A/N: -accepts prize for the most unimaginative title ever- Thank you, thank you… yes, this is the long awaited sequel to the vampire story from Halloween… enjoy, but hold someone's hand, because, although it's fun in places it's also dark in places…

Danger Inside II

"Your young ward has been infected with a vampirism-virus and then killed his team."

It was not a line Bruce had ever thought he would hear, and the absurdity of it made it hard for him to grasp the concept. It wasn't only the message, but the messenger as well that made it all surreal. The man on the screen was well known to the Dark Knight, they had even met once or twice, but Deathstroke the Terminator was not a man he expected to contact him, especially not from inside Titans Tower, but the man on the screen was definitely him.

"I… what?"

"And he's gay."

"I… what?" Bruce repeated.

"I thought I'd give you the extremely bad news first and then fill you in on some other surprises… might lessen the blow. Oh, and he and I have been in a relationship for two months. A sexual one."

"Wait… wait… you…" Bruce took a deep breath and tried to look at this as an outsider. If the man had been telling him of someone else, what would he focus on? "The other Titans are dead?"

"Yes."

"Robin killed them? Are you sure?"

"I have footage. I'm transmitting it now, along with the findings Cyborg made before… well, you'll see."

"Is he… is he alright?"

"Cyborg's dead, but I assume you mean Robin? Well, that's up for discussion… physically, yes. A few scratches and bruises. Mentally? Well… he is… different. He's still Robin in certain moments, but the predator inside has taken over most emotional functions… he's not sorry about what he's done, for example. You'll see for yourself if you agree to my suggestion…" Slade told the other man. "He's sleeping right now, as the sun is up. Watch the footage, look through the research and get back to me. I'll be standing by."

Half an hour later an ashen-faced Batman returned the call.

"That was… not pleasant."

"I understand. I hope you understand that it was the virus killing his friends, not Robin," Slade said.

Batman nodded curtly.

"That is my only consolation…"

"Good. Because Robin is not going to be punished for this," Slade said sternly. "No cops, no investigation, no Arkham or other facility… if that's the kind of justice you want I'll take him right now and disappear. You'll never see him again."

"Why? Excuse my French bus since when do you give a fuck, Deathstroke?" Batman said. "You are not known to stick by a lover once she, or apparently he, has become a liability to you…"

"True. Let's just say that wnever I give a fuck nowadays, I give it to Robin…" the man smirked. "He is a… special case. Besides, I can't let him loose. Either I take care of him or I'll have to kill him."

"I can take care of him too!"

"No. And that's not a put-down, it's a fact, and I will tell you why later. As for now, I want to take Robin to Gotham, but only if you agree not to involve the law."

"I… he's like a son to me… what he's done… I doubt the justice system would understand. I'll keep them out."

"Good. I have cleaned the Tower up and disposed of the bodies. The Titan's disappearance will raise questions, however. Do you think you can trust someone in the Justice League? Preferably Superman?"

"Why?"

"We need a cover-up. The Titans needs to die, but not in an attack of any kind because that would cause panic and cries for retribution… I could, perhaps, arrange a fire, but I don't think it would be quick or devastating enough."

"Something else…" Batman pondered. "A freak accident that will destroy the Tower completely but not harm the city… A meteor strike!"

"Exactly, and it wouldn't take a very big one to destroy the Tower; it would be small enough to go undetected by any warning systems… and if Superman aims right, there wouldn't be much left."

"I think he'll agree…" the Dark Knight nodded after thinking it over for a while.

"Make it quick before the Titans are missed too much. I need one hour to collect everything and leave safely with Robin-"

"But it's still light in Jump!" Batman objected.

"I said safely, didn't I?" the mercenary snorted. "Expect us some time tomorrow." With that he signed off.

Bruce himself opened the door to the manor the next evening, and the sight of his young ward shocked him.

"What…. what is he wearing?" he asked, gaping at the metal wires which formed a sparse cage of sorts in front of the teen's mouth.

"It's a muzzle. It looks enough like a medical brace so that people won't stare for the wrong reasons."

"Is… is that really needed?"

"Trust me, it is," Slade said. "Now you have a decision to make… you have to invite him in. Once you do, he can always come here as long as this is your home, so consider it carefully. We could still just leave."

