Disclaimer: Dang, I keep forgeting to put these in. I own nothing from the show. Only the story itself.

Scars: Ch. 19

The Worst is Yet to Come

"I have an idea, my dear Robin..." Slade whispered, now putting his mask by the boy's ear. Robin could hear him painfully loudly. He shuttered at Slade's words.

"...I'll take you again, Robin. And you know I will. I do so enjoy our little... gatherings. But what if I do it...in front of her..." Slade emphasized in a deadly ice cold tone.

Robin's blood froze in his veins. His breath caught in his throat, so much that he almost choked.

Did...did he just hear what he thought he heard!

Robin didn't even attempt to hide the surprise on his face. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open. He tried to comprehend this thought in his head, and it wasn't cooperating. He...he couldn't get that last statement to register correctly in his mind. You can't use those words in one sentence. You just can't.

'...Oh god, no...god no...'

He had always imagined of worse punishments from Slade,...but nothing...like this.

Robin wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what Slade meant. He knew that Slade would do it too. The thought scared him so much, he momentarily forgot his situation. He felt like he was going to vomit. This...this was too much. It had always just been the two of them when Slade hurt him. When he was Slade's apprentice, he was basically alone with Slade. And he could comprehend and except that, him, and him alone was going to be injured, mentally and physically. He knew that. At one point, he excepted it. Better him than his teammates, but...what the hell happens now?

There had never been someone watching what they did. Robin kept secrets. Up until tonight, his team never knew. And the rest of them still don't, except her. He had always been secretive, everything he and Slade did had been alone. Unwilling still, Robin kept the secret, his team didn't have to know and suffer for him. Because of him. But they had been alone.

What if Starfire watched? The thought sickened him, made him extremely uncomfortable. Robin kept this a secret to shield his team from his own inner demons. Starfire can't be a part of this. She couldn't. Shit. This wasn't supposed to come up, she can't be a part of this! She can't see this! This would not only involve Starfire, the love of his life, and get her shoved into Robin's problems, and also pretty much put her in the line of fire. But...her watching this? How could such innocent eyes be prone to this? ...And...how will this affect poor Robin? Robin...would suffer the most.

Robin has had to endure the pain and suffering of Slade's treatment . He had been raped a couple of times by the monster. But never...like this. He never thought it would come to this.

Robin grit his teeth hard in thought. He closed his eyes painfully. Just enduring Slade talking was tearing his mind apart. Why did he have to bring up Starfire? He,...he couldn't protect her. He couldn't shield her from Slade. She was in danger and at the mercy of the man as much as he was. All because of Robin once again being too weak. Slade was too strong. He, they, didn't have a chance. They couldn't be saved. He couldn't be saved.

Slade watched as Robin's expression changed from sheer terror, to raw anger. The boy was holding in all the sounds and curses he wanted to make and say. He was trying to hold it all back. But it was slowly consuming him from within.

He growled from deep within his throat. Loud enough that Slade could hear him. He didn't know what else to do. If he talked, would Slade punish him further? Would Slade really carry out his threat if Robin disobeyed? Or had he done enough already to ensure their fates? Had he gone too far? Robin wasn't sure where the tables were turning, but he definitely didn't like where this was going.

Slade continued to observe the boy. Drinking in his emotions. Like some sort of venom he needed to survive. He had Robin. Nothing could be more perfect for him right now. He had Robin writhing in his fingertips. The boy had to obey his every whim now. He had his bird and the bird's love in his devious clutches, and he wasn't really to loosen his grip any time soon. He didn't really want the girl, but right now, she just became a critical part of his plans. What he really desired, was sitting right in front of him.

Would he really fulfill what he claimed? Slade would definetely think about it. And he just might, if he really wanted to make Robin's life a living hell. But not before he had some of his own personal fun. What else when he had Robin all to himself. The child was completely helpless now. And that's exactly how Slade wanted him.

Slade looked throughly at Robin. He saw the mixed feelings splayed across his young face, all the different spattered emotions intertwining with each other. Of course he was indeed closing his eyes at the moment, so Slade couldn't exactly see what he was feeling. But he could certainly see it in his expression. His eyes were shut tightly, and Slade could tell that his teeth were grit really hard under his lips. He was trying different breathing techniques to keep calm. Breathing through his nose in deep, rough breaths.

His eyes traveled further down, looking at Robin's chest as it rose with his now rhythmic breathing patterns. His slim muscles still strained at being immobile, and biceps twitched and stretched at being tied up at the wrists. Fingers now tightly clenched into a fist, minus the one broken finger on each hand, shaking slightly with anger. Slade spotted the now fading splotches of color that decorated his chest.

Previous beatings had left marks all over his small body. That, along with the scars and cuts that randomized themselves upon his frame, Beautiful in symbolism. Blood and sweat made his torso slick. It made Slade want to run his hands over it greedily. But he'd have to wait. He'd definitely have the time to do all that a little later.

Robin tensed slightly, he felt Slade's gaze on him. He tried desperately not to panic. He was going to actually lose his mind if Slade kept playing with him. Robin was not one to be toyed with, but at this point he really didn't have any opinion in the matter. Slade was the only one who had an opinion. He made the rules in this game. And Robin had to follow, and if he didn't, he would get more than just disqualified. The consequences would be devastating.

Robin desperately tried to clear his head of all the distastefully sad images that filled his head. Slade was liking this, so he decided to make it worse by rubbing his metal mask to the side of Robin's head. Now nuzzling roughly into Robin, which was enough to make Robin open his eyes and emit a small gasp. Not wanting Slaked to be anywhere near him. But of course, Slaked had to make the mental defeat even more degrading by doing something else...

Robin jumped and shivered with disgust when he felt Slade's slick tongue lick the shell of his ear. He must've slipped it out of one of the holes in his mask, and then back in to breathe hotly in Robin's ear. Smiling wickedly at the boy's fear. Robin got goose bumps, but tried not to make any noise. Besides that uncomfortable squeak that just slipped out.

Slade thought for a second, and then decided on a course of action. He couldn't have any real fun with Robin while he was all tied up...

"I'm going to undo your restraints, little bird, but just keep this in mind, I have robots watching over her. And I can give them the signal to kill her at any moment. And if I wanted to make it all the sweeter for me, and I probably will, ...you know the punishment I have in order."

Slade whispered in Robin's ear, Slade's playful mockery and warm breath covered up by the icy cold tone of his voice and the seriousness of the situation. It made Robin shiver. As Slade started to undo the steel cuffs, Robin watched, while he was grateful to put his hands down, he knew, that the worst was still to come.

ScarsScarsScars

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As always,

NightRobin