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: OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. I'M REALLLLLLY SORRY. Writer's block is a wonderful thing...not. I apologize I wasn't able to update on Halloween. I'll keep in mind the upcoming Holidays and try to update accordingly if I can.
Again, sorry for making yall wait so long! You guys are so awesome! Thanks for all the reviews and comments! And to one of the guests who reviewed: I also agree that Slade is better than Batman - even if only by a little bit:)
Alright Chapter 14! I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 14
Finding A Way
A thundering fist slammed into the metal and with a sickening crack the robot crashed to the floor. The imposing figure whirled around and with a powerful roundhouse kick, sent another robot hurdling into the ground. Slade dodged a kick that flew over his head and his fist sliced through a third robot's head, sparks and wires crackling with demise. A growl of frustration burned through the man's throat, filling him with a raw, potent anger that only further fueled his savage attacks.
CRASH
BANG
CRUNCH
Normally training could take his thoughts off of anything that was troubling him. Slade blocked a punch from the robot behind him and back flipped over it, glaring with a burning hatred at the hunk of metal in front of him. His thoughts, however, would not let him concentrate today.
A fist slammed into the robot sending it flying into the wall with a satisfying crunch.
The young hero in his living room kept drawing his attention away from his training.
And this irked Slade to no end.
With a solid punch, the robot went down without further fight. Slade pulled his hand out of the robots head and uncurled his fist, the metal shards hitting the ground with a deadening defeat. The man's single eye gazed at the carnage scattered around him, and a frustrated huff bled through his lips. Not even this mess could distract him from the thoughts plaguing his mind.
The lights in the cavernous gym brightened, and all the remaining robots froze, suddenly locked in place. The dark gray sphere Robin had encountered on his arrival to the haunt, floated over to Slade, its red light blinking.
"Continue to next level of difficulty?"
Slade sighed.
"Resume in fifteen minutes," he snapped, turning away.
How was he supposed to do anything with a disgruntled teen plaguing his mind? The boy was not his concern right now. He had much better things to do than worry about the safety of an annoying, teen vigilante. He was a mercenary, an assassin, a killer – not the protector of some idiot boy that rebuked every word he said. Robin was not his responsibility.
However a small voice in the back of Slade's mind said otherwise.
The boy was very much his responsibility right now.
A beep of acknowledgment reached Slade's ears, but the man didn't even resister the noise or the movement of the Sladebots as they moved back along the walls. His mind was already hurdling through a labyrinth of thoughts that clouded his mind. The sphere clicked once and landed in Slade's outstretched hand.
Why?
Why did he care?
Why did the boy concern him so much?
The man let out a long sigh and took off his mask, feeling the cool air filter over his sweaty skin. These thoughts – they plagued his mind and pestered him with answers he couldn't find. Perhaps it was because Robin had been on the verge of death. Perhaps it was because he felt himself at fault for this situation. Perhaps it was because the boy reminded him of –
Slade froze, clenching his hands tightly around the hard piece of metal and banishing the thought from his mind. He was not about to delve into the past. He had eradicated those memories from his soul a long time ago, and nothing would ever force him to relive those painful moments again.
He was a different man now.
The black and orange mask glinted in the dim lighting, and Slade's single eye gazed into its smooth surface. His hand slid over the metal, tracing the curves with a slow, fluid movement as his thoughts cleared in his head.
He was this man now.
His hands dropped to his sides as he stalked towards the computer terminal situated along on the far wall next to a door. His eye however, kept flickering back to the mask in his hand. The light slid over it, twisting and wrapping around the enigmatic symbol that controlled his life. He was the specter who drove fear into the heart of his enemies. He was the mercenary who never failed.
His hands fell on the terminal as a ragged breath tore through his lips.
He was the man who had made a mistake.
He was the father who had shattered his family.
He was the lost figure drifting under this mask.
The blood orange and gruesome black colors had become embedded in him.
He was this man now.
His finger clicked over the keyboard on the terminal while setting the sphere to rest on top of it. A cleaning robot emerged from a hidden section in the wall and started to gather up the broken sparring bots, and the door next to the terminal slid open as he typed in another passcode.
