Disclaimer: Still not mine. Maybe if I find a magic lamp and wished for Teen Titans then it would be, but since that will probably never happen, the characters still aren't mine.
Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm back with Chapter Six! I've been working all week to get this thing up, but it's been a challenge with so much stuff going on. Overall, I think it turned out nicely. Hope you enjoy it and now on to Chapter Six!
What?
Chapter Six
"What do you want me to do?" I smiled. He finally decides to be at least slightly obedient. I placed my hand on his shoulder and felt him tense, scrunching up his shoulders. It was like I had stung him. I suppressed shaking my head. If it stings like bees now, it will later feel like an oil bath. I gestured to the staircase.
I could tell that his gaze shifted, "Down there if you would."
As I pushed him down the steps, he made no effort to shake me off. He seemed to act like a prisoner. The kid doesn't know what a liberation has just taken place. Once down at the lower level, I forced him into the center. Today's job: observations. Yes, it was true that I already knew a lot about Robin. If I didn't, I probably wouldn't have chosen him.
The fact remains that there's always more to learn. One thing that I still needed was statistics. I snapped for three Sladebots. They came into Robin's view and he went into a fighting stance. Almost cute. Almost.
I slightly laugh, "Oh no, Robin. No scheduled fights today. The next few days will be...observations."
He looked confused, perhaps even slightly invaded, "What do you mean by 'observations'?"
So naive. I swear, no matter where you're from one thing never changes: Teenagers are always naive. Some would say that girl, Starfire I believe, would be the naive one of the group. She is...foreign. That's all. Robin's the one confused and messed up of the Titans. I take that back, he WAS the messed up one.
He's not part of them anymore.
If an explanation is really required, "I might have plenty of knowledge about you, Robin, but there's always more to learn. Quite bluntly, I will be monitoring you, while training you at the same time. But as of now, I'm not exactly training you. More so, I'm getting information."
He seemed to calm down a bit. My apprentice was apprehensive, and would be about just about everything until he learns to trust me. That will take a while, I know. For a long time, Robin's known me as the mysterious criminal crime lord that he could never even talk to for more than a minute. I haven't forgotten. I snapped again.
The adjustment will take some time. I know that. I don't expect him to tell me that I don't ask or even ask me anything in particular. That will happen when a rock, a foundation of trust, is formed between us. I'm still edgy with him. I'll probably have to remind him of what he is risking every hour on the hour. Although, that doesn't mean that the rock won't be built.
As for him, he'll need someone...eventually. No one can bottle themselves up for too long without tearing themselves up inside. More people will give, or want to talk before risking losing their sanity. Robin won't want to lose his sanity. That's most likely already a growing fear anyway.
"How does that suit feel on you?" I asked. As he thought, so did I. The suit ultimately looked as though he could wear it for extended periods of time. In that, I mean it fit him. 'It's such a change to see him like that.' But my thoughts weren't just on that. In the back of my mind, I was thinking about what has made him... I'm not looking for his past, yet. I am looking for what is his current rock. It needs to be eroded away to a fine scattered sand dune.
His answer, "Well, it's a bit constricting in the shoulder areas and the gloves are a little tight on my fingers and wrists. The leather isn't all that comfortable on the legs, especially around the knees either. But then again, maybe it's just 'cause you had to kick me to the floor earlier and I had to feel your disgusting grip on my wrists."
'A mistake Apprentice', "How about you try that again and I won't kill those so-called friends of yours."
He seemed to recoil, "I'm not really used to it yet. It's still new, but the gloves are constricting. I think they're a little small."
Seeing the gloves, they did look a little small now, "Better answer."
The Sladebots finished their jobs and I circled Robin myself making mental notes. I couldn't, and still can't, get over how thin this kid is. That's one thing that's going to change: his diet. He was a ready combatant though and that wouldn't change.
"You have a good structure, but you have to eat more. You're as thin as a toothpick, Robin," he seemed angry at the last part. 'Just accept it, Robin. You'll be better off when you do.' I went over and lifted his chin to look at me. He glared at me, bitterly.
