Disclaimer: Let's see, if I owned Teen Titans, Deathstroke the Terminator, or any of the other books mentioned in this chapter, then I'd probably have this in book stores or something. I will probably never own them because I can't afford to buy them!
Author's Note: Ok, please try to understand that the reason for my late update must be a curse. I wasn't able to get to a computer for one week and I knew that I wouldn't be able to type anything. The next week (this is where the curse comes in) I got sick! So sick to the point that when I tried to type, I couldn't actually read what I was typing (I was that dizzy). I say curse because in the last two chapters, I made Robin sick and then I was sick. So for those of you, who have been waiting for an update, that's my excuse! And I'm so sorry! I mean, it's not like I intended to get sick. Things just turned out that way. Anyway, this chapter has been an interesting one to work on. I hope you like it. Just keep reading, 'cause you'll love the ending! Also, thanks to all of my reviewers! Now on to Chapter Thirteen!
What?
Chapter Thirteen
Slade was right. I did recover in a day's worth of time. The next morning, I woke up, stretched and felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off of my shoulders when in reality it was only an illness that had vanished from my system. I take that back. An intentionally inflicted illness had almost vanished from my system. I still had slight headaches and my throat still sometimes gave out raspy tones in my voice.
I had the opportunity to take a hot shower too, which was very refreshing. Getting out of bed was just what I needed. Slade hadn't come in for the rest of the day yesterday. Only Wintergreen had come in with small meals for my stomach to try to handle. I slept on and off because the pills that I did manage to take made me extremely sleepy. Most of my sleep was dreamless, but some were troubling...
I dreamed I was doing simulations with Cyborg. We were kicking butt and hitting some impressively high scores. Eventually, we hit the maximum level. Cyborg showed off a little, but gave an impressive 56 second time. My turn came. I started off in a run. Walls jetted out of the ground. Using my bo-staff as a pole vault, I gracefully landed on the other side of the walls. Enemies fired at me, but I blew apart their guns with a couple freeze disks and some well aimed kicks. I gave a time of 42 seconds.
"Robin, awesome run!" Cyborg shouted at me as I came closer.
"Thanks," I said.
He then looked at me as though he was confused and said, "Are we ever going to do this again?"
I raised a brow, but then the place melted and I found myself waking up inside my room... the door locked and keeping me from freedom. I found myself asleep again soon. I was playing a video game with Beast Boy and, surprisingly, he was beating me. I turned at all the right places, but he ended up thrashing me at the end. Laughing in glee, he did a victory dance along with enjoying the look of shock on my face.
"What's the matter? Surprised that I can measure up to some of your quick reflexes?" he asked smirking.
"Another game, come on B," I asked back.
"You're on!" The green teenager restarted the game and we played. As we came to an obstacle infested area, Beast Boy spoke, "Robin, why'd you give up being our leader?"
I looked at him, shocked again and...sad. Then I woke up. In the third dream, Raven and I had gone to the public library. She had been fed up with Cyborg and Beast Boy arguing over what pizza toppings to order for the 'upteenth' time. I went with her. I could see why Raven enjoyed the public library. Peace and quiet; that was what she liked. Personally, I had gone to pick up some new reading material...and some old newspapers.
Walking down the rows of books, I found a couple of the Hardy Boys that I had yet to read. I caught a glimpse of Raven looking through a bunch of ghost stories too. I loved mysteries and stories about catching the criminal. After picking up the Artemis Fowl series, I walked over to old newspapers and started searching. For about fifteen minutes, I searched when I realized I didn't know why I was looking or even what I was looking for.
"Ready to go?" Raven's monotone came from behind me. Turning around, I saw in her hands two books, 'Wait Till Helen Comes; A Ghost Story' and 'Look for Me by Moonlight', both by the same author. Raven does love mystical stuff.
"Yeah, I guess so. I don't know why I was over here though," I responded.
"Is finding Slade that much of an addiction..." I raised a brow, "That you don't even realize you're doing it anymore?"
