Disclaimer: I don't the characters or the show.

Scars Ch. 16

A Robin's Mind

"Sorry to report this,...but I'm only here to make it worse." Slade said coldly. Robin should've expected something like that, but he had to admit, it did catch him a little off guard. But it wasn't until Slade did something else, did he really get worried. Out of nowhere, after his last statement, Slade took a gleaming knife out of his suit. Robin immediately recognized it as the one he had used to almost slit Starfire's throat with. How convenient. Robin then got scared. He knew Slade wasn't afraid to damage him with the knife. He had done it far too many times before. And Robin knew he was about to do it again. For his punishment.

Robin's breathing got shallow and he started mildly trembling in record time. His chains chingled against the wall with his shaky uncertain movements. He knew, and was afraid whenever Slade had something in his hands, and knew he wouldn't hesitate to use it. Be it a knife, or Starfire. And then it hit him, where was Starfire! Oh shit, he forgot all about her! In his miserable suffering of his, he almost forgot, what happened to Starfire? He was starting to panic more than he was before. He felt his heart pounding against his rib cage. He was knocked out... anything could've happened. What had Slade done with her! He had to know, or he was going to burst. He had to know that Starfire was okay, he had to know...

"Where is Starfire! What did you do with her!" Robin bursted suddenly. Slade didn't answer. And Robin thought it was just to annoy him. His face turning red in anger and for Slade having Starfire in his possession. It killed him inside. Slade almost smirked.

"I have done nothing to her. She is in a prison cell on a lower level of the building. Oh, but don't worry, I have no need to harm her. It is you who needs to be taught a lesson. You are still so disrespectful. We must stop that." Slade quipped.

Good, she was safe. That thought ran through Robin's head in relief. At least she was safe. That was all that mattered...at the moment. Because as soon as Robin realizes the position he is in yet again, and the punishment in store for him, his mind will race back to panic mode. Faster than the speed of light.

Because right now, he was alone, ever so alone with the most monstrous being he had ever met face to face. It was a good thing Starfire was safe, but now, he had to face even more suffering. It killed a piece of him inside to feel so vulnerable. Damn, he hated that word with a passion. As he hated being alone with Slade. And he tried to remain calm, and brace himself for the searing pain that was inevitable.

Slade then pushed the knife even closer to Robin, making him almost cringe with fear. It wasn't until the blade touched his skin did he realize what he would be going through tonight. Again. At the hands of a savage creature. Slade pressed the sharp edge of the blade into Robin's chest. Not so firmly as to stab him, but just enough until a bead of blood appeared on the tip. And as soon as he knew he had broken the skin, he pushed it in a little more, and then continued to drag the blade across Robin's torso a good three inches.

As painful as it was, Robin kept his composure and merely grunted in response to Slade's actions. Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. He would not allow Slade the satisfaction to hear Robin cry out. As long as he could take it, Robin would hold it in, to keep the single strand of the last trace of dignity in him. Because more than anything, Slade wanted to see and hear Robin in agony, see and hear him let loose his usually held in pain, hear him scream and beg for mercy. This was one of Slade's pleasures.

Slade took the knife out of him and studied the newly formed wound. Taking in Robin's fear that was radiating off him at a fast pace. He noticed the noise Robin made and chuckled to himself in amusement. He knew that it would take more than one cut to made Robin cry out in pain. He was much stronger than that. And he was somewhat used to this treatment. No matter how wrong it was to be.

"Oh come now, Robin. You can do better than that." Slade remarked smirking. Raising the blade again for another go around. This time, he aimed t reopen a wound on Robin stomach. A scar crossing his abs. And with pleasure, Slade reopened the would with the knife and watched Robin bleed. Bleed again. Robin grunted again, with more pain. As he felt his own blood flow freely out of him. In pain, he clutched his hands convulsively at nothing. With nothing within reach to grasp or hold on to.

He took the time to wonder what kind of being takes pleasure out of doing this to some one? Causing another being pain and suffering. It didn't take long for Robin to realize that Slade was not an ordinary being. It was true that he seemed, unbeatable, incompatible. But also a being with a cruel heart. And what seemed to Robin as cold-blooded. He also took the time to notice the mask gleaming in front of him. With a cold eye bearing hard into his. A double sided mask with two broadening colors. Those of which were colors meant and chosen to spread fear in the hearts of individuals.

Wisely chosen. It didn't exactly made him appear to be a friendly guy. Slade only beared one eye. At least only one that was meant to show. But if there was another, Robin had hit the steel on Slade's mask enough times to know that you would not be able to see through that mask. Slade had always been fighting him with only one eye open; half blind. Half blind, and Robin could still not find the means to defeat him. Which Robin found to be irony honestly. A villain with enhanced strength and brain power, but had the casualty of only having one eye. Irony.