"Being sour with me won't do you much good, Robin." He practically fell over as he moved to get away from me. I chuckled. What was I, poison to him? Maybe more of a drug. It hurts until you're resistant and then you want more. Drugs themselves are vile. Any criminal that drinks or takes drugs before a crime will end up in jail and the hospital. However, figurative drugs, those can be used to one's advantage. More specifically, mine.
In any case, onto flexibility, "Do me a favor. Go into a handstand, with a back-bridge."
He didn't seem to understand why, but I knew he would later. I walked up to him. His face was already taking on a pink shade. 'Gravity, doesn't everyone that can't fly naturally hate it?' His face stiffened as I walked up to him.
"Blood getting to your head?" I asked.
"No," He lied. I let a small smile slip. 'Lie all you want Robin. It only helps teach you about yourself and the so called sins you are capable of committing.' If he was too stubborn to admit the lie, I wouldn't make him.
"Well, you can get back up if you want now," I told him.
He maneuvered himself out of my way and landed his feet neatly on the ground. He stepped away and kept his eyes away from him. The scowl on his face was like that of a lion wanting revenge on another for an injury. That's not going to stop this, though. 'No time for rest, Robin.'
"Give me another bridge."
He went into the bridge, but came back up into a handstand again. It was my turn to scowl. I needed to see how lithe he was, not how many minutes he could stand having all of his blood in his head. He needs to listen, pay attention, and more importantly, obey. The more he resists, the harder it will be for him in the end. I kicked his arms out from under him and heard him tumble to the ground.
As he looked up at me in what I'm guessing shock, I corrected him, "I asked for a bridge, Robin, not a handstand."
His infuriation amused me. That would also be my first reaction. He bottled it back inside, but couldn't help growl for a second. I grinned and this smile bore my teeth. 'So delectable, resistance that is.' He went back into the bridge. I paced around him. He could probably get his hands and feet closer...
I placed my hand under his back. My with my other hand on his stomach, which was tight, I did a quick evaluation. He could get closer. I saw Robin's gaze shift to me when he felt my hands. He must not have expected anything.
"What are you doing?" I could hear the irritation in his voice.
"How close can you get your arms and legs together in this situation?" I inquired.
"Uh, I don't know. Close?" He gasped out. Sometimes I find teenage responses tiresome...
"Show me," I ordered.
He shifted his position. I could feel his muscles becoming even tighter. Still though, some were relaxed. I saw the strain on his face, mixed with a bit of anger. He soon stopped. He would have relaxed if my hands weren't keeping him up.
"Try a little closer."
He stared at me like I was crazy. I could almost hear what might have been his thoughts, 'This guy wants what? No way! I'm already about to break my back!' He wouldn't though, break his back that is. His hands were only a little more then 2 ft. from his feet. It wouldn't be that hard. It took a bit of self control from not smiling and getting off subject.
"I can't go any farther. I'm not built that way, Slade," He managed to get out.
I wasn't going to have that, "Oh, yes you can. You're human and that means you have the basic build everyone has. So you can get closer."
He seemed to be trying to get himself to comply with what I had just ordered him to do, despite the strain that he was already coping with. I got a shake of his head for an answer. Not acceptable.
"Do it."
"I can't!" He screamed.
He could, and I'd prove it to him. I moved my foot and placed it over his toes so he wouldn't move. I then pressed at the top of his chest. The expression on his face changed drastically from disbelief to...perhaps shock. Not the surprise sort of shock, but the shock one gets when they feel pain. Nevertheless, his hands slowly moved back.
Beads of sweat formed on his brow and his face was turning a bright shade of red. Still, I pressed. It wasn't like I was pushing him back very fast. I was actually pushing at a slow rate so he could adjust properly. He bit his lip, willing himself from doing something -- begging, pleading, screaming? One of them was right, maybe they all were.
I stopped. Robin's breathing was rapid. His eyes shut in relief. I looked over him to see that he was at about a foot and three fourths. I could feel him shaking slightly. I know that that little exercise would have hurt, no it did hurt. Yet to challenge yourself, you have to do what you are not sure that you are able to do, no matter how much it hurts. They say 'No pain, no gain.' They're right in circumstances like this.
"About a foot and three fourths apart, Robin. You could go further," I released him.