"No," Bruce said firmly. "He's sick, I would never abandon him. Robin, please come in."

"Thanks Bruce!" the teen said cheerily and trotted through the door.

"He… can talk?"

"Oh, yes, just don't trust what he says…" the mercenary smirked as he entered as well.

Bruce now discovered something else.

"You have him on a leash?"

"Yes, and again, it's out of necessity," the man told him firmly. "Although I admit I used to… ah, well, that's not important. Robin, stay!"

"Aw, Slade! I'm just excited to be home again! Where's Alfred?" Robin, who had been trying to sneak away, said.

"I've given him a few days off, he's at a resort," Bruce answered.

"Smart man," Slade nodded. "So… let's set some house rules…"

Bruce showed them to a small drawing room and then went to bring them all pre-prepared sandwiches and something to drink. Personally he wouldn't mind a scotch… or a bottle of vodka… but he was brought up by Alfred, after all, who seemed to think that tea was the solution to everything, so Bruce settled for that, while Slade served himself a black cup of coffee and took a big bite out of a sandwich. Robin didn't seem interested in anything on the tray, and merely sat curled up against Slade on the couch, with a small content smile on his face.

If Bruce hadn't known better he would have been delighted to see the young man he considered family looking so unusually blissful.

"You said something about rules?"

"Yes," Slade nodded. "I'm going to take the muzzle off now, but you might want to wear this," the man pulled something out of his pocket and threw it to Bruce who caught it by its chain. Robin spotted it and yelped, burying his face against Slade's shoulder.

"Don't do that, you know I don't like those! Take it away!" he whimpered. Bruce didn't think he had ever heard the teen sounding so… childish. He looked at what he had caught and his eyebrows rose.

"A cross?" It' was a simple one but almost as big as his palm.

"Yes. Put it on."

The millionaire found himself nodding as he slipped the chain over his head. Right now Slade had the facts and the detective was smart enough to listen.

"So that myth's true? Crosses can harm him?"

"Not harm, really, he's simply afraid of them. They won't burn him or cause any other kind of injury… well... unless you beat him with one…" the man shrugged and unlocked something at the side of Robin's neck, making the strange muzzle come off.

"How about the rest of the lore? I've read up on it a bit, but I admit that I would have never expected the cross-myth to have any connection to reality…"

"Because it's a religious symbol? Well, you might be right, I don't think Christianity has anything to do with his fear. I brought him to a church after concealing the more visible crosses and he didn't mind… holy water has no effect at all and priests just seem to have the same effect on him as anyone else: hunger."

"So… what does he eat?" Bruce asked.

Slade gave him an astonished look.

"Blood, of course. He can eat small amounts of other things, however, if he wants to."

"How… where… whose blood?"

Slade leaned back, absentmindedly petting a much calmer Robin's hair.

"I think I better start by telling you what happened…"

As the mercenary told the story of how Robin had come to him, Bruce studied the young man out of the corner of his eye. Besides throwing a few disgusted looks at his cross, Robin seemed to be enjoying Slade's touches and pushed his head against the man's shoulder whenever the man stopped, like a cat or a dog, to remind him to continue. As Slade came to the end of the story, however, Bruce's eyes widened.

"He bit you?"

"That he did…" the man grinned and looked rather proud of the young man for a moment.

"So… does that mean… are you…?" Bruce's hand unconsciously sought out the cross on his chest.

"No. You didn't have to invite me in, did you? I also don't mind the cross. I'm not a vampire."

"But the virus are transmitted through the saliva, Cyborg's reports were quite clear on that," the detective pointed out.

"Yes, and if he bites you, and not kills you, I might point out, you would get infected. I did too, but my healing ability knocked the virus out… I still get a flash of hunger when he feeds, though."

"You feed him?"

"Who else? I could let him out to hunt, of course but-"

"No!"

"That's what I thought. Also, I don't want more like him, so I would have to finish the job if he didn't…" Slade said that with a look on his face like someone had suggested he would be perfect as a garbage man. "That's why it's important that you won't let him bite you… I'd have to kill you… I hope you understand that?"

"I do… So he doesn't have to drain the blood of his victims to turn them, then?"

