a few moments to adjust to the black room, but they did nonetheless. Looking to his left, he could still see the beer left by Blink.

Blink…there's a name that has been on Beast Boy's brain since the first time he met the individual. It had been a hectic day to say the least, and judging from the bruising, it had only gotten worst from then. BB had been the only one of the Titans to talk to him, and from the conversations, Blink was no where near the enemy everyone made him out to be.

Well, at least not until Titan Tower went down, and Bumble Bee died. Yet those tear marks were the one thing he could not forget seeing on Blink's face.

"He's no killer." Beast Boy whispered into the empty room, before reaching for the can of beer, and cracking it open, as quietly as possible. Raven was on his case as it was. A day ago, Beast Boy had never tasted the beverage. Now it was his secret little drink between his secret little friendship that has successfully sent him down an ugly spiral of mistrust and confusing questions. Yup, beer was truly an evil drink.

"How's it taste?" A dull voice addressed him, catching the attention of Beast Boy instantly. He was in trouble now. "And while we're at it, where did you get it?"

"Raven…just leave me alone right now." Beast Boy muttered, sipping the drink slowly. "What makes you think you're allowed to interrogate me on my choices in beverages either dude."

"Well… for starters… it's beer. I've never seen you drink it before, and you start as soon as Blink rolls in. So adding two and two…" Raven voiced, staying in the shadows. Slowly. Beast Boy got out of the bed, and threw the can into the trash, sighing bitterly.

"Raven… I said it once, I'll say it again. I don't think Blink is our enemy. I think we're missing something."

"He willingly aligned himself with Slade Beast Boy. How does that not make him our enemy?" Raven countered, stopping Beast Boy in his tracks. "Or better yet, what is it about him that makes you believe he is not our enemy?"

For a long while, silence gripped the room. Beast Boy had remained unusually quiet following Raven's questions, and inside, he was beginning to question himself. 'What is it about him? Why can't I admit him as being my enemy? WHAT IS IT!' Beast Boy screamed inside his head; as he stared off out into nothingness.

"Raven… There are things I'll never ask you about. Things I want to know, but won't go into. Please…please… don't push me on this." Beast Boy whispered, loud enough for his friend to hear.

"I need to Beast Boy. I need to know whose side you're on." Raven retorted, Beast Boy cringing. He needed to get out, and away from Raven, for his own good. That may be why he flinched as a hand clasped his shoulder. "As your friend, I need to know."

"It's his eyes Raven. They are not the eyes of someone evil…" Beast Boy muttered, lowering his head. "…They're my eyes Raven." He finished, before walking out of the room. For the first time in Raven's life as a Titan, she had never heard something so deep, and so meaningful from Beast Boy. He was always just the comedic relief of the group, the joker of the Titans.

She never would have guess he had it in him. She never would have dreamt that beneath the silly, nonsensical teammate that he had that amount of depth to him. "Beast Boy…" She whispered under her breath quietly, as the green Titan walked down towards the training room.

Dark Room------

To anyone, the thought of being locked away in a room of pitch blackness would disturb someone beyond belief. To Robin, it was mentally killing him. With deprivation of sleep now settling in, like a fresh winter snow, Robin was suffering even more. Besides the voices inside his head, and the images he was forced to live, Robin was slowly slipping from reality.

"Tick tock Robin." Red X said again. At least, the Red X living inside his head. "Tick tock…"

"SHUT UP!" Robin snapped, desperately trying to raise a hand. He found himself knee deep in failure again, as the bonds remained firm. "I never asked for you to stay either!" Robin muttered bitterly, trying to turn away. However, as his head turned, Robin saw something much, much worst.

"Surprised?" Robin said to himself. However, in this case, the Robin speaking was himself as Slade's Apprentice. "Or does the sight of your deepest fear and darkest secret excite you Robin?"

Robin would not reply. Nor could he in this circumstance. He was staring eye to eye with the embodiment of Slade's evil, poured into himself. Robin tried to retort, but all that came from his wide open mouth was a pour whimper, and a gargled moan. Slowly, Robin watched as his apprentice self slowly kneeled beside him, and brought his mouth close enough to his ear to whisper soundly.