Robin allowed himself to fall on the cold floor. His back was still arched. I wasn't surprised. He was probably a little stuck. Slowly I watched him curl his back forward.
"When I say you can do something, Robin, you can. There are no "I can'ts" with me. I am not going to ask you to do something that you physically can't do for one reason or another. When I ask, I will know what you can do and what you are capable of doing. Do you understand that?" Lectures are really the only way to drill something into another's head.
His answer, "Yes."
"Good."
I stepped down and held his arms, lifting him up. Once he was on his feet, Robin tried to move away. I didn't let go. I couldn't help it. Just looking at him, watching him struggle, it was a lesson in itself about his nature. The more I looked at him wriggling in my grasp, the more I felt like I was holding in my hands an abundance of worth richer then that any bank or gold mine could hold. What this kid, this child could do even now was amazing. And to think that he doesn't even know what he has locked up inside of himself. This moment was short-lived.
I pulled myself to my senses and let him go. He stumbled back and I let a laugh slip. Once again, he turned away from me. I looked at the clock; it was about 5:30. Only an hour from when he woke up and I hadn't been able to get much done. That was fine though. I was in no rush.
"You hungry?" I asked. With perfect timing, his stomach growled with a loud rumble. I had a feeling that he would be hungry. He hadn't eaten the entire day, after all. He had been knocked out for nine hours and that could count as missing two meals right there. I placed my hand on his shoulder and led him down the hallway to the dining room. He said nothing and kept his focus on his feet.
Once we entered, I saw his eyes widen a bit. It was nothing very fancy. It was just a table with a couple chairs. I pulled out a chair and left him to sit in it. I walked over to my chair and saw him sit down. Dinner would be out in a bit. For a moment, I wondered when he would stop being so tense around me. My eye never wavered from him.
His eyes caught sight of the carvings. Okay, the table and chairs did have intricate designs on them. They were a little fancy. I could just picture the designs that he was looking at the weather depicted, the plants, and my favorites: the weapons. I knew that he didn't miss my 'S' in the center of the piece of artwork.
Soon, Wintergreen, a long time friend, came into view carrying my apprentice's dinner. He removed the cover and I could swear that Robin's brain was telling him that this was impossible. Wintergreen went off as Robin finally looked up at me.
"Did you think I'd starve you? You're already thin enough. If anything, I'm giving you the nutrition you've been depriving yourself of lately."
He stared back at the food. After a couple minutes he began to eat sparingly. Then his started eating a bit more rapidly. This was short-lived as he stopped eating early. Half of the food was still on his plate. He stood up, but halted as he heard myself getting up and heading his way.
"I don't believe you've finished. And dinner isn't over," I said calmly.
He said, "I'm full. I don't think I could swallow another bite."
I shook my head. Catching his eyes, I could tell that he was still hungry. There wasn't anything dangerous in his food. I wouldn't put him to sleep at the table. I shoved him into his chair. His face showed his irritation.
"Every teenage boy should be able to swallow this down his throat, especially after not having any food the entire day. You might not eat a lot, but you should be able to finish," I shoved his chair in as I said it.
"I told you, I'm full. If I took another bite, I'd probably be sick," Robin protested. I pulled his shoulders back so that he was sitting up straight and tall, "Hey!"
"Posture, Robin," I told him as I pulled his wrists out of his lap and on to the edge of the table.
"What?" He got his hands free of my grasp.
I bent down to meet his eyes, "For breakfast and lunch I won't be joining you all too often, but I will be with you for every dinner."
"What does that have to do with me having posture at the table?" Robin questioned.
"You've agreed for me to be your teacher, did you not? You would give a teacher respect, would you not? This is the level of respect you'll give me at the table."
The expression on his face betrayed his disbelief. I went back to my chair and sat down. He glared at me, "You can stop giving me that look, Robin. It's not earning you any points," I told him. He just sat there for a while, not giving in to the suggestion.
Finally I broke the silence, "While you eat your dinners, I will give you evaluations of the day and what you did. Plain and simple."
