Disclaimer: All copyright and credit goes to the original creators of the Teen Titans, Batman, and the DC Universe. This is for entertainment purposes only! I do not own any of the characters!

A/N: Hey everyone! It's been a while! A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I always love to know what my readers think!

My updates are going to be a little slower until my life settles down so please be patient with me.

Alright! Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 10

A Tentative Truce

"Took you long enough to find me Robin. I'm disappointed."

The smooth words filled the overwhelming silence in the room and echoed in the boy's ears. A single gray eye filled Robin's vision and pierced deep into his mind. Slade was missing his notorious black and orange Kevlar suit and instead was wearing a loose, long-sleeve shirt paired with black, sweat pants. The man's lean, muscular build could be seen through the outfit he was wearing, affirming his sheer strength and power. The haunting mask was still in its place though, and it washed over Robin's face with a chilling horror.

"I wasn't exactly in a rush to find a man that tried to kill me," Robin snapped, grinding his teeth together. Standing in front of the man brought forth memories that haunted his every step. Footsteps of fear walked around the boy and drummed in his ears. Slade's imposing presence drove into Robin, thrusting him back in time to the day that changed everything …

The screens pulsed like a heartbeat in the room. They pounded into his back, a tormenting reminder of what he fought for. His eyes had stared at them so many times the images had been burned into his memory. He could never break away from their hold. He could never forget the consequences of failure. He could never forgive himself for the mistakes he made. The screens followed him into the darkness and echoed after his footsteps

As he faced the man who had destroyed his life, Robin saw his friends' faces. They flashed before his eyes in a rapid succession and were quickly shoved away deep into his heart. Memories with the Titans and emotions welled up inside of the young, fragile boy, but he stored those away as well. Chains of protections rose up and quickly constricted his heart, locking it away from his mind and soul. He couldn't think of them now. He couldn't risk becoming compromised. He had a job to do, and those emotions would only get in the way.

Starfire's scream of agony stabbed into his mind as his mind saw her body being consumed by the probes.

He couldn't let that happen again.

His job…

The boy's eyes flashed upward as his breathing slowly returned to normal. A dark, malevolent, gray eye buried its way into his mind. A rush of emotions flooded Robin's senses as his mind wrenched away from the man in front of him. His body however was as still as a stone.

He couldn't forget his job…

The boy's eyes fluttered closed as a crushing weight of loss settled on his shoulders. He had been defeated before, but never like this. He had never been broken. He had never been reduced to a mere criminal. In order to save his friends, he had to embrace a life of a villain. A life of evil, thievery, tricks and dishonor. Batman would be so ashamed of him…

The thought carved its way into his mind. He didn't know if he was doing the right thing. He didn't know how long he could keep this up. It had only been two days and even now he felt himself beginning to fade. He couldn't fight without risking the deaths of his friends. With a single push of the button, Slade could activate the probes in the Titans that would destroy them from the inside.

And the man wasn't afraid to use them.

Robin had been a witness to that.

So now he was in the middle of an ocean of hopelessness and despair. He no longer had the warm glow of the sun to bring him strength. He no longer had Starfire's bright eyes to remind him of all the good in the world. He no longer had his mother's radiant smile to draw him back to safety. He no longer had anything…

He was alone. Alone with the figure of his nightmares.

His job…it was the only thing that kept him going. It was the only thing that kept his eyes open during the day. It was the only thing that prevented his mind from caving in on itself. It was the only thing he had now…

"Robin."

The boy kept his eyes shut as the cool word washed over him with a malevolent chill.

"From now on, I want you to call me master."

The words burned into his mind and penetrated into his body. They wrapped around his heart like slithering snakes and grew closer. But the chains tightened and lashed out, pushing the toxic and deadly words away.

His job…

His job was to protect the Titans.

Robin opened his mouth as two obedient words rushed to his lips.

Even if it meant sacrificing himself.

"You weren't prepared."

The words snapped Robin back to the present, and the boy quickly pushed the haunting memory away. He would not allow his fears to dominate his mind. He would not allow Slade to control him.

