Disclaimer: The Teen Titans are not mine and neither are any other DC Comic or Warner Brother characters. Stop reminding me! I just like writing FanFiction about them.

Authors Note: Yes! Chapter Three is up! This one is a little longer then the other two. I think this chapter dives more into Robin's head then the other one. Either way, it was fun to write and I hope that it is just as good as the other chapters, if not better. One more thing for clarification, only chapter one was finished by March 30th. I'm currently writing the new chapters. If I wasn't, I wouldn't keep you readers waiting.

What?

Chapter Three

The first thing I noticed was the pounding in my head. I groaned. My eyes were shut and I felt like I had just run a dozen marathons. My body ached. I could feel a soft mattress underneath me. 'Slade...Detonator...Cinderblock... Probes...' Words ran through my head. Where did the last one come from?

The guys; I must have been hit hard by Cinderblock and the guys brought me back to the tower. I'm in my room on my bed, since the hospital wing's beds aren't nearly this comfortable. I must have had a nightmare, some crazy nightmare where Slade wanted me to work for him. Ha, that's actually a little funny now. I have to get up. He hasn't pulled the trigger. Did the Titans beat him? I slowly opened my eyes. The lights were off and my mask was still on.

I tried to move, but my back and shoulders instantly felt sore, like I had slept on something metal and not a mattress. As I shifted myself up in my bed, I sort of sensed that it was around mid-day, although it was pitch dark, by my feelings of waking from an afternoon nap. I tried to stretch, but even before I did, I noticed how constricted my gloves felt on my arms. Weird, usually they were loose.

I pulled back my sheets and began to climb out of bed. My head hurt, sure, but I was a Titan. I could make it. I reached to get off of the bed, but noticed a wall where the edge of my bed was.

There's no wall by the side of my bed.

My eyes finally adjusted giving me a shock out of my lazy mind set. My eyes widened. My shoes, my pants, arm guards? I brought my hands up to my face and felt the jagged spike on each side of my mask. No!

I looked myself over. The uniform was the same. That was not a nightmare that I had had. I did fight Slade, the Titans did disarm the Detonator, but Slade had injected them with the...probes. That's where that word came from.

Where was I? I got up and began to search for a door. I couldn't find one. Thin lines marked old, large tiles in the room, but I couldn't find any doorknob or a doorway to push at or pull on. I started to panic and found myself shoving at the walls. My heart was beating faster then the speed of sound. I began to sweat and shake, no matter what my mind was telling me to do. 'Calm Down. Just calm down.'

I couldn't.

I tripped over objects and furniture around the room, not caring a bit. My legs got weak and soon I could hear my own breath coming in shallow and rapid. I was letting out small cries and yells. I had to get out. My mind wasn't working. I was becoming claustrophobic. I never get claustrophobic. Yet, here I was feeling as though the walls and darkness of the room was engulfing me into a sea of nothingness. I told myself, 'There has to be a way out, you just have to pause and think about where it would be.' I didn't pause.

I didn't notice that directly opposite of the wall I was pushing on, the wall slid to the side. Not a speck of light streamed in and the place remained dark. A hand came up to my face and placed itself over my mouth. I shifted my gaze up to see the madman whose grasp I was in. I started to scream and thrash. My screams were covered. My thrashing was so out of tune that it made no difference.

"Calm yourself, Robin," he cooed into my ear.

If anything, this comment made me thrash and panic more. I was in a prison with a deadly poisonous gas taking the air out of my lungs. I kicked and punched at him, but I was too weak and disorientated from my previous claustrophobia, which had now been replaced by a growing fear of Slade and what he wanted with me. Soon, I just let my weight fall down until all that was keeping me up was his grasp on my waist and mouth. It didn't make him let me go as I had wanted. My hands tugged at his arms to release me. He didn't budge.

"Calm down, or the Titans will be down permanently, child," he pulled the control up to my eye level.