"No… Some myths are true or have a smidge of truth to them, as we have discussed, but some are not. The most important thing is that he's very much alive. He breathes, his heart beats, he has all the normal bodily functions… and he's still human. That means he's as easy to kill as a human… well… as he's still Robin, he can still fight, of course, but you know what I mean."

"No extra strength? Speed?"

"No. Only heightened senses like improved hearing and he can see a lot better in the dark than before, but that's it. The only outward sign is his teeth. Show Bruce your teeth, Robin," the man ordered.

The teen gave him a sullen look and then opened his mouth.

Bruce had expected a pair of long fangs, but the change was very small. The young hero's canine teeth which were normally somewhat longer and pointed on most humans were only slightly more pronounced but looked quite a lot sharper. You would probably not notice anything if you were just talking to him, however.

"They don't grow?"

"No, they stay like this permanently," Slade told him, shaking his head. "They are very sharp, though, trust me."

"Yeah, I'll take your word for it…" the millionaire muttered. "So he can't turn into a bat, or mist, or fly?"

"No."

"That would have been so cool!" Robin said wistfully, and grinned.

"I bet you would like that, yes…" the white-haired man chuckled in a way that sounded very… personal. That reminded the Dark Knight of something, though.

"You… are in a relationship?"

"You've heard about friends with benefits?"

"Yes."

"Well, we are… were… more about the benefits part of it… There is one thing though… although…"

"Although what?"

"I'm not sure it's relevant, and it's rather private, I don't think you want to hear it," the man shrugged apologetically.

"I don't want to hear any of this!" Bruce exclaimed. "But any fact can be important, so tell me!"

"Since the virus, he has been considerably more… amorous," Slade said.

"Oh," Bruce winced and looked a bit grey.

"I'm not sure it has anything to do with the virus, however," the mercenary continued.

"Why not? Sex is a big part of the vampire-lore after all," Bruce said.

"Yes, but I don't think his sex-drive has increased, per se," Slade tried to explain. "His sense of human morality is more or less gone, however. A lion doesn't mourn the gazelle, after all, and has sex whenever there's an opportunity for it, so I think it's a symptom of his instinctive side, nothing else."

"I see…"

"I'd appreciate it if you turn him down, if he comes on to you, however," the man said dryly.

"W-what?" Bruce spluttered.

"Oh, he's very attached to me; I'm literally his meal ticket, after all, but, given the opportunity, I don't think he'd care."

"Of course I would! I love you!" Robin objected. "You are the only one I want!"

"Let me guess, you're hungry?" Slade smiled at his lover, who was looking at him with wide puppy-eyes.

"…yes…" he mumbled. "But I still love you…"

"Of course you do. Here. Only a snack now, though…" the man said and pulled the teen's face up to his neck.

Bruce thought he could hear the teeth go through the skin, but he might have had imagined it. He winced and Slade caught the uncomfortable look.

"I imagine it's a strange sight, but you have to get used to it, I'm afraid, He's constantly hungry… which also makes me hungry. I hope you have lots of steak, because I need a lot of meat products to keep up my strength."

"I'll make sure to keep you fed," Bruce snorted.

"You better. I think my immune system is stable, and might even have created antibodies against the virus, but I need a better lab and more time to be sure… which is one of the reasons I'm here. If there are no antibodies, and I'm weakened when he feeds… well… let's just say I'm harder to kill than Robin."

"I don't know what to start asking first…" Bruce said. "Can't he eat animal blood? Or donated human blood? I could-"

"Don't bother. It has to be directly from a living source, nothing else will do in the long run, we've tried it, and animals have little appeal to him. And speaking about appeal, you should start eating a lot of garlic."

"That's true too?"

"Only in the taste sense. It won't harm him, but he seems to hate the smell and won't be too inclined to bite anyone who has eaten it recently… That's enough, Robin, mealtime's over," the man said and pulled the teen away. Robin growled and hissed a bit but the Slade's strong hold on his neck seemed to mollify him a little.

"Great. My associates will think I've been born again and that I smell funny…" Bruce muttered and slumped in his chair a little. He blinked as Robin immediately sat up straighter.