Even though the masked man could overpower him in any fight…

Even though no one – not even the Titans – knew where he was…

Even though he had made the idiotic decision to trust his enemy…

Yup. He wasn't afraid. Not one bit.

Robin scoffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You just don't want to admit that you made a mistake."

The single, gray eye narrowed and the man took a step closer, forcing the boy to wrench his neck upward to maintain eye contact. For the millionth time in his life, Robin wished he was taller – even just by a few inches. Slade's form towered over him, dominating the room with a rolling, powerful force. Ignoring the trickle of fear that refused to go away, Robin growled in irritation, and clamped his hands down into raging fists.

The eye flickered away from him and to the man standing in the entrance of a hallway leading from the living room.

"Will, would you mind preparing Robin's room for the night?"

"Of course." The soft words were spoken with warmth and reassurance, and the man scurried down a hallway, leaving the two headstrong figures alone.

Robin focused back onto the man in front of him as questions flooded his mind. "What do you mean night? What time is it?" the boy asked, worry bleeding into his voice.

"You were out for fifteen hours, Robin. It's close to midnight now."

Slade's smooth words caused all the air to rush out from his lungs as the boy stumbled back. Fifteen hours. He had been out for fifteen hours. Panic entered his mind as he considered the uncontrollable events that could have happened during that time. Batman. Was the man okay? Had the Joker moved locations after his failed rescue attempt? Were the Titans okay? Were they tearing Jump apart trying to find him? Guilt drowned his body in a massive wave as his blue eyes latched onto the gray orb that studied him.

"Why…why was I out for so long?"

Robin's words shook in the air, and the masked man took another step forward, drawing nearer to the shaking boy.

"The healing serum I injected you with needed time to work. You entered a somewhat induced coma in order to give you the necessary time to heal and recover fully. I didn't exactly want you to wake up mid-way through the procedure and have you re-injure yourself because of the surprise of seeing me," Slade responded, his words sliding over to the boy.

The boy narrowed his eyes as a deep-rooted suspicion and fear bubbled up into his words.

"Healing serum?"

"Something of my own design. It rejuvenates your cells at an accelerated pace for an extended period of time," the man said, pausing when he saw Robin's eyes widen. Slade shook his head, his mask reflecting the dim lighting in the room. A smooth, dry chuckle escaped his lips and bounced around the small space.

"It only lasts a short amount of time. If you wanted to have advanced healing abilities, I'm sorry to disappoint you."

Robin tensed at the dark noise and took a sharp step back, the chuckle crawling up his body and into his mind. A soft breath fluttered from his lips and sank into the tense air, warding off Slade's imposing presence. His hand shook uncontrollably as he hesitantly touched his healed shoulder and focused on the ground in front of him.

"What was wrong with me?"

Slade leaned up against the counter in front of the boy and settled his gaze on the wall behind him.

"Two fractured ribs. A collapsed lung. A gunshot wound to your shoulder. Severe blood loss. A mild concussion. And numerous scrapes and bruises…" the man trailed off as he became slightly distant. The silence in the room grew and shifted, wrapping around the two forms and drowning them in their thoughts.

"If I hadn't –"

For a brief second a strange emotion washed over the man and stood between the two enemies. Robin's eyes flickered up and met Slade's deep, gray eye. The man immediately cut himself off and straightened to his full height, shattering the stillness and uncertainty in the room. The sudden change caused Robin to take a sharp step back, and like a wall slamming shut, the gray eye hardened again.

"It's late. You need to be asleep."

The boy snorted at the commanding tone.

"Well, I'm not staying here," Robin muttered, rolling his eyes to himself. He made took a step to the right which was quickly matched by the masked man. The boy stiffened and looked up sharply as Slade crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh?"

The single, sangfroid syllable grated against Robin's nerves and his temper and irritation flared up again.

"You can't be serious, Slade. Batman is in trouble. The Joker probably moved locations. I need to be out searching for him-" The boy's remarks were sharply cut off by a smooth reprimand.