The third dream ended. I found myself drifting off and I found for the fourth and final time that evening that I'd have a dream. I opened the door to the roof of the tower and found the one person that I could always count on to be looking out at the sunset. I walked over and sat down next to her. Her hair glowed a bright red in the sunlight. Against the painting that was the sky and with her golden skin, she looked beautiful. Then again, she always was...at least to me anyway. Her green eyes focused down at her feet.
"Hey," I said.
"Hello," She replied back.
Starfire was quiet for a minute, then spoke, "Robin?"
"Yeah, Star?"
"I, why, what is it that causes you to... work as hard as you do?"
I looked at her thinking, 'You, the team, innocents that count on me...you.'
"People need a hero in their lives," I stated simply.
"Even me?"
"Um, well..." I noticed how close we were getting. I felt a sweat run down my neck... I pulled away. This was just a dream.
"I'm sorry Starfire, but I'm not...worthy to be your hero," I got up prepared to wake up again.
The dream began fading, but I heard her call out, "But you already are."
I woke up again. I knew that I was sort of a hero to her now. I was sacrificing my freedom for the Titans' lives. But she'd probably never know it, not while I was under Slade's power, control. I missed them. I really missed them.
When I was awake, I was bored. And boredom left me to ponder. Slade had acted so differently when he had come in. I would have expected that he would have dragged me out of bed or just let me suffer for a couple days or something. Anything but give me medicine.
Then there was the way he looked at me. It was as though he was looking at me, but seeing somebody else; almost like he was comparing me to someone. It wasn't like he would be comparing me to him. Why would he compare a sick teenager to himself? Perhaps it wasn't me he was comparing. Maybe he was comparing my status with another status. Maybe he wasn't comparing me to anyone or anything at all.
And why on Earth did he make me sick? Wasn't the beating enough of a punishment? Wasn't feeling swollen and bruised enough? Why did he make me sick? Slade, the one person on the face of the earth that could take torture to another level. He's worse than Two-Face! And I hated that guy! Me saying that anyone is worse then Two-Face has to be someone bad.
The entire time, he was calm. Didn't he feel at all guilty for making me sick? Slade could possibly qualify to be less emotional then Batm... There I go again comparing the two. I have to stop doing that. Anyway, maybe it's just that I can't see any of his face. Reading a person's face is just as important to understand what a person is saying or trying to convey. He's just Orange and Black and an eye; an eye that freaks me out on occasion.
Still, while he may have made me sick, he at least helped me get better. Why? My best guess is that he didn't want his apprentice to do jobs he'd fall over from exhaustion at any moment. Either way, after my shower and breakfast, I got dressed in the uniform I had received on day one. I was led into another room by Wintergreen and told to sit at a desk. I jumped slightly when I felt Slade put his hand on my shoulder. I hadn't heard him come in. He threw a small cube and few blue prints on the desk.
"You're still not in any shape to train at a hard core physical level, but you can train your mind. Security systems all have basic ways of working, most of which I'm guessing you know about," He told me and I knew he was referring to the Red X thing.
"What's the cube and blue prints for then?" I asked wanting to get this over with.
"The blue prints I'll give you every night for I'd guess you'd say... homework, almost. The cube is for your amusement," Slade said.
"Huh?"
"Here," Slade picked up the cube and pressed a button, "Turn it on and choose a level," He continued to demonstrate, "Take this," He picked up a tiny needle on a wire leading to a small remote on the end, "And lead it through the maze. It will create new mazes all of the time with every new level. It helps to train your mind to find new ways of getting around obstacles without being detected. Don't worry about the wire. It will only be detected on the highest levels."
I looked at the needle on the wire and the cube thinking this was crazy. Like I'd ever use this little thing to use up my free-time.
"As for the blue prints, I want you to make at least ten paths into the red rooms by dinner," Slade continued, "You may go."
