"You are full of surprises, Robin," Slade said matter-of-factly, slowly circling the young man, like a predator stalking its prey, "But why should I want to help you?"
Robin kept his eyes on the man, not allowing him out of his sight. His muscles tensed for defensive action while his heart beat rapidly.
He had never beaten Slade one-on-one. His robot duplicates, certainly, but never the true, flesh and blood foe. Every victory he had enjoyed came with the help of his teammates, and those victories were often hard fought, perilously razor thin successes. Only one other opponent had been able to thwart him so completely and consistently.
And that opponent was Bruce.
"For the same reason you do anything, Slade," Robin replied, "To feed your own overblown ego."
Slade chuckled, finally stopping in a particularly dark patch of shadows, single eye gleaming in the twilight.
"Your sales pitch needs work."
Robin swallowed hard, wanting nothing better than to knock that arrogant tone out of his adversary with his fists. Calm down, Dick, he thought fiercely, Don't lose sight of the ultimate goal.
"You've wanted me as an apprentice from the moment we've met," he replied, carefully masking his anger, "You went to great lengths to accomplish this goal. Hell, you even blackmailed me by almost killing my teammates. You sent the H.I.V.E. after us, Thunder and Lightning, and others. Countless plots and massive amounts of money and material, all designed to compel me to be your protégé."
Slade stood silently as Robin paused, the facemask hiding all reaction.
"And now, when I come to you voluntarily, you pretend you're going to turn me down? Deny me when you finally have the opportunity to prove your superiority?"
Robin stepped closer to his greatest enemy, pleased to see Slade tense slightly, "I don't think so. You can't squander this chance. Your pride won't allow you to. So why don't we cut through the crap, Slade, and get down to business?"
An icy silence descended as the two men stared at each other.
Well, that's my best shot. Either he takes the bait or I'm in for the fight of my life.
Slade's reptile-like eye widened ever so slightly.
"My, my, Robin. You must be desperate," He intentionally turned his back on Robin, as if being in a position of vulnerability was of absolutely no consequence, and began to walk in a languid circle once again, "It would be uncharitable of me to deny such a . . . anxious request, even if from an ungrateful, stubborn child."
Robin bristled at that remark, but quickly composed himself. That's exactly what he wants me to do. Don't give him the satisfaction.
Slade continued. If he was disappointed by Robin's lack of response, it was not evident in his tone.
"But I do wonder, Robin, what your little friends think of this appeal?"
"They aren't involved in this, Slade," Robin replied quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly, "This is between you and me."
Slade stopped pacing and stared at the Titan.
"You haven't told them."
The words were as soft as silk, but within the quiet, the danger was palpable.
-----
Raven walked into her room and wearily shut the door behind her.
Dinner had not gone well.
Of course, everything had been fine as far as Beast Boy and Cyborg were concerned. They ate massive amounts of food as always (their level of consumption defied logic considering one was so scrawny and the other was half metal), totally oblivious of the tension between their female companions. Raven's empathic abilities easily picked up the raw aggression radiating from Starfire, and she could also detect the sheer contempt emanating from Batgirl. If she hadn't sat between the two of them, Raven was certain another fight would have broken out right at the table.
Of course, if Robin had bothered to show up, things would have been easier.
She removed her cloak and took a long, cleansing breath. Her room was always a refuge of tranquility within the Tower. The one place where the . . . idiocy . . . of her teammates could not touch her.
Now, all she had to do was meditate for an hour or so, and her mind would be at ease once again.
Raven had just begun to hover when she spied a folded piece of paper placed carefully on her pillow. A wave of a hand brought the paper to her.
She opened it up and began to read:
Raven,
I'm going to be gone for a few days. You and the team will have to look over the city on your own. I know you'll do fine. Please don't look for me. This is something that I have to do alone. If all goes well, I'll be back in a few days.
It was signed with an R surrounded by a circle.
She read it twice more before setting it down.
For some reason this short message gave her a bad feeling, as if those simple sentences portended something dark. Normally, Raven wasn't much for hunches, but somehow she felt she should trust her instincts now.
Her concern was replaced by irritation when Raven realized she would have to be the one to break the news to Starfire and Batgirl.
"Where are you, Robin?" she wondered aloud to no one in particular.
-----
Slade Wilson, also known in less savory and much more lethal circles as Deathstroke, was amused. This young man's pathetic attempt to manipulate him was as laughable as it was sincere. While he had no doubt Robin would never voluntarily serve again as his apprentice, the Titan's need for his help rang true.
Robin needed him for something, and that gave Slade control.
The question of the moment was how best to take advantage of the situation.
"What exactly do you need my help with, Robin?" he said carefully, analyzing the Titan's body language for subtle clues and insight.
The young man didn't answer at first, no doubt trying to figure out an answer that would continue his unfortunately transparent ruse.
"There is an opponent I have to face," Robin began slowly, "Someone who has great skill. He's a threat both to me and the team. I have to take him down." The teen trailed off, uncertain how to continue.
"And you don't think you can best him."
Robin looked away from him, eyes downcast.
"No."
"Who is it?"
Robin glared at him. "That's none of your concern."
That's all right, Robin. I know much more than you think.
"Very well," Slade said smoothly, allowing some distain to pepper his words as he attempted to bait the Titan once again, "I suppose it doesn't matter. Skilled as you are, there are plenty of superior fighters out there."
He paused, waiting for Robin to continue. While he knew the teen would never beg, forcing him to continually request for entertaining enough.
"That may be, Slade, but I never felt the need to be completely ruthless."
"What you call ruthlessness, I consider efficiency."
"Killing is the easy way out."
"Oh, it never starts out easy, Robin, but it does get easier each time you do it," He leaned forward, intentionally violating the Titan's personal space, "And I've done it so many times that the word ease hardly does justice to my effortlessness."
Robin's fists clenched. His eyes narrowed.
Slade finally thought he pushed the boy over the edge.
But once again, the Titan regained his composure.
"Are you going to help me or not?"
"Certainly. I've always said you haven't lived up to your potential. Too bad it took you this long to come to this logical conclusion."
Robin didn't reply.
Good boy. You are learning to control your emotions much better than before.
"How long do we have before this confrontation, Robin?"
"Four days, but I'm going to want a full day of rest beforehand."
"So three days, then."
The teen nodded.
"72 hours is not sufficient time for me to teach you much."
"It's all the time I have. Deal with it. You're the one always going on and on about your superiority and how you have so much to teach me. Now's your chance to prove it."
The Titan stared at him.
"Otherwise, I'm just wasting my time here."
Slade laughed.
It was a cold, harsh sound.
He extended his hand.
"Very well. Why don't we shake on it?"
Robin looked down at his hand with thinly veiled disgust.
At last, the young man took it.
And was immediately thrown violently into a nearby pile of rotted crates.
"Let us begin."