"-you need to be asleep."

"I need to find him. Besides there is no way I am staying here with you!" Robin yelled, throwing his arms in the air and whirling around. He marched toward the exit, leaving behind a trail of fire and steam. Slade was insane. The man had some serious issues. He didn't care if he had agreed to help rescue Batman. He didn't care that the man had saved his life. There was no force on this earth that could make Robin stay the night at the man's haunt…house…or whatever this place was. Could this even be considered a house? Because Robin couldn't imagine the man living here. It was too normal, too human, and too average. The man wasn't supposed to own a couch. The man wasn't supposed to have a kitchen. The man wasn't supposed to be normal.

The man wasn't supposed to have saved him…

Robin cringed at the thoughts and continued his trek towards the door. He had a job to do. Batman was in trouble, the Joker had probably moved haunts, and it was his job to track the crazed clown down. Once he found the man again, he could get Slade to help him with the rescue, but until then, the psychopath could wait. Sleep could wait. Food could wait. The Titans could wait. In fact, everything could wait. He needed to find Batman and he needed to find the man fast. Who knew what the Joker was doing to him at this point?

The fear of the unknown pressed Robin forward. It drove him past logic and into a mind-set that consumed his body when he was in high stress situations. All clarity and reason left him and only a sole focus dominated his mind.

Find Batman.

The Titans had witnessed this side of him before, and it had been an unpleasant experience. Robin had become so focused on finding Slade, it had dominated every inch of his mind, and he had morphed into a stranger. This uncontrollable drive and frenzy, had given Slade the perfect opportunity to manipulate and blackmail Robin into an apprenticeship. And now, a similar curtain of oppression drew shut over the boy's mind. Fear and stress pushed him forward and licked at his heels. It was nearly impossible to reach the boy when he was in this chaotic mind-set. He was like an impenetrable, stone statue and everything bounced and ricocheted off of him….

Everything except a certain masked man.

A strong hand gripped the back of Robin's neck, and the boy let out a short cry of surprise. A wicked force slung the agile boy back, and with a soft thud he landed in the leather arm chair. Robin hit the chair with a soft thud, and the wall surrounding his mind cracked slightly. His masked eyes flashed up to find the exit blocked by a daunting figure.

Rage filtered into the boy's thin frame in a powerful wave. He pushed himself off of the chair and rose to his full height, challenging the guardian that blocked his way.

"Move." The single word was spit out of Robin's mouth like fire and torched the ground with a raging intensity.

Slade crossed his arms, staring down at the furious boy and holding him in his powerful gaze. The tall figure smirked under his mask and a challenge fell effortlessly from his lips.

"Make me."

Robin reflexively reached down for his utility belt and silently cursed himself for the third time that day. Why hadn't he picked up his freaking belt? He had grown so accustomed to it hanging around his waist that he had begun to think of it as an extension of himself. Without it, he felt bare and vulnerable and standing in front of his greatest enemy, those feelings were only amplified.

"Very unwise to be unarmed in the presence of your enemy, Robin."

Like a rippling wave, the boy's muscles tensed. He glared at Slade with an icy hatred as a familiar sensation of anger burned inside of him. The man had no right to lecture him. Only one man had that right, and even he had lost it a long time ago.

"I thought Batman would have taught you better."

The taunting words caused Robin to snap like a twig. In a single instance, all of Robin's self-control vanished into the air, and his emotions broke free. His fury, anger, and hate wrapped around him in a massive vortex of frustration, and Robin charged at the man. The boy could take insults directed at him. But Batman? No one insulted Batman.

Robin launched a flurry of jabs, upper-cuts, and hooks. His body moved at a quick and rapid speed, hunting for a break in Slade's defenses and trying to find a way to defeat the man. No matter how hard he pushed himself though, all of his attacks were blocked with a frustrating ease. Punch after punch was halted. Kick after kick was thrown down. Hook after hook was countered.