"Listen Robin. Just give in. You'll like it with Slade. Sure, he's a tad bit rough, but you were born to be his apprentice. That's what you've always wanted, isn't it?" Apprentice Robin whispered, like a snake. He smiled as Robin twitched violently and repetitively. "You always wanted to prove to everyone you were the best. Why play for a losing side?"

"SHUT UP!" Robin hollered at the top of his lungs, tossing his head side to side. "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" Robin turned to Red X for help, but saw him now choking in a sleeper hold to the apprentice Robin. "LET HIM GO!"

"Why Robin? Or maybe I should go you Richard? That was your name once." He retorted, before violently whipping his arms to the left and shattering Red X's neck. The kill affected Robin in unprecedented ways, eliciting a choking sob from him. "Oh…I'm sorry. Was he here to keep you company?"

"Why are you doing this? WHY!" Robin screamed, looking eye to eye with himself. Slade was bad, X was a pain, but this was sheer horror in its purest. It was like staring into a mirror, and seeing the devil smiling back at you.

"Because, you're being a fool. You're suffering this when you could just give in, and become happy. Eventually Richard, you will snap, why fight it? Slade only wants to take you to your truest potential."

"Don't use my name! You are not my friend, nor my father. That name is sacred!"

"OH right! You discarded it when you came here, but now it's 'sacred.'" Apprentice Robin mocked, adding the quotation marks with his fingers as he continued to stare down, contemptuously at the bound Robin. "Nice mask by the way. Suits you perfectly. Just look at mine."

"I HATE YOU!" Robin hollered out, spitting at the image. Even though it would have done nothing, apprentice Robin still dodged. "My friends will get me out of here dammit!"

A sickening laugh escaped Robin's lips, before he looked back at his bound victim. "Please. Your friends are confused. They have no clue what to do, and before you know it, one of them will be dead. Besides, your precious city has abandoned you. Why do you care?" He mocked, before grabbing Robin by the hair, and yanking his head off the table. "Besides Richard, you never needed any friends ever. What you needed was a mentor, a teacher…"

Then, in the most sickening fashion ever, Robin's apprentice self brought his face right to Robin's ear, and snickered sinisterly. "…All you ever needed was a master Richard. And Slade will be your master."

"GO AWAY!" Robin screamed in pain, throwing his head around as the apprentice disappeared. He wanted to be free, he wanted to die, and he wanted to be away from here. He wanted to be anything that was not near Slade.

He would even lose his mind to be free of Slade.

Blink's 'room' ------

Slowly, Blink's eye opened. The first thing he noticed was not the blood puddle on the floor, nor was it the incredible aching surrounding his body. It was not even the fact that his entire life had been hopelessly shattered in front of him, and that he was effectively Slade's pet now. No, the first thing he noticed was how it had all been his fault. Every little painful aspect and every bit of pain was his own doing. He signed on to be Slade's apprentice, he offered his services. Now Slade was just collecting on the contract.

"Well Blink… you messed it up this time didn't you?" He asked himself, slowly making his way to his feet. Surprisingly enough, although he hurt like hell, he could move his body with ease. Surprising enough to scare him further. "Shoulda seen this one coming, but I bloody well didn't. Blimey." Blink muttered to himself, sitting on the cot beside him.

Slade had opened his eyes to the truth, and it was true what the said. The truth hurts. Slade now not only had his special friend, Mr. Robin, but he now had a new toy to twist and pull until it broke. 'And knowing Slade like I should, I'll be just a field of fun for him!' Blink mentally whined.

'More than you know Damian.' A voice replied. Blink screamed as he heard the retort. He knew who the voice belonged to, and it horrified him even more now.

"NO SLADE. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Blink yelled into the room, shooting to his feet, and spinning around. He never felt like this, never.