"He sensed weakness… don't tempt him," Slade said and kept his hold of the teen's neck.

Bruce straightened immediately and stared the teen down. Robin eventually ducked his head and snuggled up to Slade for comfort.

"He's very… animalistic."

"He is. It's best if you think of him as a predator more than Robin at the moment, He might try to trick you, though… if he wants something he can act completely like his old safe for long amounts of time. If he's content, like now, however, he doesn't bother."

"This is all… it's difficult…" Bruce said quietly. Slade only nodded. "We should get to work though," the Dark Knight decided. "You said antibodies… that means there might be a way to create a serum... to cure or control the virus…"

"Perhaps," Slade nodded. "Even though he has digested my blood, that haven't been enough for the antibodies to get into his system… but it has been hard to get much work done when I need to baby-sit him… he might not be stronger than he was, but you raised a very resourceful young man…"

"Given you a run for your money, has he?" Bruce grinned.

"Quite. Although considering what it would mean if I lost sight of him…"

The grin on the dark-haired man's face slipped.

"I'm bored… and horny…" Robin then spoke up. "Can we have some fun now, Slade?"

"In a moment, Robin," the man said sternly. "Do you remember about patience?"

"I remember I don't like it…" the teen sulked.

"You still…?" Bruce gaped, making a vague gesture instead of finishing the sentence.

"Yes. I know he has as much sense as a alley cat-" Slade started.

"Hey!" Robin objected with a hiss.

"But," the man continued, "he's insistent and it tires him out. He's much easier to handle if he's fed and satisfied."

"Maybe Bruce would like to-" Robin started, eyeing the dark-haired man with an interest he had never possessed before.

"No!" both adults answered as one.

"No one wants to play with me!" the young vampire complained. "I'll just go and find someone who will!"

He stood up from the couch but was yanked down again by the leash.

"Stay," Slade told him. "Do you have any rooms down in the cave? He needs to stay away from sunlight."

"So light and crosses?" Bruce asked as he considered the question.

"Nothing will destroy him, though… we'll better discuss it more later…"

"Of course. Well, there are a few store-rooms, I've even used them as holding-cells on occasion… they might work."

"I'm sure they will do, I'm not looking for Hilton-quality," Slade snorted.

An hour later mattresses had been moved into a lockable room while a hissing Robin was handcuffed to a pipe.

"It's for your own good," Bruce tried to tell him.

"Don't lie to him; it's for your own good…" Slade smirked. "Settle down, you little beast, I'll release you in a moment," he added to the vampire.

"Now! Or I'll bite you!" The 'beast' in question threatened with the petulant pout of a child.

"Then you'll go hungry, you know that, Robin. Quiet," Slade said in a growl himself and the teen shrank back a little against the wall and lowered his eyes.

"If you are beating him…" Batman growled.

"Of course not. Not beyond defense, anyway," the mercenary snorted. "But you can't go soft on him or he'll eat you…"

"Yeah, I would hate it if you'd go soft on me, Slade…." Robin leered, apparently having completely forgotten about the recent reprimand.

"Behave in front of your guardian," the one-eyed man snorted. "As I was saying, Bruce, you have to be in control at all times, don't cut him any slack, show him who's boss."

"… you have no problems with that, do you, Slade?" Batman growled quietly. "I bet you like it this way."

The white-haired man met the Dark Knight's eyes levelly. "I thought you were a man who wasn't prone to jumping to conclusions. Disappointing."

The detective only snorted and was about to say something back when his eyes widened. "Look out!"

Slade spun around just in time to catch a snarling, attacking Robin by his neck and slam him into the wall. After a short fight the teen was chained up again and Slade picked up something from the floor.

"Where did you get the paper-clip, Robin?"

"… found it in the sofa…" the teen muttered. "My back hurts, you know… I just wanted to play…"

"You just wanted to bite Bruce, I bet," Slade scoffed. "You better behave or you won't like the consequences…We're going to leave you alone to think about that for a while," the mercenary said sternly.

"No, but…! Please, I'm hungry and horny and I…. don't leave me!" Robin begged.

"You are being punished. I'll come back later," his coldhearted keeper said and, after gesturing for Bruce to leave the room, he followed suit and locked the heavy door.