As Robin's frustration grew, his attacks became more ragged and unfocused. His body began to falter as his attacks slipped in their intensity. Although he had been healed, he was exhausted, tired, hungry, worn-down and it was beginning to show. The adrenaline was filtering away, and Robin was beginning to feel the extent of his injuries. His breathing was labored and heavy and caused his ribs to groan in effort. Small stabs of pain still prodded his shoulder and his muscles flickered in strength. A pounding pulse drummed in his head, growing in intensity.

Robin threw a weak punch to Slade's chest, but instead of blocking it like the boy had predicted, Slade caught it in an iron hold. The boy's mind shrieked at him in a warning, and he immediately tried to yank his arm away. Like a snake, Slade's hold tightened and locked down on Robin's hand, pinning the boy in his grasp.

Neither of them moved for several moments. The only sound that filled the room was Robin's loud, labored breathing. With each breath the boy took, he felt a wave of exhaustion fall over his shoulders. He wasn't done though. He would not let this man win. He had a job to do. He had to find Batman.

"You'll only injure yourself more if you don't – "

As the man was speaking, he felt Slade's grip loosen slightly, and the boy snatched his opportunity out of the air. Robin wrenched his fist out of Slade's grip and followed up with a sharp roundhouse kick to Slade's side. The man didn't even flinch as he grabbed Robin's leg and harshly threw him to the ground. Robin landed on his back with a low groan and let out a frustrated huff of annoyance. Why couldn't he land one hit on the man? In a fluid motion, he flipped back onto his legs, tensed and ready in his fighting stance. His masked eyes fell on the empty space in front of him.

"Where-"

Before Robin could finish the question, his arm was grabbed from behind, and twisted behind his back. Sharp pain ricocheted through his body, and he let out a cry of alarm. Another hand grabbed his bad shoulder in a tight hold and pushed him down onto his knees. With the little strength he had left, Robin pushed against the all-powering force. It felt like the world rested on his shoulder however, and his small amount of strength was useless against the dominating presence that held him down. Robin's eyes focused on the floor as he tried to block out the pain that screeched from his arm.

"Now, Robin. You asked me to help you, and I am whether you like it or not," Slade snapped. The man's words were like serpents and they slithered around the boy with a poisonous intensity.

"Let me go, Slade." Robin's voice was strained and sluggish. Sweat rolled off his face, and he began to shake in the man's hold. Prickles of pain raced up and down his arm like an uncontrollable fire.

"Not until you promise me that you will stay here, until I deem you fit to go and search for Batman."

Robin snarled, only to find his arm being yanked back farther. He desperately pushed against the hold, agony ricocheting through his body. Every nerve felt like it was being crushed to a speck.

"You are not my authority Slade!" he yelled. His syllables were sharp and filled with seething venom.

Slade simply chuckled, and the low unnerving sound rang in Robin's ears.

"If you want my help to rescue Batman, you will do as I say. It's your choice whether or not to be cooperative though. I have all the time in the world."

"I need to find Batman," Robin growled, barely managing to keep the worry and anxiety out of his voice. He felt the precious time slip from his hands as seconds mercilessly slipped by. Every second he wasted, was a second Batman could be killed. He couldn't afford to be held back. He couldn't afford any distractions.

Slade's hold around him tightened.

"You'll only get yourself killed, Robin."

The truth embedded in those smooth words, rebounded against the wall that surrounded the boy's mind.

"I don't care, Slade! JUST LET ME GO!"

Robin gasped as the pain in his arm suddenly spiked in intensity, and the fire ignited into an inferno. The boy couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't speak. All he was aware of was the burning pain, and the cold words that reached his ears.

"You will do as I say, Robin. Or you will face the consequences."

The words were barely above a whisper, but they blared like trumpets of doom in Robin's ears. The boy felt his blood run cold as the threat wrapped around his body and latched onto his soul. The cracks in the wall around his mind widened and slowly but surely, pieces began to fall away. A long breath of air fluttered between his lips as the meaning behind the threat pierced its way into his mind.

Consequences.