He needed a break. Even if only for a moment, he needed a chance to clear his mind and thoughts. The man walked into the small space as a gust of cool air filtered over his body. He pulled his drenched shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. The cool air filtered into his lungs as he sat down on a couch along the far side of the wall.
He would handle the boy. He would take care of this situation, and then he would move on – continuing the facade he had created years ago. He turned the mask in his hands, feeling the familiar shape twist in his palms.
This was the man he had become.
The thought was like a quiet hiss in his mind.
So be it, the man thought grimly, dropping the piece of metal on the table.
The mask glared up at him.
So be it.
Robin glanced around the cavernous space, his determination faltering.
Where the heck is Slade?
The thought drowned in the air as the boy stepped through the doorway and into the spacious gym. The room, oddly enough, was furnished with the main components of any gym. Basic weight lifting equipment, exercise mats, dumbbells, a treadmill – wait a treadmill? Did Slade actually run on a treadmill? Robin snorted, shaking his head. Somehow he couldn't picture his arch enemy huffing and puffing away on a treadmill…maybe it was for Mr. Wintergreen…
Maybe.
His eyes swept around the room, examining the multiple sections that divided the space. In the center of the room was a large, blue, sparring mat, and the boy slowly walked towards it, his eyes shifting around him, examining the various weapons that lined the long walls. His feet hit the mat, and it sprung slightly under his step.
It reminded him of…
A wave of compulsion flung over him and before he could stop himself, the boy broke into a run, his feet thudding lightly on the mat. Once he had gained enough momentum, he jumped into the air and began an intricate series of twists and flips. His muscles instantly responded, remembering a long forgotten routine. His body curved and shifted effortlessly while a thunderous applause echoed in his mind.
Ladies and Gentlemen…
He twisted, hoisting his body into the air and spinning around.
Announcing…
He landed, his feet striking the ground and raising his hands into the air, feeling the crowd roar in approval.
The Flying Gr-
Robin blinked, dropping his arms. His mind was instantly silenced as he realized what had just happened.
Had he just…
But he never…
The boy glanced around, the vast, empty space suddenly caving in next to him. His eyes flickered down to his shaking hands as memories threatened to flood into his mind again. He exhaled a shuddering breath, dropped his hands to his sides, and walked off the mat and onto the cold, hard ground.
No point reminiscing about what could have been.
But remembering isn't necessarily bad…
The thought dragged at his feet. So what if he remembered his days in the circus? So what if he remembered his mother? So what if remembered his past? He couldn't continue to ignore his roots anymore – it was a part of him, and it was about time he started to embrace it. His eyes flashed back to the blue mat as a sigh escaped him.
He just needed some time…
Robin shook his head softly and glanced at the immense space around him. Slade sure didn't spare any expense for his training facility. The space was furnished with a wide variety of objects. His eyes however gravitated to the vast collection of weapons on the far wall that were protected under a thick pane of glass. A long length of the wall was filled with everything from swords and staffs to guns and grenades. The boy approached them cautiously, his eyes scrutinizing the wide range of objects closely. Slade sure liked to keep things versatile. Some weapons Robin didn't even recognize, for they looked as old as time itself with ancient parts and crude frameworks.
How many weapons did a criminal really need anyway? The though drawled in Robin's head as he walked down the wall. The man didn't even use all of these weapons. Slade only used two things – a bo-staff or a fist – and each were equally as painful.
He paused as his feet made a hollow click on the ground. He glanced down and realized he had walked to a tiled section of the gym. His eyes traced the long stretch of tile and gradually fell on several objects a far distance away.
He froze, a cold feeling washing over him. These objects weren't typical gym equipment. They were targets. Various distances away from each other, the metal silhouettes of humans were lined up at different angles and positions. The boy's whole body stiffened as he finally saw the true skill of an assassin. All of the vital spots had a bullet cleanly embedded in it. No stray shots. No missed marks. No miscalculations. All were hit. And all would've been dead.
Slade didn't miss.