Robin soon gave in and finished his meal, but if he had been any more quiet, I could swear that he wasn't even there. In the back of my mind, I knew that he wasn't thinking about something. I wasn't exactly sure what. I did know what I was thinking about: All that he could do, all that I could plan for him. It was a vast and large topic.
Awhile after he finished I spoke again, "As for evaluation today, Robin, you did all right for day one. I wasn't expecting much more then what you gave."
He just sat there as though he were stone. Concern came to my mind. Is he okay (other then all the new changes and adjustments)? His mind wasn't at the dinner table, that was for sure.
"Something wrong, Robin?" I asked.
I was surprised when I heard him speak, "Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why me? Why not someone else? Like one of the HIVE or another criminal? Why me? Why did you choose me?" He ventured in asking.
The question itself was, well, unexpected and yet expected. I didn't anticipate that he would ever ask me, or at least not this soon. For once I saw true patience on his face. He wanted this answer. In the back of my mind, I had a feeling that he already knew. But he had asked me. Robin wanted my answer.
I went up to him, "Now surely you can figure that one out, Robin,"
I saw him shake his raven-black haired head 'no' briefly.
I'd toy with him a bit, "Why did I choose you? Let's look at it. I needed someone young. I needed someone with potential. As for bonuses, you had many of them. Smart, already physically fit, personality, and by personality, I mean you already had a semblance similar to my own. You caught my eye when you weren't even trying to, unlike so many others. Who do you think I'd choose? A person that failed when they were trying or someone that succeeded when they weren't? The second one, am I right? Guess who you were."
Robin looked like he'd explode.
"The second," He said softly.
"Exactly. There's your answer."
Everything I had told him was true. He seemed to absorb the new information like a sponge, but it burned...like acid. He'd get used to the bitter taste until it became like candy.
Knowing very well that enough time had passed, I finally spoke, "It's late. Take a shower and go to bed."
He got up and left. I smiled. He didn't even know where the bathroom was. Wintergreen came back into the room. I motioned for him to come over. I could tell his gaze was at the dish that Robin had left behind, but that wasn't important right now (despite the fact that a good portion of the food was spread out over the plate).
"Wintergreen, why don't you take him to his bathroom for me. I have other stuff to do," It was more of an order and less of a suggestion.
Nevertheless, Wintergreen went down the corridor and after Robin. I waited about five minutes before getting up and heading back to the main room. I heard the water begin to run through the pipes. Leaning back into my chair, I pressed the table buttons which allowed me to see an enlarged image of the Titans Tower main room. The four Titans were finishing their dinner, none of them talking.
It was actually interesting. The whole group was depressed and the Tameranean, Starfire, was more depressed then the Goth, Raven. That was a shock. The green kid, Beast Boy wasn't pulling any idiotic quips and Cyborg wasn't complaining about the obvious tofu that had been made. Soon, Cyborg finished and put his dish in the sink and began to do the dishes.
"Dude, it's not your turn tonight," Beast Boy told his friend.
"And who's turn is it?" Cyborg asked.
Beast Boy looked down. Apparently it was my apprentice's night for dish duty. Raven and Starfire had looked up at their two friends at this. Neither of them were smiling. I suppressed a chuckle.
"We'll find him, guys," Cyborg reassured, "He's probably just fine."
'Oh, he is just fine, Cyborg, and better.'
"If he was just fine, then wouldn't he have called us by now, Cyborg?" Starfire asked her friend.
Cyborg looked away and Raven intervened, "He might have broken his communicator, Star. We just need to keep looking for him, that's all."
"Yeah, remember when the HIVE showed up? We thought Robin was gone for good, but then he showed up right when we needed him," Beast Boy commented.
'False hope, you give her Titans.'
"I suppose you're right. Robin might even be coming home right now, yes?" Starfire said.
"Yeah, he might be," Cyborg told her.
Raven didn't engage in the conversation. I could tell she focused on something else, probably controlling her emotions. Even if she had said anything, though, it wouldn't have made a big difference to the conversation. They were all silent for a bit. Then they went over to the couch, while Cyborg finished the dishes. Raven and Starfire went into reading a few books and Beast Boy started a videogame, but lost miserably. The angry young changeling threw the controller to the side and stood up.