The man had a deadly air about him that sent a spiraling fear into Robin's soul. Slade's presence towered over the helpless boy as pieces from the cracked wall fell down around Robin's shaking hands, and the terrible weight of reality hammered down on the boy's shoulder. His mind was pulled from its chaotic haze and Slade's threat blared like bright lights. The man would not be one to use that word lightly, and Robin really didn't want to find out what Slade meant by it.

"Fine," Robin muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Fine. I'll stay," the boy spat through gritted teeth. He felt the hands leave his shoulder and arm, and he collapsed to the floor, his muscles groaning in discomfort. The flood of pain vanished from his body, leaving behind a numb, tingling sensation that crawled up his weak arms. Sweat rolled off of his forehead and onto the cold, merciless ground. The boy inhaled a raspy breath of air as two, black socks entered his vision, and two, strong hands wrapped around his arms. Before Robin could protest, he felt himself being unwillingly lifted to his feet.

Robin groaned in frustration and tried unsuccessfully to shake off the grip Slade had on his shoulders. The iron hold didn't budge however, and Robin felt Slade's gray eye pierce into him. The boy shifted under the unsettling stare and looked down at his feet. His cheeks flushed with a terrible shame as he stood powerless before the man in front of him.

"You'll be sore tomorrow but are relatively uninjured," the man said, scanning his eye over the boy.

"No thanks to you," Robin muttered under his breath. The grips on his shoulder suddenly tightened, and Robin cried out in surprise. His bright blue eyes flashed up in anger; however the boy stilled when he saw the look of pure annoyance and fury that echoed from the man in front of him. Slade's hands were like iron jaws around his shoulders and continued to tighten as the man's gray eye narrowed.

"Watch your tone, boy," the man spat. Slade's words were darker than the deepest part of the ocean and his presence towered over the boy.

Robin swallowed nervously, his eyes flickering away. He tried to take a small step back, but Slade held him firmly in his place. The boy clenched his teeth together at the pain that came from his shoulders, and it took all of his self-control to remain silent.

Seconds passed at an excruciatingly slow pace.

The hands suddenly left his shoulders and the massive presence moved away from him. The boy relaxed slightly as he heard Slade's footsteps tread into the kitchen. His hands twitched and flickered against his side as exhaustion seeped into his bones.

"Come eat."

The odd command caught the boy completely off guard, and Robin snapped his head up. Before he could process anything, his survival instincts kicked in and his mind immediately spewed words out of his mouth.

"I'm not hungry."

Robin heard what he assumed to be a snort from the man.

"Of course you're not."

The sound of the fridge door opening confused the boy even more. This was weird. Too weird for Robin to handle. It was hard enough to deal with the fact that Slade had a living area like a somewhat normal person, but now the man was making food?

The ding of the microwave brought him out of his thoughts, and the boy looked up to see a steaming bowl on top of the kitchen bar. The rich smell of the food floated over to him and his empty stomach let out a traitorous growl. Robin could almost feel the smirk that appeared under Slade's mask.

"You aren't a good liar, Robin. Now come eat," the masked man said while moving away and grabbing something else from the fridge.

Robin glanced between the man and the bowl of food on the counter, weighing his options – not that he had many. Either refuse the food, anger Slade, get into another fight, and really get himself injured, or accept the food and eat it in peace. The boy sighed. It was the best of the worst.

He slowly moved to the bar, keeping a watchful eye on the masked man. Slade was right – he was hungry, but that didn't mean he would admit it to the psychopath. His hand pulled the black stool out, and he sat down. His blue eyes examined the steaming bowl of pasta and vegetables in front of him and another growl escaped his stomach. The boy begrudgingly admitted that it did look tasty.

He picked up his fork and twiddled it in his fingers. Distrust suddenly consumed his mind as he stared at the meal in front of him. Slade could have easily poisoned it. Maybe the man wanted to knock him out and implant a tracker in him? Or take his DNA to clone him? Great, now he was thinking just like Beast Boy.

"If I wanted to knock you out, poison, or kill you, I would have done so when you were passed out in the haunt."