Bile rose in his mouth; the acidic liquid inflicting pain that grounded him from his terrifying thoughts. Robin took a deep breath and turned away from the horrifying feeling that began to crawl inside of his bones. His eyes glanced to the door, every instinct in his body, screaming at him to run.
The sickening laugh…
The blood…
The screams…
Robin snapped himself out of the thick trace-like state he had fallen into. He would not think about what had happened. He would not let this impede his decision.
No matter how many bad memories it brought up.
Robin took a deep breath trying to calm the panicky sensation traveling through his bones. It was just a memory. Just a memory...
But that didn't make it any less terrifying.
He needed something – anything – to burn his thoughts from his mind. His eyes wandered the room, looking for a distraction to take him away from his memory.
His focus landed on the computer terminal on the opposite wall and Robin walked over to it, his curiosity waking up. He swiped his hand over the terminal and surprisingly enough it lit up. The boy rolled his eyes. And Slade mocked the Titan's security.
The hypocrite.
The boy jumped back as a gray sphere lit up and floated into the air, beeping and chirping with noise. He dimly recognized it as the strange robot he had first encountered when he had entered the haunt. Its red eye scanned over his body and blinked twice.
"Recognized. Robin. Continue to next level?"
Robin jumped as the electronic words were spoken from the strange, little robot.
"Continue next level?" Robin muttered, looking around. This was odd, since when did Slade-
"Continuing. Resuming workout in fifteen seconds. Difficulty level increased to 9. Lights will decrease ever thirty seconds."
Robin snapped his head up at the words and fervently looked around. "Wait! No! Stop!" Robin cried desperately throwing his hands in the air and waving them in front of the sphere. The gray ball merely blinked and floated back to the terminal, closing up and dropping to the ground.
Robin grabbed the sphere and shook it with his hands. "Hey! Wait! You can't just – AGH!" he cried, dropping it when he received no response from the odd contraption. There was a deathly silence in the room as his eyes scanned over the room. What the heck did he just do?
A mechanical clicking sounded behind Robin, and the Boy Wonder whipped around, silently watching as the eleven Sladebots that had been lined up along the walls quickly lit up, and eleven pairs of glowing, red eyes all simultaneously locked onto him. He took a hasty step back, his body slamming into the cold metal of the terminal. Numbly, the boy reached down for his bo-staff, but instead received a handful of his shirt fabric. His stomach sunk like a wrecked ship as he swore to himself.
Well…maybe the robots weren't armed.
As if on cue, the eleven Sladebots pulled out metal bo-staffs, and advanced towards him in a fighting position. No such luck then. The boy swung his eyes around the room and glanced at the large wall of weapons…that were currently behind the robots. Robin let out a sigh. Could this get any worse?
The lights in the large gym flickered and dimmed slightly, and the boy swore to himself again as the words the robot said began to resister in his mind. If the lights dimmed every thirty seconds then in about three minutes he would be in complete darkness. He glanced around as a panicky feeling began to grow in his chest. He was in no shape to fight right now. Maybe, level nine wasn't a very hard difficulty. Surely Slade, the master criminal of all time, had a level one hundred?
A beeping noise behind him drew his eyes to the computer terminal.
"Max difficulty level 10. Current difficulty level-9. Begin."
Crap.
Just crap.
Slade had a really strange definition of working out.
The eleven robots moved in fluid synchronization toward Robin, and the Boy Wonder quickly calculated his options. It would be slightly impossible to reach Slade's stash of weapons with eleven blood thirsty robots in his way, so he would have to try to disarm and take one of the robot's bo-staff. Should be simple enough...
With his objective in mind, Robin dashed toward the robot on the farthest left. The robot lashed out with his staff, and Robin ducked and threw a kick to its side. The kick was blocked by the staff, and Robin instinctively dropped to the floor. Another staff whistled over his head, and Robin swept his legs out, knocking the two robots to the floor.
He somersaulted to his feet and charged into another robot. The robot feinted with a low strike and with a lighting speed swung toward Robin's exposed head. The boy barely had time to block the blow, the impact jarring his bones and throwing him to the ground. His momentum sent him spinning and when he finally stilled, he barely managed to jerk out of the way of another strike. He felt the bo-staff whistle by his ear and chills crawled down his back. That was close. A little too close.