That was it? I was both happy and relieved. I grabbed the blue prints, the cube, and the black marker by the prints and left to go back for my room. The first of the blue prints was an ordinary house with a security system set up for when the residents' were gone. It was easy enough to get ten paths for that out of the way. Inside my head, I laughed at the fact that Slade even gave me the print to do. It was cake.
The next blue print was a small museum. It was little bit tricky to find some of the last paths, but I still managed to get that one out of the way without too much trouble. By this time, Wintergreen brought in my lunch. I gave him a 'thank you' and he left. The last blue print looked impossible. It was a bank inside a business building. I had to somehow weave around the business security and get into the bank. That print must have taken about five or so hours to complete. My brain was on the verge of a migraine.
At this point, Wintergreen opened the door and motioned for me to follow. I grabbed the blue prints thinking that I was lucky to have just finished the last of the prints. Slade was waiting at the table as I came in. I walked over to him and handed him the blue prints. I turned to go but he would have none of that.
"Patience, Robin," he said keeping his eye on the prints and the routes I had drawn. I turned back and waited. After Slade finished checking the prints, he looked up at me and nodded. When I didn't move, he spoke again.
"You may sit down. You've earned a good meal."
As I took a seat opposite him I thought of something, "Do the quality of those prints determine if I eat?"
"No. I only meant that you did a nice job on the prints," Slade responded.
Wintergreen brought out an Italian dinner which included stuffed shells, steaming rolls, meatballs and water. I tried to finish my meal as fast as I could. I really hated the silence in this room. Soon enough though, Slade broke the silence. Perhaps he doesn't like it much either...
"Some of the paths in your last print were risky, Robin," Slade told me.
I looked up with my mouth full. Realizing how ridiculous I must have looked, I swallowed my food and felt a large lump make its way down my throat. It had taken me five stupid hours to get those routes and now he's about to instruct me on how I was being risky?
"I can understand that you enjoy the adrenaline rush, but really, it's not always worth risking an entire night's operation for one," I resisted the urge to grind my teeth in anger as I pictured him smirking at me.
I went back to finishing my food though. Once I was done, I waited for him to say something or do something. I heard the sliding of a chair and waited to hear steps being taken towards me. Instead, I heard them going off. Looking up at Slade, I wondered what I was supposed to do. I sat there for about three to five seconds and realized that I probably should follow him. Wiping my mouth, I got up and began to follow him. As I got about three steps behind him, Slade turned around swiftly causing me to halt in an instant. As he stared at me, I had the urge to gulp but restrained it. I was not about to be intimidated by or show intimidation to Slade.
"And why might you be up and out of your seat?" Slade said coolly.
I looked down and tried to keep a straight face, "I assumed you wanted me to follow you."
"And you did?" Slade prompted quizzically.
That got me mad, "I don't risk the lives of others."
"I said nothing though."
"Well, if you didn't want me to follow you then I'll gladly leave this filthy pit of a building... if it even is a building," I snapped turning my back on Slade to leave.
Before I took another step, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I stopped, knowing that if Slade didn't want me to go anywhere, then I wasn't. At least, that's how it was working now. I stood up straight, bringing myself to my full height. I wasn't going to be intimidated by him. He may hold the trigger and the reigns, but I wasn't going to make holding the reigns any easier on him.
"With a mouth like that, you may want to duct tape it shut," Slade's hand left my shoulder. I thought I sensed him walking away, but I was wrong. At once he twisted my hair. It hurt again. I hated when he did that. Pain just fogged my mind in quick seconds whenever he did that, whenever anyone did that. The only thing was that it didn't hurt as much as last time. Still, my only instinct was to dull it somehow. I grabbed at his hands and wrists, but it only made him hold tighter. The whole time I never screamed, but I clenched up my face.
Slade let go, "Watch your tongue, Robin; you wouldn't want to bite it off."