The words echoed across the kitchen and Robin looked up to see Slade standing at the kitchen island, looking over a stack of papers. A flap had slid back on his mask, so that the man could eat a similar bowl of pasta without complexly removing his disguise. The man's mouth was framed by a white goatee – the most Robin had ever seen of his face.

The boy froze and the fork slipped out of his hand. Slade was eating….like a normal human being. The odd shock of seeing his worst enemy eat a simple bowl of pasta caused everything in Robin's mind to shut down.

Slade glanced up at the boy, and Robin swore he heard a sigh escape the man's lips.

"Despite your unrealistic, childish expectations, I do have to eat to stay alive," Slade said with a hint of annoyance in his smooth voice. He stared at the boy for a few seconds, before focusing back on the papers in front of him.

Robin opened and closed his mouth like a floundering fish. His thoughts refused to process in his mind, and he glanced down at the food in front of him. Yes he was probably acting ridiculously right now, but he had never really considered the human being under the haunting mask. It was odd to see the figure that shadowed and plagued his footsteps, acting….well like a normal person.

"Eat, Robin."

The command snapped the boy out of his musing and Robin ducked his head, begrudgingly taking a bite of the pasta. A melody of flavors exploded in his mouth, the juices from the vegetables running down his throat. He sighed as his stomach greedily accepted the food and shouted at him for more. With each bite he took, memories rose up in his mind – memories from a long time ago.

When he had been Batman's sidekick, Alfred would always have a hot plate of food ready for him after patrol. How the man managed to keep the food warm for that long was beyond the boy, but it never failed to be absolutely delicious. On the nights Robin had witness the especially horrifying deeds of criminals, Bruce would heat up a glass of milk and sit with the boy into the early hours of the morning. They never talked or spoke about what had happened, but Bruce's quiet companionship was enough to remind the young boy that there was still good in the world. Robin remembered the man's soft face, his small smile, his enveloping arms, and his tired eyes. The man wasn't the best at giving affection, but he had been a solid stone for the young crime fighter to stand on. At least he had been, until that fateful night…

"Slade, the lad's room is ready."

Robin snapped out of his thoughts and glanced up at the quirky, old man in the doorway of the hallway leading from the living room. Beady, green eyes stared at him with an amused expression.

"Thank you, Will. Robin, this is Mr. Wintergreen," Slade said while fixing the boy under a steely glare. "He is to be treated with respect or you will answer to me." The man's voice was menacingly low, and Robin flinched from the ominous threat. Wow, Slade can thank and threaten someone all at the same time – what a talent.

"Now Slade," Mr. Wintergreen reprimanded sharply, his hands on his hips, "There is no need to scare the boy. I nearly thought you were going to rip his arm off earlier. At least he had the decency to feed you, lad." Mr. Wintergreen addressed the last part to Robin.

Robin glanced curiously at the odd man and raised an eyebrow at the casual tone he used with Slade. His eyes flickered between the unlikely pair as he tried to connect the pieces between them. Was Slade holding Wintergreen here against his will? Had Slade kidnapped the man? Or were the bizarre pair actually friends? Was it even possible for Slade to have a friend?

"I'm going to retire for the night, Slade. If you need me, Robin, my room is in the hallway over there, right off the kitchen," Wintergreen said while walking through the kitchen and to said hallway. Robin's eyes followed him like he was some odd, alien creature. He absolutely did not know what to think of the man. Mr. Wintergreen paused by the boy's side and gave him a devious wink. Before Robin could react, the man's aged hands ruffled his raven hair.

"Goodnight lad," the man said and sauntered away to the hallway.

Robin froze, watching the man's form retreat down the hallway. For the second time that night, his mind halted all train of thought. No one had ruffled his hair since…since his parent's deaths…Robin's thoughts drifted back to his mother. It had been a habitual action for Mary Grayson to ruffle his hair every day when he had been little. The perpetual action had continued no matter his age. He remembered when he was seven, he had insisted she stop, arguing that it was for little kids. He remembered how her bright, blue eyes had twinkled in amusement. He remembered her sweet laugh and the soft hand that graced his cheek. And he remembered her beautiful, loving reply.