The lights flickered slightly and everything grew darker.
Robin sprung to his feet and was greeted with a harsh blow to his side. He inhaled sharply as pain danced across his ribs. However the pain was the least of his worries as he ducked another swing from behind. The boy flipped forward, shifted his balance, and threw a roundhouse kick behind him. He let out a small smile as his shin connected with hard metal, and the material crunched under the impact. The robot lashed out with his staff, but instead of blocking it, Robin caught the cold metal in his hand, and flipped over the robot, yanking the weapon out of its grasp.
He spun around and aimed his bo-staff at the nearest robot. The Sladebot blocked his blow with ease, moving with an eerie speed and accuracy that reminded Robin oddly of the masked man himself.
Speaking of the masked man, where the heck was Slade anyway?
The lights in the gym flickered and lowered again. The beaming eyes of the robots grew stronger.
Robin hadn't even knocked one out yet, and he was already growing weary; no opponent had given him this much challenge in a long time, and his already worn-out body was beginning to falter.
A strong punch slammed into Robin's masked eye, and he let out a grunt of pain. The boy dropped into a crouch as second staff flew over his head from behind. Using the strength in his legs, Robin flipped backwards and sent a powerful kick into the robot in front of him. The metal was crushed under the impact, and the lights in the robots eyes flickered out. Finally one down. Now, only ten more to go.
A hard staff was slammed into his back, and Robin stumbled forward. He threw up his arms as he weakly blocked a powerful kick that sent him stumbling to the floor. Robin rolled to his feet, only to be greeted with a staff hurdling toward his face. He hastily threw up his stolen staff, but the sharp, brutal impact slammed into it, and the staff was thrown out of his hands. The Boy Wonder stepped backward as a robot advanced on him.
The lights grew even darker, and the piercing eyes of the robot dug into him. The sight sent chills down Robin's back.
The boy struggled to keep up with the barrage of attacks that came from the robot. It moved just as fast and just as swift as Slade, and he had a hard time retaliating, let alone trying to land a hit on the metal body.
Out of his peripheral vision, Robin saw a metal fist come flying at him. Instinctively, he back flipped out of the way, and threw up his hands to block the strong hit. Shock from the strike ricocheted up his arms, and Robin let out a small gasp of pain; his arms screamed in protest as he feinted a jab. When the robot moved to block it, Robin gathered all his remaining strength and sent a powerful roundhouse kick soaring toward its side.
With wicked speed, a strong metal hand grabbed his foot, halting it mid-way. Before Robin could react, he was brutally yanked forward, and went flying toward the robot's fist.
The powerful blow connected with Robin's jaw and threw the boy unmercifully to the ground. Robin let out a terrible cry as a shooting pain exploded from his jaw and into his pounding head. A bitter, metallic taste exploded in his mouth, and blood began to creep down his lip as black specs shot across his vision. He heard the robot approach him from behind, and the boy rolled onto his back and let out a ragged breath.
His vision blurred as the metal figure advanced, his mind screaming at him to move. Fear coursed through his veins as his doom grew closer and as his body refused to cooperate. The lights flickered around him, and dimmed. The red glowing eyes grew brighter and stared at Robin like a predator about to devour its prey. The robot sent a kick heading his way, and Robin braced himself for the blow.
The blow that never made it.
A black and orange arm blocked the kick and with a wicked speed followed up with an upper-cut to the robots head. The human fist hit the metal head with a loud crunch, and the robot stumbled back as it tried to defend itself against the bombard of attacks unleashed by Robin's savior.
With a loud crack, the robot's eyes went out as an impressive kick smashed into its side. Slade picked up its staff and swung it at the next nearest robot. The Sladebot managed to block the blow but the force of the impact sent it skidding backwards a few feet. The masked man then whirled around and sent a roundhouse kick flying into the face of another robot. The metal machine didn't even have time to block the blow as its face completely caved in under the force of Slade's foot. Its eyes flickered out as it crumpled to its knees.