I said nothing, I did nothing. I was now turned halfway back around to Slade, but I didn't want to face him straight dead on. I'd rather endure only half of his torturous enigma that was the mask he wore. I felt his hand gently grab my chin and bring it so that I was looking up at him straight and, of course, dead on.
"You're learning, Robin. Go on back to your room and rest."
I looked down. I went to the door way to wait for Wintergreen, but found that he didn't come, "You can walk back to your room alone, Robin."
For second I thought, 'He sees me as a teenager and not a little kid? Is that it? Is that what it means? Or does he think of me as a little kid too...?' Then I shook it. Bruce didn't think of me as a little kid. He just... hasn't fully accepted that I am growing up, right? That's what psychologists would say, right?
I went back to my room and just laid on my bed doing nothing in particular. The day passed and I was sent back into the nightmares that pushed out every sweet dream I could possibly have. The next two days were the same. I got up, took a shower, got dressed, did blue prints, and had my meals. The prints and their level of difficulty changed often. It seemed endless. I'd find a good way in, a way into the middle of the path to the goal, and then I wouldn't be able to get to the target and objective.
But I did get better at it. In fact, on the second day of my recovery I had at least an hour of "free-time"...if you can call getting locked up in a room free-time, that is. The upside of that was that I didn't have to deal with Slade or Wintergreen, but more so Slade. The downside of that was that I was completely bored. I would sit at the desk for a couple minutes, find nothing interesting to do and then go to lay on my bed. Still nothing to do. I went to my dresser and looked at my clothes. At one point I was so bored, I decided to rearrange my clothes. Yes, rearrange my clothes in the dresser drawers. That was how bad it was.
Once I had done that, I was on the level of 'if there is anything to do in here then I'd like to do it.' At one point I had to light a new candle as the other one was dwindling down to nothing. I was too late and the old candle went out. As I searched for the matches, I found the cube which lit up in a bright blue at my touch. Well, it was light and I soon found the matches to light the new candle.
I struck a match and lit the candle. I wanted so badly to do something. Then I looked at the little cube.
'Oh, no. No way. No stinkin' stupid way,' One side of me shouted.
'It's at least something to do. Come on, what would it hurt?' said another side of me (the one dying for something to do).
'Nope. Not gonna happen,' pride snapped back.
'It's not like it's a blue print you know.'
'I said no and I meant no!'
'Killjoy.'
'I am not a killjoy!'
'You are right now!'
'So am not!'
'Are too!'
'The answer is no! N-O! NOOO! If you even think that...Hey what are you...?' I cracked and completely sided with my desperation by starting to examine the cube to see exactly how it worked.
The voices in my head just went away as I found the needle. I turned the little thing to a screen on one of its sides. I turned it on and pressed '1' for the first level. I'd try it once. No more. The little thing moved a little and vibrated. Then there was an opening at the top. Pushing the needle in, I found it floating. How...? I tried to push the needle down, but it bounced right back to its starting place. Magnetics. The remote was secure in my hand as the screen started to flash stating, "level 1 in 3, 2, 1, go". The screen turned to show a camera.
Inside it showed the needle sitting there. It was only the size of a fingernail in length, but on screen it looked huge. I started getting a sense for the controls and began to move the tiny thing around. I was trying to round a corner when a red lit corridor wall was touched. 'level 1 failed, level 1 failed' flashed on the screen before me. I failed level one? How could I fail level one? It was level one!
I tried again and beat it. When I got to the middle it changed to an orange glow to signal victory. I smirked. It wasn't too hard. That's how my addiction to the little thing started. The next day, I woke up and expected to have something to do, but Wintergreen didn't come at all after breakfast.
At lunch, I dared to ask, "Does Slade want me to do anything today?"
Wintergreen smiled slightly, "Not today, but possibly tonight."
I withdrew a bit, but soon my stomach caved and I began to eat. 'Tonight, what did he mean by tonight?' The rest of the day I just kept playing with that little cube. Finally, Wintergreen came in again, this time with dinner. I looked up at him in confusion wondering why I was having my dinner in here.