"You'll always be my little Robin, no matter how old you get."

What he would give to have her ruffle his hair now…

"Robin?"

Robin snapped back to reality and found a towering presence standing right next to him. The fork clattered to the ground as he jumped out of his chair, his heart feeling like thunder in his chest. He hadn't thought of his mother for a long time, because the memories of her were always painful to endure. At that moment the boy wished, painfully wished, he could see her for a minute – just a minute of fleeting time. He wished he would hear her voice, see her smile, and feel her black, silky hair. But more than anything, he wished he could see her bright, blue eyes, and hear her reassuring words. He wished he could hear her tell him, her little Robin, that everything was going to be okay.

"Robin."

He felt a strong hand on his shoulder pull him back to reality. His eyes focused on Slade's form standing ahead of him, and immediately took a step back, breaking contact.

"What's wrong?"

"I…it's nothing Slade."

Slade's gray eye looked unconvinced and the man crossed his arms in front of him. Thankfully however, he didn't press the subject. The towering figure motioned with his hand for Robin to follow him and walked down the hallway off the living room. The boy unwillingly trudged after him, feeling exhaustion nip at his heels. The pair passed a couple doors, but Slade suddenly stopped at a solid gray one, and turned around.

The man glared down at the boy and pressed his hands up against the door.

"My room. Off limits."

The boy's eyes immediately snapped to the solid piece of metal as his curiosity was ignited. What type of secrets did Slade keep in there? What type of dirt could he find on the man? Was this where Slade kept his evil plans? If he retrieved his utility belt, he could hack the lock and easily get inside. He would just have to make sure that Slade wasn't around. All of these thoughts raced past his mind as he glanced back up at the man.

The boy froze.

It was almost as if Slade could read his thoughts. The gray eye narrowed down at him, and Slade took a small, but still menacing, step forward. With one glance at Slade's serious and terrifying demeanor, Robin knew he could never go in that room without witnessing the real wrath of Slade.

"Understood?" the man asked, the veiled threat laced into his words.

Robin's eyes flickered to the door longingly and then back to Slade. He cringed and turned his attention to his feet. It just wasn't worth it.

"Yeah…" the boy muttered.

Slade paused for the briefest of moments before continuing down the dimly lit hallway. Robin's sore feet plodded along the dark carpet, following behind. The pair continued on, until Slade suddenly stopped in front of the second to last door. Robin just barely managed to stop himself from running into the man.

"Your room," Slade said, gesturing to it. "Any door that is unlocked is free for exploration. Locked doors should remain that way."

Robin nodded too tired and too numb to say anything. The events of the past two days were beginning to catch up to him. His body felt as if an entire truck had rolled over it, and he was currently at a moral war with himself. It didn't feel right to be staying here – under the roof of his greatest enemy. It didn't feel right to ask Slade for help. It didn't feel right to be complacent with the man. But there wasn't much he could do at this point. Slade had already made it very clear that he wasn't going anywhere tonight and Robin really didn't feel like starting another argument with the man. It was bad enough Slade had managed to defeat him like he was simply swatting a fly away.

"We shall discuss our plans in the morning. And Robin?"

The boy looked up and Slade crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Don't try to leave. I'll know if you do," the man said smoothly.

Chills raced up Robin's arms as he felt the hallway close in around him. He glanced at Slade and then at the opening of the hallway.

Consequences.

Again, it just wasn't worth it.

With his point made clear, Slade brushed past the boy and moved with an eerie, fluid gait down the hallway. His hand fell on the handle of the door and pushed it open. The man hesitated – an action Robin thought was extremely out of place for Slade – and glanced back at him. His gray eye held a strange light in it.

"If you need me, at any time, I will be here."

And with those confusing words, Slade disappeared inside of his room.

Robin sighed as the omniscient eye disappeared. It felt as if the watchful spotlight had finally been shut off. The boy pressed his head against the cool door and slammed his eyes shut.

