A/N: I got reviews! Who-ho! I'm so happy! It occurs to me that I actually forgot to ask for reviews, but of course I would LOVE more! I want to know if I'm doing a good or bad job (this is not the language I usually write in after all). Please tell me if I make the same mistake (spelling or grammatical) over and over, and don't forget to explain it.. I'm a bit thick-headed but I'll learn… sooner or later…
This WILL eventually be slash, but I might as well warn you: it will probably be a bit… mushy? Is that the word? Fluffy? Well, you can't very well expect me to write hard-core angst-filled slash the very first time around, can you? You can? Damn… ;o)
No more chit-chat, on to the story!
Oh, forgot:
Disclamer: not mine.
Chapter two: Contact
"I think you might be a bit longer…"
Robin spun around in a blink of an eye, just in time to jump and avoid a sweeping blow from Slade's bo-staff. He backed away hurriedly drawing his own bo. The boy's eyes darted around trying to find an escape but, right now, he found himself on the part of the building facing the street and the next building to his right where a bit too far away to jump easily.
If I have to I will damn well try though! he thought, gritting his teeth.
Slade efficiently blocked the path towards the left and back to the building, but Robin decided his best chances might be to try and get around the man first. It was a long jump. And a long way down. With Slade so close he could forget about his grappling hook, there where just not enough time to draw, aim and jump.
"It's not a good time, Slade…" Robin growled, backing a bit further away.
"Really? I think this is an excellent time, Robin."
Robin could hear the bloody man smirk beneath his mask.
"No, really, Slade. I would love to kick your butt, I truly would, but it's not going to happen tonight… let's say I'll let you of with a warning this time, ok?" Robin grinned despite the situation; he just couldn't help trying to tick Slade off.
"Let's not."
Uh-oh. Maybe making Slade irritated wasn't such a smart move…
Robin, now just a bit distressed, gestured to the wound in his arm. He might as well be honest. Kind of.
"See this, Slade? I got infected by something in Gotham, and believe me; you don't want to be close to me right now. Let's set a fight-date! Just name the time and place..."
Slade's eye glinted with something Robin couldn't identify. Anger? Probably.
Oh, why can't I just shut up in time?!
"Oh, it's not as bad as that, is it, my boy?" Slade didn't sound irritated. He sounded amused. Robin decided he preferred irritated.
"Believe me, it is." Robin hissed through clenched teeth. He had continued backing away and the situation had not improved. If he only could get that thickheaded moron to understand the seriousness of the situation! Without telling him the truth of course! He definitely drew the line there. No embarrassing sex-talk with Slade on a rooftop in the middle of the night. That was practically at the top of his "don't want to"-list.
Slade sighed.
"You really need to study the art of lying, Robin."
"I'm not!" Robin nearly shouted now. "Listen to me, I-"
"…where stung by a plant. But it wasn't toxic, now, was it? Or, how did Batman put it? Yes, not poisonous –as such-.".
Robin just gaped as Slade fished a small transmitter from his pocket and waved it in the air.
"I listened in." Slade's eye glittered with delight, as Robin tried to get his brain to shift into gear again.
He didn't have any time, though, as Slade's bo-staff suddenly came at him in a flash. He where always amazed about how fast Slade could move from a relaxed position to an attack.
Yes, that's right, he thought bitterly to himself, admire his fighting skills, don't focus on the damn fight! You are such a genius…
Robin dodged, barely, and managed to block the next blow with his staff. He was backed up against the slightly raised edge of the roof now and needed to do something quickly. He faked a break to the right and jumped up on the small ledge. Using all his acrobatic strength he jumped again, pushed himself off with his bo for more speed and flew right towards Slade. He had managed to get so high in the air that his foot hit Slade's shoulder, using him like a stepladder to gain even more height and speed. Even Slade didn't have time to react until the boy had passed over him and landed a few meters behind, heading for the next roof.
Robin flew towards his goal, thrilled to have got away so easily. Then a car hit him. Well. It wasn't a car. It was Slade's bo-staff that he had thrown like a spear, hitting Robin right between the shoulder blades with a powerful thud. A bit higher up and he would have been unconscious by now. At least. It was almost as bad though, as he fell heavily to the ground. Robin rolled around and got to his feet just as Slade caught up and grabbed his bo again. Unfortunately Slade had once more positioned himself in front of Robin. His exit route where cut of again. At least, this time, he had more room to move.