Despite the fact that my heart was in a frenzy, despite the fact that I was in a most undesired situation and position, and despite the fact that he had just called me a child, my mind began to work again. I stopped thrashing. I stopped my yells. My body started to respond to what my mind had been telling me to do. 'Calm Down. Just calm down... for them.' It was odd. Normally, I would think that something like what Slade had said would send me out of control. It would get my heart pumping so hard it would hurt. But it didn't.

Once my breathing returned to normal, I thought that he'd release me. He didn't. Then I realized what he was waiting for. He was waiting for my heartbeat to return to its normal pace. I don't know how long it took for my heart to slow down. All I know is that waiting felt like an eternity. I was suddenly very grateful that Slade was so patient. Although, no matter what it was saving me from now, in some instances that quality can cause me to despise him beyond all reason...

Finally, my heart slowed to its normal pace. As I waited, I couldn't help but notice how...well, the fact that Slade was holding me in a very firm grip. It wasn't a very good feeling at all. I could feel my uniform against the metal of his. My nose breathed in the scent of his persona. It was creepy. Sure I had fought him before, but this was actually a little...frightening. My heart beat normally.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" he dropped me and I fell to my knees.

So bad? So bad! That felt horrible. Why did he say that? Because he wants to torture me, that's why. Wait, what? That's not it. He doesn't want to torture me. He wants me to work for him as his...apprentice. I had even agreed to it. I stopped for a second. The reality hit me...hard. I felt like a piece of filth. The fact that I had somehow unknowingly managed to get him to even think that I could be a good and worthy apprentice made me tremble.

It was scary.

"This is why you need a mentor, Robin," Slade said as he looked down at me.

A fresh wave of embarrassment came and ensnared my thoughts. I had just had a basic panic attack in front of Slade. Why did I do that? Why? I was scared, that's why. Panic attacks themselves are never that fun. They usually last from ten minutes to half an hour. Normally, you're with someone and they can help calm you down. If not, then you have to try to calm yourself down, which takes much longer. It's like your chest is constricted inside your rib cages and your body is shaking like it's in water near the North Pole.

The thing is, I never get them. Well, everyone has them at least once in their life probably, so I guess I have had maybe one or two. But why did I get one now? Did Slade really scare me that much? If he scares me so much, then why was he able to calm me down? Was it because I knew he had to have gotten into the room somehow? Had he scared me out of being scared with the threat? Was it because he was the only one in the room and was just physically there?

By all means, I hoped that the reason wasn't the last one.

That would make my humiliation worse. If I could become calm just by him being there...I shudder to think about it. Then the comment hits me. I don't need a mentor! And even if I did, it certainly wouldn't be Slade! I'd choose Lex Luthor or, or Mad Mod or even Joker before I ever choose him as a mentor! Besides, I've already been trained, superbly, might I add. I was trained by the best detective in the world, one of best martial artists out there! I don't need Slade to teach me anything! I don't need him for anything...

I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Now that you've snapped out of that, why don't you accompany me out into the main room?"

This time it was anger. I lunged at him with a yell of fury. I didn't care that he had the advantage from the start. I didn't care that I'd probably lose. All I wanted to do was hurt him. Hurt him for all it's worth. I wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp and have him begging me to stop. Begging to have the death sentence then endure another second of me beating him with only my bare hands.

It was a wishful thought. My fist was grabbed. He slinked his hand down to my wrist and twisted it. While I was caught up in the pain of my wrist, I felt my feet kicked out from underneath me. The next thing I knew was that I was on the floor near the edge of the bed I had been sleeping on earlier. My face was resting on the cold floor. What made it so cold? Was it the material, perhaps a wood or cement? Why was I thinking about that? My knees were being pressed into the ground by one of Slade's boots. Meanwhile, my left arm was underneath my chest while my other was being held close to my back. Because of the position of my arm, I had to force myself to keep myself down to keep it from hurting anymore then it was.

"That wasn't very rational, Robin. Anger getting the best of you?" I could tell that he was smirking as he said that.

I growled in response, "You insane, crazy, jerk, Slade!"

