Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy had so far eaten six pizzas and were working on their seventh when Starfire began to talk, "Shouldn't we get moving to capture the kidnapper?"
"After this bite," replied Beast Boy as he downed some soda and took a bite of his cheese pizza.
"Let's go, now." Cyborg said, "Starfire's right," he snatched the slice and threw it on the ground. "We need to leave."
"Who put you in charge?" challenged Beast Boy.
"Robin," answered Starfire and Cyborg at the same time.
"Oh, right. I'll follow you."
The trio got to the building and found Raven just recovering consciousness. "Raven!" exclaimed Beast Boy, "What happened?"
Raven looked around in a daze, "Robin accidentally released some kind of gas. It knocked me out, I guess." She looked around again, this time more frantically, "Robin, where's Robin?"
Her teammates shook their heads, "he's not here," answered Beast Boy.
"Obviously," Raven said. She flashed the boy a tired stare.
"Well where is Friend Robin now?" Starfire questioned.
"That's what I want to know Star," Cyborg looked to the building to his right.
"Robin, you sure are a piece of work," Slade's ominous voice echoed through the large building. "I should know, I've fought you before and, to my surprise, you beat me."
Robin looked up at the older man, "When was this? I haven't seen you before."
"Ah, but you have. Only you don't remember it. But it wasn't a physical fight it was a mental fight. Two years ago when you first joined Bat-man in his fight for his version sense of justice I sent a letter to you with riddles on it. First you thought is was the Riddler, then somehow I gave my self away. I'll never understand how you found out is was someone else."
Robin hung his head, "What do you want from me?"
"Oh, it is not just you, my dear boy. It's you and that girl, Raven." Slade turned his back to Robin. "I want you to join me and together we can become a family. A family that rules the world."
"A totalitarian government?" Robin inquired.
Slade's head nodded, "Yes and when we die, people will remember us forever."
"How do we come into play?" Robin asked again stalling for time an thinking of a plan.
"With your intellect and knowledge of technology, Raven's demonic powers, and my leadership and martial arts skill only matched by you and the Bat-man, we could become an unstoppable force."
"Why do you think that I'm smart?"
"Look at you." Slade's voice sounded surprised at the question, "You were trained by the Bat-man and figured out his identity along with the identity of the Robin before you, Dick Grayson. You are a remarkable lad, Tim."
Robin tensed up. How did this man figure out his identity? "How'd you know?" Robin was furious but was able to keep his temper in check.
Slade ignored the question and continued. "For example; you could have chosen to attack me from behind moments ago but chose not to, why?"
"Because I do not make the mistake many others do, I don't underestimate my opponent."
"Good, but I'm not your opponent…yet. I can be your friend, ally, father." Slade turned back and faced Robin.
"I have no family save Bat-man and now the Titans." Robin stood straight. Even though he hated talking about the subject of his parents, who had been murdered, he showed no weakness.
"Ever since I saw you walking down the street that day I-"
Robin cut Slade off, "What do you mean? I've never seen you in my life besides now and pictures!"
"how contraire," Slade answered, "I saw you and your potential and knew what I had to do. I arranged for the murder of your family."
"No!" Robin leapt at the murderer.
"Relax, Robin." came Slade's calm voice, "I didn't do it. In fact I was tentative at first, but I knew it was for your own good."
"My own good?" Robin swung his bo staff at the man, but missed, "You killed my family, how is that good?"
Slade dodged another blow and then kicked Robin in the back, "Don't give into your hatred for me, there is a logical explanation for my actions. Now sit tight, boy." He kicked the bo staff out of Robin's hand then caught it in midair. "I didn't want your talent to be wasted." The man continued, "If you grew up in a normal family, you would have been numbed to the effects of death and would become a soft-hearted person. I couldn't have that. So I arranged for them to die."
"Robin took deep breathes, "I ask again; why?"
"I suppose you could say I saw a lot of myself in you, Tim."
"I am not a murderer." Robin seethed.
"Perhaps." Slade again turned back to the window. "I was about to find you to train you, but the Bat-man, like always, had other plans."
"What do you mean 'other plans?'" Robin asked. He was slowly making his way to the door.
"Simple. Richard John Grayson: I hired Boss Zucco to kill his parents, Bat-man found him. Jason Peter Todd: hired Killer Croc to kill the parents. Again to my dismay, Bat-man finds him first. Now you have left Bat-man. You, Timothy Drake--"
"I'm leaving," Robin didn't' like where this was going. He tried the door and found it locked.
"Don't even try to bash it. I rigged it. The person who opens that door will die." Robin backed away. "Good boy. Skip the rest if it feels uncomfortable. To the point; are you game?"
Robin didn't take long to answer, "Never." The word rolled off his tongue like a curse. "No if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving." He threw a small explosive at the wall which resulted in a large gash.
Surprisingly, Slade let him go. "On day you both shall join me. If not by choice, then by force."