I heard the water in the pipes stop flowing. Apparently, Robin was done with his shower. In the back of my mind, I knew that with each passing day, Robin would wear thin soon enough. Just like the dirt that washes away from one's skin during a shower, Robin would loose the nonsense of right and wrong morals.
I waited until I heard Wintergreen come in to talk, "Make sure Robin will be fitted for a hand-to-hand combat practice tomorrow, Wintergreen. Then send him off to bed." He nodded and left.
"Oh, who are we fooling, guys?" The morpher asked, "Why would Slade put us up to a wild goose chase? And then Robin goes missing? It spells out trouble. Slade could be torturing Robin or something, and we're just sitting here doing nothing but relax to build up strength that Robin could easily be losing right now!"
"Beast Boy, come on, we don't know that's true," Cyborg said.
"How do we know it's not?" Beast Boy retorted.
"Beast Boy, please do not say such things," The alien asked of her friend.
But he ignored her, "No, Robin's out there and I for one am not going to just sit around here while I could be searching for..."
"BB, do you really think that we would ignore the fact that Robin's still..." Cyborg started to yell.
"Please, friends don't..." Starfire began, but was cut off.
"Um, kinda, you guys are doing a pretty good job of it right..." Beast Boy also began to screamed, but was interrupted.
"We'll find Robin, BB! Take a breather man!"
"No! Why should I when Robin's probably losing his?"
"Please, friends, stop..." They ignored her again and she ran off out of the room, upset.
"Can you just chill, man?" Cyborg hollered
"Um, sure if I was in the Artic Ocean!"
"QUIET! Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" The telekinetic of the group screeched as two waves of dark energy exploded from her hands throwing Beast Boy and Cyborg against opposite walls.
"Will you two just stop! For goodness sakes, look at yourselves! Beast Boy, you're as tired as a bear in the winter and Cyborg, you're using all of your energy to fight with BB. And what is the point of you two ignoring Starfire's requests to stop talking like that? Can't you see it's bothering us enough?"
Beast Boy and Cyborg looked at each other, nodded and returned their attention to Raven. I had rarely seen the telepath this angry and the Tameranean looked as though she might cry with tears of worry as she left. Raven lowered them to the ground and released them from the dark energy.
"I suggest that you two go and apologize to Star. She was worried enough about Robin as it was and you two just had to go into an argument that was a waste of time," The boys nodded.
"Good, and if it's bothering you that much, Beast Boy, then how about this: You and Cyborg will look over the detonator again for clues, while Star and I will search tomorrow. Is that fine with you?" Beast Boy nodded.
"Fine, now go and apologize," Raven left, probably for her room to meditate, and the boys went off to Starfire's room.
It was quiet. I disconnected the image. I wanted to laugh. If the inner-turmoil they were facing now was this bad, I couldn't wait to see their reactions to the new revised Robin their former friend would become.
I smirked and headed for the kitchen to get something to eat. I'd go to bed in a couple hours. Robin, though he could stay up late, would not be allowed to stay up all night. Only on occasion would I want him to stay awake for the night. He had to learn when to turn off and on insomnia after all. It's really quite a useful talent.
Wintergreen came in the room to join me sometime later, around eight, "He's an impressive young boy, Slade."
"I know."
"How did you come to consider him?" The older man dared to ask.
I pondered for a moment. When did I first consider Robin? It most certainly wasn't when he first appeared as a 'hero' and it wasn't when he had first come to Jump city either. It wasn't even when the Titans were formed. Then I figured out when.
"Remember those two brothers?" Wintergreen nodded, "I think it was then, when I first fought Robin that I considered him and I'm glad I did."
A/N: Yeah! Chapter Six is down! R&R! So yeah, you know what the Titans are doing right now. Told you I'd get it in there! So chapter seven will be up next. I've been dieing to write this next chapter and the chapter after it. I have a pretty good feeling that you guys will like it a lot too. Also, I've added to my profile page a list of both my current works and stories that will be coming soon. I have at least three other story ideas in my head, but I promise I'm finishing the ones I start first. Then I'll go onto the next ones. Hope you look for those once this one is done too. Thanks again for the reviews guys! I'm still writing and chapter seven will be up soon!
Rena