"Now, now, Robin. Is that anyway to talk to me? Especially when with the push of a button..." he trailed off and my eyes got wide. I know I'm getting upset. For a second, I regretted not learning to shield my emotions better. Bruce said that the training I had had would be enough as a child, but not as I got older. 'Stupid hormones. At least it's not as bad as girls get it. Oh, stop thinking about hormones already!'

I wished he'd stop bringing that threat up. The physical pain hurt enough. Why did he insist on turning me inside out with madness? That was a dumb question. He wants me to succumb to him and his ways. He knows that I can withstand things to a certain extent. But all of the Titans have a breaking point, even me. He just has to find it...or push hard enough until I give.

"Well, let's try not to think about it. Do you know how to get out of this situation?" he questioned me. Why should I answer him? Why on earth! I looked up sideways and saw his eyes watching me. It's weird. Looking at him like that, he looked like he knew everything, even what I was thinking. I felt a sudden intrusion and for the first time in a long time didn't know what I wanted to do. So I decided to answer back.

"No, not effectively," I admitted to him and felt my face burn with slight humiliation. I returned my gaze to the floor as my neck began to ache. The cold floor felt good against my hot cheeks, but my arms didn't feel good and neither did my legs. What's the point of having me hurt like this? Simple, for his enjoyment. But then again, his eyes hadn't looked amused. They had seemed...perhaps reluctant or, or sorry? No, no. It definitely wasn't the last one. He's Slade. He wouldn't feel sorry for doing this to me or...did he and I am just too stubborn to want it to be true?

"Then what would that be, a way to get out, Robin?" he inquired.

By now, my face must have been as red as a cherry from anger and embarrassment. I barely forced out the answer, but I couldn't keep the anger and frustration out of my tone, "I'd have to roll out from underneath your grip and pull you to the floor."

"And why is that not effective here?" he sounded like a teacher already.

"Because the bed is in the way and I can't roll away," I spat out, more towards the floor then to him.

"Yes, that is why I won so easily. You never go head on to an opponent that you know has all of the upper hand advantages, Robin. You hit them indirectly. Only when they attack you, do you attack back. The only reason you'd do this is because they would already be disoriented, more so out of rage. Those sorts of battles are to be short, Robin. Do you understand that?" he was so calm when he said it, but so firm and harsh as well.

I hated being lectured to, or rather I hated hearing him lecture me. I felt like I was going to explode inside. Still, the lecture drained into my ears where I soaked the words in. It was impossible to get out of my head. No matter how hard I tried to discard his words, they stuck. What's worse was that they made sense. I had let my anger get the best of me and I had lost because he had the assets needed to win and I didn't.

I felt like I was a little kid being told what to do. I didn't like it. I had no problem with being told what to do when I was younger since I was still pretty inexperienced then. But now, it's degrading. I'm a teenager for crying out loud! I can take care of myself just fine. I even know how to do my taxes! What right did he have in telling me what to do as though I was at the age of seven or six?

My anger again was getting the best of me. I shut my eyes and counted to ten. I'm not really the patient person, but I have to be now. When I could get myself to comply with what was expected, I nodded my head as best I could. I felt him release my arm and remove his foot from the backs of my knees. I slowly got up onto my hands and knees. He stared at me, waiting for me to acknowledge him or look up at him or something.

I decided to give it for all it was worth. Turning around, I forced the most disgusted, bitter, and fuming gaze I could manage. At first, his eye showed signs of amusement. Then it turned into something dangerous. My eyes widened as I saw him reach down toward me. I jerked my head away, but as I did I felt a large clump of my hair being grabbed and yanked in the opposite direction. I let out a yelp as I felt myself being lifted onto my feet. It didn't help that there was some hair gel in my hair still.

"Disrespect is something you may show to anyone else but me, Robin. I won't have an apprentice that is disrespectful to his master," he meant this.

"Then pick someone else! Like someone that doesn't think of you as a filthy low-life criminal!" I yelled back as he twisted my black hair.