"Hopefully that should keep him…" the white-haired man muttered to his host and they crossed the vast cave to the lab-section with Robin's yells and screams ringing in their ears.

"I think we'll start with a blood-analysis and you can explain the crosses and sunlight and things to me…" Bruce decided.

Slade smirked at the man's attempt at taking charge, but then nodded, letting him. It was his place, after all, and it couldn't be easy seeing your ward like that, something even the mercenary could find a bit of sympathy for.

"I figure the virus is a lot like rabies, in many ways…" Slade began as Bruce prepared the needles.

"There's no cure against rabies unless treated quickly," the Dark Knight pointed out tersely.

"I know. Let's hope there is for this… the reason it reminds me of rabies is the way the host infects others and also the way it seems to affect the brain, although the incubation-period appears to be almost non-consistent… a few hours at most, probably quicker. Those infected with rabies can also suffer from hydrophobia… you and I both know that hydrophobia is not fear of water, just a stage of panic because the patient has trouble swallowing, though some show fear towards beverages in this stage, but, I think it might still be part of it… sunlight and crosses can't actually harm Robin, but he has developed a phobia against them."

"How about having to be invited?" Bruce asked, handing Slade the finished needle.

"Instinct," the man answered as he easily found a vein in his arm and inserted it. He let Bruce help changing the vials, as that was a bit tricky to do himself. "He's very much animal, and a home is someone else's territory…"

"A predator doesn't care about its prey's territory, though...?" Bruce cut in.

"I know," Slade growled, looking annoyed for a moment as the detective had pointed out a flaw in his reasoning. "It's all pretty much guessing here… But Robin knows that he's still, to some extent, human, and that he is hunting his own kind… he's a cannibal, in a way, and that's not common in nature… at least not on earth."

"Hmm…"

The noncommittal noise irked Slade, who pulled the syringe out and slammed it down on the table.

"I think that's enough. Begin checking on that," he said and stood up.

"I might need to get someone with more medical knowledge in on this as well," Batman warned.

"Fine," Slade said and pulled his sleeve down, as he was walking away. "Just don't give them any details about Robin."

"Of course not. Where are you going?"

Slade looked over his shoulder with a smirk. "To calm our little beast down… now be a good little bat and get to work."

Bruce seethed but his need to help Robin was greater than his need to punch Slade's face in. For now.

"I missed you!" Robin cooed when Slade opened the door. The mercenary only snorted and, closing the door behind him carefully, locked it electronically from the inside, making sure Robin couldn't see the code he entered.

"No, but I really did miss you…" Robin insisted. "I was bad before… I'm sorry…" the puppy-dog eyes meant the teen wanted something again, and Slade was pretty sure what it was.

"Hungry?" he asked as he unlocked the handcuffs.

"No…. I'm just all haaaard…." the vampire complained and got on his feet in a flash, pressing himself against the mercenary.

"I can feel that…" the man purred, his own body responding too. Robin always seemed to have a control he could push when it came to Slade… which was rather ironic, really…

"Get naked with me…?" the teen asked, or perhaps ordered.

"If it can get you tired… I need to work. We need to save you," Slade said as he just watched the ex-hero unbutton his shirt.

"Why? I feel fine… I don't wanna be saved…" Robin claimed.

"We're not asking you…" Slade told him as nimble fingers undid his jeans and pushed them down. As a tongue licked up the shaft, however, he grabbed the boy's hair and pulled his head away. "None of that. Remember that I need the blood in my cock to fuck you."

"I wasn't going to bite…" the vampire pouted. "Not this time…"

"Sure you weren't… now get down on the mattress… I want you on all fours."

Teeth flashed in a smile as Robin quickly got in position. Slade already had a travel-sized container of lube in his hands, which was all the preparation the teen would get… and wanted. The animal in Robin didn't understand about foreplay, and, although he could act cuddly, it was only to get what he wanted.

The vampire looked over his shoulder and wriggled his ass.

"What's keeping you…? I love you, you know…"

"No… you love this," Slade growled and pushed in.