Something in the back of Robins mind suddenly floated to the surface and he stared wild-eyed at Slade.
"You mean you know?! You know what this plant did?!" he was shouting now, no use in denying that. In some situations you are allowed to loose your cool, after all…
"Yes." Slade answered simply. Too simply for Robin's taste.
"But… but…" All right, Robin's brain was definitely giving up on him now. It had started to pack it's bags to head off somewhere for a short holiday. Somewhere safer. Where it didn't get knocked around quite as much. "I…" Robin desperately tried to continue. "WHY?!" he finally managed while avoiding another of Slade's attacks.
"Oh, I see it as another chance of having you for an apprentice" Slade purred "a chance with… benefits…".
Robin shivered. He now started to realize just in how much trouble he really was.
Slade attacked again and Robin fought hard to keep a distance between them. Batman had mentioned that the drug in the thorn only could be activated with skin-to-skin contact but he didn't want to take too much of a risk. He decided he needed to do something. He decided to try for the jump.
What do I really have to loose? I'm sure not even Slade could find a wet, bloody broken heap on the ground attractive… but then again… I might be wrong…
He attacked Slade, making him take a few steps back, just so Robin could gain a few more feet to get up his speed. In the middle of an attack he suddenly spun around and sprinted for the large gap between the houses. Sadly Slade read him like a book.
Robin knew he had failed as soon as he started to run towards the ledge. Slade had reacted far too quickly and where now right behind him. He made it almost all the way there and then Slade's bo-staff shot between his knees in a middle of a step. Slade twisted the staff so Robin didn't as much fall as spun around in the air, landing on his side and hitting his head on the ledge in the process.
Before the boy had time to react he was roughly rolled over on his back with a kick and then pinned down on the cold concrete. Slade sat with his knees on either side or Robin's thighs with his feet efficiently holding the boy's legs to the ground. He held onto his wrists with one hand, bending them over Robin's head and leaning forward to put enough of his weight on them to keep them there.
Robin had been bordering on the line of unconsciousness but had by now, regrettably, returned to the real world. He didn't much like it at the moment.
"No!" he gasped, trying to find a way out. Any way. He stared up at Slade's face, met that cold, calculating eye and knew he had lost.
Knowing doesn't necessarily mean accepting, though, and he started to thrash around madly, first shouting at Slade to release him and then shouting for help, for anyone.
He suddenly became very quiet. Slade had started to remove his glove. As the man seemed to hesitate Robin was filled by a wild hope.
"Slade, don't do this! Please!" he begged, hating himself on some level but knowing he had to do whatever it took.
This is not happening! It's just insane! Pleeeease let it be more of the weird hallucination- dust!
But he knew it was real. And Slade's next words actually managed to make things worse.
"I think I want to see your eyes when I touch you…"
Robin shook his head vigorously, trying to keep Slade's hand from reaching his mask. He couldn't of course, and gasped when the mask where ripped of his face. He had never felt so vulnerable. A tear ran down the side of his face and he sobbed quietly while staring up into that hated mask, into that eye. He saw something there. A fascination perhaps. Slade, captured by the stunningly blue eyes of his young captive, hesitated again, but it didn't last long.
Slade started pulling his glove off again by pinning it to his chest with his chin. It was an agonizingly slow process and his eyes never left Robin's face. The boy had recovered somewhat from the shock and was fighting with all his might to get free again. He didn't scream anymore, though. He had instead closed his eyes tightly and was trying to hold back the sobs that where fighting to break free almost as hard as he was. He really didn't want to give Slade the pleasure of watching him suffer.
A sudden thud of a glove hitting the concrete beside them made Robin's eyes snap open and focus on the now ungloved hand closing in on his face.
"Nooooo…" he whimpered, staring at the hand as if it was a deadly viper.
"Robin…" Slade's voice seemed to come from so far away. "Robin, look at me…"
As if forced by a higher power Robin's tear-filled, desperate eyes met Slade's single one and then his enemy's hand connected with Robin's cheek.
To be continued…
A/N Was I evil now? Yes, I know, but I AM sorry! I had planned to get a bit more written this evening, but it is getting late and I have to hit the shower and get some sleep to be able to drag myself to work tomorrow… I WILL continue soon, though! Maybe as soon as tomorrow! It all depends upon how tired I am… Please review and let me know how I'm doing! I can't learn without your help!