"Slade will be here in about fifteen minutes."
Again I was alone. I threw my hands up in the air and growled. I was going to go crazy in here if I was kept locked up much longer. As I ate, I practically was sawing through the plate with my knife. I really was in a storage room and that was the point of my room. When the door opened, I felt relief, anger, and dread wash over me. There in the door way was Slade towering over me. I got up and shoved in my chair so that it slammed against the desk.
He must have smirked, "I'm guessing being locked up today didn't improve your mood at all."
"If you have to ask..."
"Well, I have a reason for it. Come."
'Come.' What was I, a dog? I went anyway. Down the halls, we went back to the main room where Slade sat down. I looked around and stared at him. So he locks me up all day for...
"Robin, have you ever considered the advantage of being able to control one's sleeping patterns?" He asked plainly.
I thought for a moment, then answered, "No. Why?"
Several screens lit up. On them were several images of me working late in my room. At first I was angry. Slade had been watching me in the tower. Then I reminded myself that that shouldn't be a surprise.
"If you are able to control your sleep patterns, you are able to take on a state of insomnia or set in a deep sleep. That is what tonight is for. On occasion, I'll have you stay up for the night to get you used to controlling your sleep patterns."
"So the point of making me dead bored was so that it would be harder to stay up?" I responded.
"Slightly," Slade responded.
I rolled my eyes. Of course. Of course staying up late would be much harder if you are bored the entire day. Like being sick, you're doing basically nothing only you have no pain to distract you. Wonderful. I was so going to enjoy tonight (My sarcasm is about to reach it's high point when I say that.)
"So, what do you want me to do tonight then to keep me up?" I questioned.
"Stay in here. I don't mind really what you do," Slade told me.
He walked over to his desk and sat down. I raised a brow. That was it? I could do whatever I wanted as long as I stayed in here? I'm not complaining. I looked around at what I might be able to do. There were pipes and such scattered around where I could get some exercise. The gears would provide an interesting walk around. The room really was huge and as long as I didn't need to bother with Slade, I'd be fine.
I went over to some of the lower gears and sized them up and a general path to some of the overhanging bridges. He said I could do anything, so why would he care if started climbing over these gears? Wedging my foot in one of the gears I started to climb. As I got to the top where the two gears started to connect, I jumped to a moving lever. With that, I made my way up. There was a sky light at the top and the patter of rain hitting the glass could be heard. It was the first time I had seen a window in this place. There wasn't any way to get to the window, though; at least that I could see.
The place was like an obstacle course without a timer. Nice and steady. I started testing how far I could wait to move. At the very last second I'd always get out of the way. Finally, I came back down to the ground. Slade hadn't moved from where I had last seen him...I think... Either way, it didn't matter to me. I went over to the pipes I had seen earlier. I started doing flips, jumps, and spins. It was like flying. It was an old feeling that I hadn't had in a long time. Nothing to distract me. Nothing was being demanded of me. The cares of the world were just gone. I could just imagine the pipes moving back and forth almost like being held up by swinging ropes...
Of course it didn't last. Things like that never do. I got tired and leaned against the wall, exhausted. Slade still hadn't moved. Maybe it wasn't exactly my business, but I walked up and took a look at the screens to see what he might be working on. Complex diagrams met my eyes. At first I thought back to the blue prints, but then the closer I looked at the screens I recognized them as designs not for buildings, but of robots. For several minutes, I stood astounded at the designs for the Sladebots. Incredible. So many things made sense. Why they didn't break so easily during battle. How they moved so fast. How they could respond to surroundings.
Wow.
"You can stop gaping, Robin," Slade knocked me out of my trance.
I had no idea how to respond to this irritating comment, so he continued and turned in his chair to face me, "You'll be ready for some of these technical elements soon enough. For now though, you'll stick with some more simple items."
"I can already understand most of these, Slade. The Titanium? It re-enforces the armor your robots have with more strength and a resistance to heat. I use it in my cape," I responded.