He wasn't going to be nice on this issue. From the room we were in, he dragged me by the hair into the large main room, where he threw me to the floor on me knees once again in front of a desk-like control station. He sat down in a chair and turned towards me. I was undeniably fuming. If my head hurt before, it was screaming from an agonizing migraine that had resurfaced.

"Like it or not, Robin, you are my apprentice. Whether or not by force doesn't matter. You agreed to work for me and that is just what you will do for me. In exchange, I give you training in all manners of fighting techniques and the knowledge needed to run a criminal empire. Some would kill for a chance like this. You may not see it now, but sooner or later, you will see the opportunity you have in your hands." The nerve he has.

"I don't want any of that Slade, especially from you! And I have anything but opportunity in my hands! And if people would kill for the 'opportunity' then let them have it!" I screamed.

"Robin, there's a reason I choose you over them. Besides, it doesn't matter now. You've agreed to be my apprentice, and I will hold you to that. You're not a 'Teen Titan' anymore, Robin. You aren't their leader. You're my apprentice." He has a colder tone then anything I've ever heard before.

"The Titans will find me, and they'll help get me out of this!" as I said it, I could swear that he started to smirk again, even if I couldn't see his face. I automatically doubted my answer and hoped that I wasn't revealing that in anyway whatsoever.

"The Titans have been looking for hours now, Robin," he switched the screen on and a picture of the Titans Tower main room flashed onto the screen replacing the images of the probes in their bloodstreams. Inside were the four Titans and they looked exhausted.

Beast Boy had turned into puppy dog and was lying on the floor. Cyborg was recharging, but seemed to want it to last longer than it would. Raven was meditating, but not doing a very good job of it, considering that every now and then something broke in the background. Starfire had her head propped up in her hands at the kitchen table and looked thoroughly worried.

I felt a pang of guilt. My absence had caused this. They were also in fatal danger all because Slade wanted to keep me chained to this agreement. This was my fault. Wait, no. It's not my fault. It's Slade's. But, then it was only to get me and my actions did control whether or not they lived...

He continued, "They won't find you. I can send out false signals. I can generate holograms, create fake tip-offs. They'll run all over the city and never find you. In all honesty, you won't see them until I send you on your first job."

My situation all of a sudden seemed entirely hopeless, "Besides do you really want them to see you like this? Working for a...'criminal'," before I could reply he continued, "You can't exactly tell them why now, can you? So what do you think would be their initial thought?"

I looked away from the screen that had just been replaced with the probes again and rose to my feet. As much as I detest Slade, he was making sense. What would they think? They'd probably be confused beyond all reason, but once they got over the shock they'd think I'd betrayed them. If I was going to get out of this, it appeared that I was pretty much stuck on my own.

I don't know when he came over. I had been stuck so deeply in my own thoughts that I didn't notice. All I know is that his hand came onto my shoulder and I looked up. He was just staring at me like I was a priceless, ruby jewel that was now his own. I tensed. I didn't like the feeling he gave me when he did that.

"You'll thank me for this soon enough, Robin. Trust me, you will," he said as I looked up into his eye. I turned my gaze away and to the floor. Sometimes I hate reality. Reality was this:

I was the servant to a crimelord.

A/N: Ok! One more chapter down! R&R! I just loved writing the ending. I was like, "Yes, that's the perfect way to end the chapter!" Writing up how Slade first treated Robin and his first reactions to Slade after he woke up was also entertaining. So I hope you liked it! The next chapter will once again be from Slade's POV. Also, I promise that I'll get somewhere in these chapters what exactly is going on with the Titans. I figure I can't leave them out of the story and I really don't want to entirely. I mean the show is called 'Teen Titans'. The others have to be in there somewhere. Either way, the next chapter will hopefully be up in about a week or less (or I really hope it will be). Thanks again for all of the reviews and thanks for reading! Reviews are always welcomed; I love hearing from you readers! Well, Later for now! I'm still writing!

Rena