Using his foot as leverage, Slade kicked another staff into the air and caught it expertly in his empty hand. He hoisted the staff behind him, blocking an attack while simultaneously sweeping his legs out. Two robots went crashing to the ground, and Slade vaulted the staffs into their metal heads finishing them off.
Six more to go.
Slade flipped over the robot's crumpled body and retrieved a staff from its sparking head. Robin's muddled mind had a hard time following the swift movements of the masked man as he weaved in and out of the remaining robots, manipulating the situation to his advantage. All of the robot's attacks were blocked swiftly and completely while Slade flipped and laced between his opponents. A wicked kick and a well-timed upper-cut knocked two more robots out, their red lights vanishing into darkness.
Slade somersaulted forward and set his staff on the ground like a pole vault, and swung around it, sending his feet crashing unmercifully into another robot's body. Its red eyes blinked out without further resistance as the man whirled around and honed in on the three remaining robots. They approached cautiously, their red eyes examining their opponent. However the masked man was not in the mood to wait today, and he deftly charged toward the machines.
Robin was enraptured by the man as he fought. Slade had a wicked grace about him; the man's dominating form emitted a rare and raw power. The man effortlessly threw a potent kick that sent a robot smashing into another. Four red eyes perished.
Slade spun and focused on the last robot, unleashing a current of attacks on it. A crushing kick sent it flying to the ground, and hard footsteps marched up to it. The lights fully shut off, sending the gym in complete darkness. But Robin didn't need to see to know what happened next. A sharp crack echoed through the air as the robot's head was sent flying toward the wall. The metal head slammed against the cinder block with a thundering crash, and the final red, ominous orbs vanished into the darkness.
The lights blinked on, and Robin groaned, feeling the bright light dig into his eyes. He rolled over on his stomach, pressing his hands against the soft mat in a vain attempt to propel him off the ground. However his body had long since stopped cooperating with him, and the boy found he was unable to complete the simple task.
"Continue to next level?"
"No. End Workout."
The words dully resonated with the boy as harsh footsteps penetrated the rapid throbbing in his head. Robin soon found himself face to face with a pair of black boots.
"What do you think you are doing?"
The words were chilled, and Robin could feel the icy venom bite into his hazy mind. Slade's dominating presence sent a stab of fear through the boy as he struggled to push himself up. His survival instincts were screaming at him to flee – to get as far away from this wild predator as possible – but his body just wasn't cooperating today.
"I'm getting up," Robin slurred through his increasingly swelling jaw. The words came out muffled and distorted, but he was pretty sure Slade could decipher what he had said.
"More like trying to get up, Robin," Slade said bending down before the fallen boy. Robin felt the space between him and Slade shrink and desperately tried to wiggle his body away from the man. He kept his eyes locked on the bright, blue mat as he felt Slade's gaze pour into him. He would not meet that condemning gray eye. He would not.
"Look at me, Robin."
Nope. He did not want to see the gray, swirling vortex of evil right now.
"It's not an option. You will look at me," Slade said quietly. The words were laced with an ominous threat and clear warning that the Boy Wonder knew he could not ignore. Seeing no other choice in the matter, Robin slowly allowed his gaze to float up towards the masked man.
Slade was crouched down inches away from Robin, and the man leaned forward so that his face was slightly closer to the boy. Robin inhaled a shuddering breath as he stared at Slade. A malicious glint entered the older man's eye, and the boy swallowed. He was so dead. Slade was going to let him have it – there wasn't a doubt in Robin's mind.
"If you ever do something that stupid again, I will personally hang you by your hide. Do you understand, boy?" Slade snapped. His low and threatening voice cut through Robin's muddled mind.
The boy blinked. Well that was unexpected. Slade threatening him wasn't a shock, but Slade threatening him for his own good was. It almost sounded as if the masked man was …concerned?
Two hands clasped Robin by his shoulders with a rough force.
"Do you understand?"
"Um…yesh…shuure…" Robin garbled through his swollen mouth while trying to shake the hands off his shoulders. Gosh he really sounded like an idiot right now. Heat rose in his cheeks as he ducked his head, dropping eye contact from Slade.