'Tsk…Tsk…Tsk. I thought the beating would have cleared some things up, but your steadfast persistence in defying me remains intact.' Came the mental response. Blink just dropped to the floor, backing up into the nearest corner. Never in his life had he felt so violated, and so hopelessly lost.

'Who is Damian Grace?'

"None of your business!" Blink yelled, before twitching.

'But it is my apprentice. I will know everything about you. Every little detail. For starters…who's Jimmy?' Slade mentally dug, drawing a shocked gasp from Blink. A name he never hoped to hear again. Something he had wanted blocked away since it happened.

"Please don't Slade. Please." Blink wept bitterly, begging the man invading his memory. "I beg of you! Please don't."

'But where is the fun in that. Jimmy's mother, why is she dead? Why is Jimmy staring at you with such malice Damian?' Slade taunted, before faking astonishment. 'Damian Grace the murderer. Who would have thought? You're more evil than you let show Damian.'

Slade was right. Damian Grace was a murderer, rejected from his own country. Forced to get a new face.

"I was young, and still didn't understand my powers." Forced to get a new life.

"I was blinking around when I…" Forced to take a new name.

"Blinked into a woman by mistake. I did irreparable damage to her internal organs. Jimmy saw me an instant later, and attacked me on sight. YES SLADE, I MURDERED SOMEONE! HAPPY!" Blink lashed out, weeping bitterly. He remembered it clearly now. Jimmy was a three year old tyke, just a random person in particular, who watched Blink murder his mother. The crying screams, the horrible anger, and the words of hatred pouring from Jimmy's mouth filled his head.

'Damian Grace, son of Martha and Fredrick Grace. Your mother died from your birth, and your father remarried. Her name was…Linda Fate. Grace and Fate.' Slade continued, despite the bitter weeps of a violated Blink. 'You were blessed with the ability to teleport, as your father put it. Then at nine, your family adopted someone. A young girl. You had an adopted sister named…Well well. I can't see her. You're blocking her from me.'

"Yes Slade. Invade my mind, violate that all you want. I will never tell you who my sister is. I would sooner die a long and painful death that reveal her to you, you sick bastard!" Blink retorted, closing his eyes tightly. He wanted nothing more than for complete silence, and solitude. He just wanted to be left alone from the man that would rape his mind, and steal his life from it.

'At eleven, you killed Angela Bowler, and fled the country with your sister's help. She knew you never meant it. Then, you wandered the world until finally coming here. And took a job from an elderly male in my employment. I trust that four hundred grand is still resting safely in that bank account Damian?'

"Slade, I promise you that I'll make you suffer long and slowly for this. I will watch you suffer!" Blink threatened, growling like a caged animal in the dim light of his room. "I'll kill you the most painful way I can imagine Slade."

'Yes, keep that anger flowing Damian. It fits you like a glove, and compliments your murdering lifestyle. And it seems you have befriended the changeling of the Titans. Beast Boy was it… Well let me make it clear now Damian. You can either serve me without question, or I will take pleasure in reminding you of just what makes you and me alike. I will make you live that killing over and over again. I'll force you to watch Bumble Bee die as you kill her. Everything you've ever hated, I will embellish greatly, and force you to observe with no end. Do I make myself clear?'

For the longest time Blink had ever felt, he was silent. The only sound that could be heard was the patter of a tear drop on the floor as Blink's former vibrant eyes became dulled, and hopeless. What else could he do? Slade had control of his thoughts, and his powers. At will, Slade could rape his mind for the darkest details of his existence, and exploit them for his own pleasure. And what could Blink do to counteract this?

Nothing. Nothing at all.

'DO you understand Damian!' Slade mentally growled in his head, bringing more tears from Blink's eyes.

"Yes…master." Blink submitted, before looking down at the ground, and crying as the voices finally left.

Jump City, Five Days Prior ------

Blink sat on a bench, overlooking the city from the nearby park. It was truly a peaceful place, and possibly one he could retire in, and maybe even disappear in. Maybe, that was, if it wasn't for an already prepared meeting with a potential client. Blink was in a town with branches of both LexCorp and Wayne Enterprises. A city with countless museums and galleries. Who wouldn't want to attain his services in this town?