"Uuhh! Yeah!" the teen agreed whole heartedly. "That… that too…"

Slade set an almost brutal pace, pushing the teen until Robin had to brace himself against the wall so not to get slammed into it. The rate of the thrusts didn't falter, if anything they got faster, and the teen whined as the man's hand wrapped around his own dripping length. A short while later the ex-hero cried out and shuddered as he came, joined by Slade a moment later.

Robin wasn't to get any rest, however, as he was pushed over on his back and his cock was engulfed in the heat of Slade's mouth.

"OUHHGh! NO! No, it's sens-sensitive!" the teen cried and tried to wriggle away.

"I don't care, I'm going to drain you completely…" the man growled as he pushed the teen down, pinning him with one large hand on his chest. Robin clawed at it to no avail and then he felt himself on the edge again.

Over and over, Slade brought him off until he begged for mercy. The man pulled out after the latest session and smirked.

"I think that did it…"

"Wanna sleep… please?" Robin whined.

"That's the plan," Slade told him and pulled the vampire over to a clean, dry spot on the mattress and pulled a blanket around him.

"Slade…?" a sleepy voice asked.

"Yes?"

"Why do I have to get well? Why can't we just play together you and I? You… you don't care about people, we could hunt… it would be so much fun… please?"

"No," Slade answered curtly as he dressed.

"Slade?" the voice came again, even sleepier this time.

"Yes?"

"If… if you can't cure me… what will happen to me?"

"Don't worry, we will."

"But… if not? Will… will you keep me? Please?"

"I won't hand you over to anyone else," the man answered. "Now go to sleep."

"'nk you…" the little beast murmured and then his breathing turned deep and even.

They worked for days, plowed through moments of hope and despair, pulling in all the resources they could find and trust. Robin had to stay in the room for long amounts of time, which made him edgy and aggressive, and Slade had to up his game to control the teen. The man also fought to keep up his own strength with the regular feedings Robin demanded and the almost nonexistent amount of rest. It was starting to wear on him.

"Anything new?" Slade growled and threw himself down on a chair, rather uncharacteristically.

"Nothing much… I have people looking into containing the virus so he can't pass it on…" Bruce said, brushing a hand over his face.

"You look like shit," Slade smirked.

"Looked in a mirror lately?" Batman replied.

"Well, you are not a walking snack-bar…" the mercenary muttered. "But it's good, I guess… you really look like you are mourning your side-kick… are you sure Superman won't blab?"

"I'm sure."

"Good. I'll get back to work now…I'm going to continue to check my genetic code," Slade told the other man and opened a laptop on the desk in front of him.

"The human genome takes up a whole bookcase of code… I don't see what you think you will spot, even if you go through it all," Bruce told the man.

"I'll spot what's different."

"What are you talking about?"

"A few years ago I got curious about my powers, and I had my DNA compared to a normal human's… a complete genome code was also done… and I read it."

"You read it…? Years ago? And you think you'll be able to spot the difference now, after the vampire virus tried to infect you?"

"Yes."

Bruce had a rare, incredulous look on his face, but then nodded.

"I'll leave you to your reading, then."

"Thank you… it's rather dull though… I already know who the bad guy is."

"I found it." It was almost a week later when Bruce heard the welcomed words.

"You did?"

"Yes. Send these notes off. I need some rest." The mercenary almost yawned in the detective's face.

"Are you going back to the room?"

"No, Robin will eat me in my sleep. I'll find another place for now. Wake me if he cries too loudly… he'll get hungry again soon."

There was nothing to do now but wait, but a few days later a call came through.

"They did it. They made a serum…" Bruce sighed, slumping back in his chair, pressing his hand against his eyes for a suspiciously long time.

"When can it be here?" Slade asked.

"They sent it express to an address downtown. I'll pick it up in an hour."

"Good… I'm going to let him out for a bit now…" Slade said and went to unlock the door to the cell.

Robin bounced out like an overexcited puppy.

"I missed you!"

"You saw me at 'dinner' an hour ago," Slade reminded him with a little smile.

"You're smiling! You're happy to see me too!" the teen grinned.

"Well… that has more to do with the fact that we found a cure… something to try, at least."

"Really?" Robin stilled and tilted his head to the side slightly. "What does that mean?"