The hands didn't move.
Robin grunted as he tried to push himself up, his brain practically shredding all coherent thoughts by screaming at him to flee. His arms shook with exhaustion as he pressed against the frustrating ground that refused to move. The two hands on his shoulders dropped down and gripped him under his armpits. Before Robin could blink, he was hoisted to his feet before the masked man.
His vision fuzzed over briefly, and the pounding in his head rapidly increased. Robin struggled against the grip Slade had on him, feeling uncomfortable with the masked man so close to him.
"L-et gooo, Sh-lade," Robin muttered pushing away from the man. He felt the hands on him release, and he stumbled forward, his vision swerving to the side. The world began to tip dangerously as the mat and the ceiling twisted and turned, and he began to fall to the side, severely off-balance.
But instead of collapsing to the ground, a strong arm wrapped around his chest, pinning his arms to his side. Robin felt himself pulled up against Slade's hard chest.
"Breathe Robin. The hit to your jaw disoriented you. Breathe," Slade commanded sharply, tightening his hold on the boy.
"Shh-ade…yet..meh..gooo," Robin stuttered finding it hard to move his jaw properly. He swung his legs up and threw them to the ground while pushing against the hold Slade had on him. Normally the rapid shifting of weight would disorient a captor and allow the captive to escape. But Slade was not a normal captor. Instead Robin found the man to be more like an unmoving wall as he thrashed and twisted.
The iron hold on him only tightened, and Robin soon found it harder and harder to move. Panic began to consume him as his breaths became quicker and shorter. This was not good. His worst enemy had him completely immobilized.
"Robin," Slade said harshly, "I will not let you go until you calm down. Now stop moving."
His chaotic brain deciphered the words and gradually his thrashing calmed while the pounding in his head lessened and his body slowly came under his control again. Robin felt his breathing regulate as he became conscious of the extreme closeness he had with Slade. The boy shifted, his discomfort growing.
Slade's arms slid away and released him. The masked man stepped back, and the boy took a few calming breaths before he turned around to face the man. Slade's arms were crossed in front of his chest, and his gray eye flashed up and down the boy. Robin met his stare hesitantly as the pain from his injuries flickered to life. He was pretty sure his ribs were bruised and he was probably going to have a black eye. There was a possibility his jaw might be broken, and his head hurt like a wild forest fire in the middle of June.
Slade's arm reached out and grabbed Robin gently by his jaw. Robin let out a cry of annoyance and pain, and threw up his hands in a vain attempt to push the man off. Slade ignored the boy, taking a step forward and turning Robin's jaw left and right. The boy tried to growl in protest, but the noise sounded more like a disoriented groan instead.
The man felt the bones along his jawline and narrowed his eye.
"Well I don't think you broke it…probably just going to leave a nasty bruise," Slade said more to himself than to Robin.
The Boy Wonder threw his arms up and the air, and gave Slade an incredulous look. He tried to say something that sounded something similar to 'you think' however his jaw wouldn't quite let him articulate it properly.
Slade let out a small chuckle which only made Robin attempt to growl in anger a second time. As with the first try, it sounded somewhat akin to a dying whale.
The man chuckled again, a spark of amusement glinting in his gray eye. "Follow me little bird," Slade said turning around and walking toward the door next to the computer terminal.
Robin crossed his arms and stared at the back of Slade's head. Well there goes his genius plan. Way to screw everything up Grayson. Way to screw it up…
"That wasn't a suggestion, Robin," Slade said without turning around.
The boy shook his head as he glared at the masked man walking away. Nope. There was no way he was going to follow Slade. No way.
The man paused and turned around, fixing Robin with a look the boy had seen many times before.
An old English proverb rang in his head: If there is a will, there is a way.
The boy suppressed a cringe and took a step forward.
Slade definitely had a will.
He begrudgingly glared at the masked man's back.
So Robin was just going to have to find a way.
A/N: I hoped yall liked this chapter. The next chapter will explain some things in this one...so don't worry.
I PROMISE I WILL TRY TO UPDATE SOONER NEXT TIME.
Alright! Thanks for all of your support and thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it!