Blink sat smiling, sipping back a beer he had recently attained, before seeing a car pull up in the distance. From it appeared an elderly man, wearing a normal suit, brown, with a pleasant hat atop his head as he strode towards the bench. Taking it without any seriousness, Blink stared back towards the town, and laughed. Standing like a sore thumb was the majestic Titan Tower, the grand symbol of justice and peace in Jump City.

"Are you the one named Blink?" The man asked, looking down at the cloaked figure.

"Who's asking?"

The man said nothing, but instead left a cell phone beside him. "On it is the details of your contract, the item to be attained, the location of the item, and the location of the exchange."

"Great, but why should I do it? What can you offer me that would make me want to help you?"

"As a… friendly measure… my boss deposited a grand total of four hundred thousand dollars into your account, as an advance." The man responded, effectively causing Blink's eyes to shoot open, and his mouth open as well. Picking up the phone, he flipped it open to see several groups of text messages, prepped for reading.

"Alright mate, you have yourself a deal." Blink replied, closing the phone. "But I want a name. I don't work for nameless people."

"My boss prefers to remain nameless. You would be best not to push that response."

"Blimey. Fine then, but I want a name from you. At least give me that."

Slowly, the man turned to Blink, and raised his hat to reveal a head of thin white hair, and a wise face. "I can give you that much. My name is Wintergreen." And with that, the man turned to leave; ignoring anything else Blink would say. Once again picking up the phone, Blink looked in the messages, and read the first one, giving him an exact clue of what he would be stealing.

Blink's Room, Present Day------

"If I ever find that old man, I'll make him pay for this." Blink muttered to himself, before staring at a wall. Four hundred thousand dollars and he had to push for more. He could have been done, and just hide, but no. He became greedy. He became obsessed with two minor things. The money and his employer.

His employer who was now his master, and his controller. 'God bless the land of the free.' Blink thought to himself, before going back to his weeping. He let himself get trapped, and now Slade was going to pick him apart piece by piece, and turn him into the one thing he always hated.

He would make Damian Grace into a brutal killer. The kind that one would say with an evil tone in their voice, and a bitter grudge on their sleeve. Slade was going to take Blink and mold him into the single worst thing he could. The one thing that no man should be forced to be, no matter what the circumstance, no matter who the person.

Slade was going to mold Blink in his own, despicable image. And there wasn't a damn thing Blink could do about it, not in the slightlest. For the first time in his life, Blink truly felt alone, lost, and defeated.

In fact, he had never before felt this alone.

Slade's Main Room------

Laughter is the sound of ones happiness, success, or downfall. In this case, Slade was laughing in the face of his current victory. From the monitor, Slade could see Robin hallucinating, and breaking apart like a weak bridge with too much weight riding atop it. And from the mental receptor in Slade's mask, he could hear the sound of sweet submission.

Yet in light of it all, one thing crossed Slade's mind. Something that would remain otherwise unimportant, aside from the fact that it was blocked from him. Not the murder of Jimmy's mother, not his friendship with Beast Boy, not even his real name. The one thing denied to Slade was the identification of Damian's sister. Who was she and why would Damian keep her so incredibly secret from everyone.

To put it blatantly, it worried Slade. Maybe not the aspect of the unidentified sister, but the fact that Damian could hide it from him.

"Why do you hide her Damian? Who is it that so greatly scares you to reveal?" Slade muttered, before turning back to the screen, and watching Robin freak out. It was like watching a train wreck happen. The slow bending of each car, the fire and debris flying everywhere, and the death. Soon, Robin would snap, and soon, Slade would have his true apprentice.

Yet it remained in his evil mind. "Who is it Damian?"

Insaneiac: So, even with Slade digging through Blink's mind, he hides one thing from his ever dangerous glare. Who is it? Who do you think it is? This might be fun if it was more than two reviewers, but what the hell, I'll let you stew in that. Yes, there will be more going into Blink's past, don't worry. But don't even kid yourself if you think the worst is over yet.