"That you'll be well again," Slade said. "No blood-lust, no fear of sunlight…"

"Oh… well… that's good… I guess…" the teen mumbled and came up close to him, snuggling against the man's chest. "Does it… does it mean no more us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Will you leave me?" Robin looked up at the man with his huge eyes, pleadingly. "I know I have been a bother… I know you don't… you don't like me as much anymore…"

"Don't you worry… I'll like you just fine once you are well again," the man promised.

"Promise?"

"Sure."

"So everything will go back to normal?" the teen asked.

The mercenary didn't answer at once, but then nodded curtly.

"Yes. Now, why don't you work out for a bit while we wait, alright?"

"Yeah, alright!" the ex-hero grinned and took off towards the gymnastic bars where he could work on his acrobatic skills.

When Bruce returned with his precious cargo, Slade had sent Robin back to his room. The Dark Knight unpacked the parcel and withdrew a single vial of an orange-colored liquid.

"Give it here," Slade said. The mercenary held the serum in his hands for a few moments, and then he crushed the glass vial in his hand.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy!" Bruce yelled. "It will take days, maybe weeks to get more, and they will need more blood and-"

"There won't be any more," Slade said grimly. The hero was moments from attacking him, the mercenary knew, and he raised a hand. "We've been selfish."

"Selfish? We have been working around the clock, both of us, for over two weeks! How can you say-"

"We wanted to heal him."

"Yes! Have you been drinking? Has he infected you? Explain yourself!"

"We wanted to heal him… so he wouldn't attack people anymore… so he could be outside in the day… right?"

"Yes! And now your idiotic stunt-"

"Quiet. We wanted his animal side to withdraw… we wanted our Robin back…"

"Again; yes, obviously!" Batman half snorted, half snarled.

"The old Robin… with his old morals… who would remember that he has killed his entire team."

Slade could see the realization hit the detective like a sledgehammer, and continued. "I didn't think of it that way myself until just now… Robin asked if everything would go back to normal if he got well… and I realized it would… and what it would do to him."

"It would kill him."

"Yes… he would never be able to live with what he has done, even though it wasn't his fault… serum or no serum… Robin is gone."

Batman sank down on a chair, pulling his mask off. Slade, for once, took no pleasure in the vulnerability and grief on the man's face; he suspected that at least some of it reflected on his own.

"What do we do now? We would have to keep him locked up for life… fed by you… maybe we could work out a synthetic substitute? Maybe we could-"

"Go to bed, Bruce," Slade said, and, after the men had exchanged a long look the Dark Knight nodded and left.

Slade entered the room where a tired-looking Robin was lounging on the mattress, meeting the boy's lazy smile.

"So, where's that serum?" the teen asked.

"It didn't work, we did a small test on some of your blood," Slade shrugged.

"Oh…" Robin sat up a little. "Sooo… now what?"

Slade sat down next to him tiredly, and let the teen crawl into his lap.

"How is it, being a vampire?" the man asked, after a while.

"Oh, it's just great! You should try it!" Robin grinned.

"Maybe I should."

"Really?"

"Bruce has gone to bed, we could just leave through the cave… go hunting…" the man said with a small smile. "I always enjoyed hunting…"

"But you're immune?" Robin, his full focus on Slade now, said.

"I'm weak… and if you drink enough…"

"I'd like that…" Robin's smile had a lot more warmth now. "You and me… together…. hunting… feeding…"

"Sounds good to me…" the man nodded and pulled the collar of his shirt aside. "Feed."

"I love you…" Robin purred before he pressed his face into the crook of the man's neck.

"Yes, so you keep telling me…" Slade half sighed, half chuckled. "Try not to drain me, or you won't have a hunting-buddy."

"Won't… I promise…" the teen mumbled just before his teeth sank in.

Slade arranged himself, and Robin, in a more comfortable position and cradled the boy's head as he fed. After only a few gulps ex-hero reached his content feeding-stage, where only the swallowing sounds and a faint purring told the man that he was still awake. Slowly Slade moved his hand into position, and, with a quick movement, snapped the teen's neck.

The End

A/N: Who hates me? –raises hand- After I started writing that I realized that there couldn't be a happy ending… they COULD both become vampires, but the question is if they would have felt any attachment towards each other even so… Sorry… no way out for the un-un-dead this time…