He didn't even want to begin to think about what Slade had just said. It almost sounded as if the man cared…

The boy immediately halted his train of thought. Slade didn't care about him as a person. The only thing the freaking psychopath cared about was forcing him into an apprenticeship or destroying Jump. Robin blinked his eyes open and groaned.

He was losing his edge.

The thought pierced into the boy and stabbed a long strand of fear into his heart. Since when did he actually obey Slade? Since when did he actually listen to what the man said? Robin shook his head and glanced back towards the entrance of the hallway. Bright light shone through the dimly lit space, beckoning to the boy.

He could make it. He could make it if he really tried. But the haunting fear of Slade breathed down his neck. He really didn't feel up to a fight right now. In fact, he really didn't feel up to much of anything right now. It was late. He was tired. His body was beyond exhausted, and he wanted to sleep.

With another groan of defeat, Robin pushed open his door and was greeted with a surprisingly, spacious room. It was furnished with a desk, bookcase, dresser, and a large very comfortable looking bed. Everything was various shades of browns, and grays and neat and orderly like the rest of the haunt. There were two other doors, but Robin didn't feel like exploring tonight. The boy hardly registered anything as he walked over to the bed and fell in a heap of bones on top of it.

Tomorrow, he would find Batman. Tomorrow, he would make Slade understand that he wouldn't be ordered around. Tomorrow, he would confront the masked man. He wasn't losing his edge…he wasn't…

And with that thought, Robin drifted off to sleep.

He was going soft.

As Slade shut the door behind him, the thought pounded in his brain. Since when did he put up with an insolent teenager's sass? Since when did he actually care about whether Robin was okay or not?

Images flashed before his eyes.

Blood dripping from the boy's shoulder and onto the gray concrete. A violent cough burning through the air. A shaking, hunched form trying to find a breath of air.

Another hunched form. Another bloody wound. Another time. Another life.

The man growled to himself and removed his mask, inhaling the crisp, clean air and shoving the images away. He was not going soft – He. Was. Not.

Slade placed the object on his desk and sat down, flicking on his computer. Immediately the monitor lit up with various tasks he had yet to complete. Contracts to fill. People to threaten. Villains to monitor. Slade repressed another growl as the pounding in his head increased. And a certain Boy Wonder who was going to be the end of him.

Sure, Slade admitted that he had brought this situation upon himself. Sure, he admitted that the boy was now his responsibility. And sure, he admitted that he hoped to twist this situation in his favor and somehow convince Robin to become his apprentice.

Slade admitted all of those things to himself. But none of them seemed to matter to him. At that particular moment, Slade Wilson only cared about keeping Robin alive. It really seemed the boy had a death wish. Robin hadn't even been one hundred percent healed and already the rash, impulsive boy had wanted to go and search for Batman. The man didn't know how much longer he could put up with Robin's thick headed skull, and the boy's blatant unconcern for his own health.

His hands rubbed his pounding temples in a slow, circular motion. Since when was Robin's health even his concern? Deathstroke, the fearless Terminator, was not supposed to be concerned about a teenager's well-being.

He glanced over to the security monitor, and the images the cameras projected. He had decided against installing a camera in the boy's room. If Robin respected Slade's privacy, then Slade would respect his. The man's gray eye examined the empty hallway and the vacant haunt. For the boy's own sake, he hoped it would remain that way all night.

The man dragged a hand down his face and turned back to the work at hand.

Tomorrow, he would make sure Robin understood that he wouldn't put up with sass or back talking. Tomorrow, he would make sure he had Robin's full obedience. Tomorrow, the man would make sure Robin knew his place.

He wasn't going soft.

He wasn't…

A/N: Well what do you think? Leave a review and let me know!

I hope you liked this chapter. Originally chapter nine and ten were one chapter and then...well I edited it and added a bunch more stuff and well here it is!

As the title of this chapter says: this is just a tentative truce between Robin and Slade. The next chapter will be interesting...

As always thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!