But below that, lay the slits in his mask. Letting Robin know that he was a living breathing being under that mask. That he breathed air just like any other human. But Robin could not yet prove that Slade was human, having never really seen what was behind the accursed mask. It boiled Robin down that Slade had seen past his mask and seen the face beneath it. Yet, Robin hadn't the slightest clue of what lay behind his.

The only real things that he knew about his nemesis, were some hypothetical conclusions about the super human powers he possessed, his amazing fighting skills that almost always surpassed his own, and the rumor that his alias was Deathstroke: The Terminator. An assassin. And somehow, Robin could definitely believe this statement. Considering the cold heart of the individual. And his particular rough obsession of the young hero. Though Robin had no idea why a mercenary like himself would have such a keen interest in the titan. It seemed completely out of his league.

He had to take time to think to himself how the mad man's mind worked. Even being such a great detective himself, Robin probably couldn't even comprehend the villain's intellect. And he didn't think anyone could, or ever would. Nonetheless, Slade wouldn't let anyone journey into his mind anyway. The man's defenses were impeccable. Robin even clearly remembered Raven saying that she couldn't get through the barriers of Slade's mind. They were too strong. That not even her magic could break.

Robin himself had put up his own barriers around his mind, any good crime fighter would. To prevent villains from hacking in, and to prevent himself from letting go too much information or emotion to reveal his weakness or identity. But in the aftermath of the 'Slade-dust' and the illusions, Raven had enough power to journey into his mind. An experience that he would never want to witness again. In the process of going into his mind, she had made Robin relive all of his life. A life that he would chose not to relive, given the choice.

Slade was different. Just plain out and simple he was different from anyone else Robin had faced. He admitted, to say the least, that the man was like him. Their actions outside if this dungeon may have been called, eerily similar if anything. But another thing that bothered Robin was his cunning. Always being able to find Robin's weak spots, find his secrets, and expose them, beating Robin at every turn. And it annoyed the hell out of Robin. Compared to Slade, Robin never felt so...weak. So low, so stupid, and never felt so fucking defeated before. He had never been beat this badly. To the point where it became, beatings, and torture and blackmail. To a point where Robin had an extremely hard time trying to figure out whether he should leave the metal mask hung on his wall to remind him of his past mistakes and his past horrors, or to take it down and cower in fear because he knew he was afraid of it. More than he would ever wish to admit...

"Ah!"

Robin finally cried out. This whole time he had been murmuring his woes of pain while Slade continued to cut him. Letting out little 'ahs' and grunts. Trying to control himself. Trying to remain focused and calm. Focused and calm. An extremely hard feat. Slade had already continuously cut him on the chest three times. Reopening old wounds and making new ones in the little space he still had for more on his chiseled chest. Making sure to go nice and slow with each cut, making it all the more painful. He felt drops of newly released blood slowly drip down his chest. Making their way over his wounds and mixing with sweat, The tainted mixture ran all the way down to seep into the hem of Robin's pants. Breathing heavily, the boy didn't dare look at his captor, that would only cause and imaginative smirk under the two-toned mask, or a witty remark so Robin turned away and tried to keep his mouth closed.

God, what would Bruce think of him now? Under the hands of a man who much too powerful for his own good, holding Robin captive until further notice. Doing these things to him that were unspeakable. Of course he had thought this many time before in his rendevous as an apprentice, but he had never ceased to think about it. What would be the look on his mentor's face to hear that his only son, was being brutally tortured by a mad man? And that Robin had practically let him. That the millionaire's heir had been beaten,...and raped? And that he was a boy.

Robin could not seem to think away from this. The endless shame mounted on his shoulders. He was supposed to have more dignity than this. More goddamned rights for god's sake. He shuddered to think this, but although in all his misery, he didn't think he would ever tell Bruce about this. He knew it was important for him to know, but, Robin was much to ashamed to mention that any of this had ever happened. He wouldn't tell him. He couldn't tell him. What would be the look on Batman's face? He didn't want to find out.

Bringing all this up in his mind, from Bruce, it always wandered back to his parents. His long deceased, long missed parents. What would they think of him? Of how far he had fallen. How low his life had come to. They would be disgusted with him. Disgusted and ashamed of him. They would turn their backs on him. And this is what Robin feared one of the most. If he had disappointed his parents. Were they looking down on him right now? Were that watching him when he was Slade's apprentice? Were they shunning him? He didn't know. He would never know. And that just made him more guilty. His eyes almost glistened with tears at the thought of his parents, that, and the new scar Slade was making on his shoulder.

ScarsScarsScarsScarsScars

Man, I am really sorry about the slow updates. I have just not been typing that much lately. And to make it up, this chapter was longer than the others. All for you guy, my loyal readers. I'll get back to it quicker. I have plenty of ideas, and I just startin to bring em out. But I will.

This was more of Robin's thoughts while all this is happening to him. I'm getting into his mind here. And I like the Robin POV, it's working for me, so ya just might see more of it. And what you've all been waiting for, more of Robin's flashbacks! Comin next chappie. Well, hoped u liked, please review.

NightRobin