"Yes, that's true, but explain to me then how the Titanium can bend so easily for the muscles?"
I didn't know the answer to that one. I stared at the screen and found nothing.
"It isn't all Titanium. Inserted inside the center of the Titanium and in several layers inside other areas of the Titanium are heat rods that have been pre-melded into it. Heat is easier to conduct in Titanium from the inside, so this allows the muscles to move. While outside, the Titanium remains cold and hard. One more thing, you used to use it in your capes," Slade ended the lecture.
'He always has to get in the last word doesn't he?'
"Enjoy the gears?" He asked.
"Well, they provide an interesting view of the place," I answered.
"Water?" He held up a bottle.
"After the broth, no," I said coolly.
Slade took the bottle back and put it on the table, "Didn't expect you to take it, anyway."
I just stood there not knowing what exactly to do. Eventually, I went back to the pipes and gears, but after a while they got boring. I came back, but did not want a conversation. I sat down at the side of the desk. I knew he saw this, but as long as I didn't stare at him he wouldn't acknowledge it, which was good for me, at least. At one point Wintergreen came in with a few papers. As he left he slipped the cube to me. I was sorely tempted to use it, but I wasn't going to use it in front of Slade.
I put it to the side and went back to leaning and waiting. My eye lids began to fall, but I fought it. 'Have to stay awake, have to stay awake, have to stay a...' An image was appearing. It was the tow...
"Ahh!" I felt my head banged against the table and my hair being yanked as I was jerked out of my slumber.
"I told you to stay awake, my apprentice, I assume that you can do that with all of those late nights in the tower," Slade hissed at me as he released my hair.
I growled and turned back at him. He just sat in that chair as if nothing had happened. I was too angry. I lunged at him, a fist curled up and ready to hit him dead in the eye. Slade expected it. I felt my neck being grabbed and air was forced out of my throat. I was easily pushed down to the ground and was held down by his foot. He had barely moved.
"Angry, Robin?" His tone can always tip me off to a smirk, "Well, perhaps you do need some fresh air. Go up to the windows, here's a grapple, and take some time on the roof."
A small device landed in my hand. I got up to leave and felt a hand grab the back of my shirt. A click sounded and I looked back to see a small flashing light on the seam of my shirt.
"Don't leave or you know what will happen."
Slade let go and I left for the roof. I grappled up and opened the window. For the first time in days I felt fresh air run into my lungs. And while city air wasn't the cleanest, it still wasn't filled with the musty smell of rusting gears. I felt a breeze that came from the wind and not an air vent. It was overcast, but that didn't bother me in the slightest. Sometimes fresh air does one a world of good.
I looked out and around the area. When I had run here before, I didn't really look at the surroundings. The Haunt was in a run-down area. Most of the surrounding buildings had windows bolted up with wood and bars. The Haunt itself seemed the same, but I was guessing that Slade had re-enforced the insides to really solidify the Haunt.
Drip, drip, drip.
I looked up. It was raining. I felt the water patter on my face. It wasn't like a shower where water flowed through pipes that ran through the ground. It was a downfall of water that had the essence of pureness and nature. Washing away cares, stresses, fears, and worries. It even washed away age. I didn't feel like the teenager I was. Where I was and who could very well be watching me didn't register. I felt like the little kid down the street that always runs out to play in the rain.
So I did.
As my hair was drenched and locked together in strands, I splashed in puddles. I laughed. I skidded over the wet roof to see how far I could go. I opened my mouth and little trickles of water fell onto my tongue. I felt like I was five, but didn't care. The apprenticeship didn't even register in my mind. My mask stuck to my face as though gripping me in order to hold on. That was my only reminder, and quite honestly it wasn't the best reminder in the world.
I was five years old dancing in the rain and soon Mom would call me in and make me dry off. We'd have hot chocolate and watch a family movie all wrapped up in blankets with Daddy when he got out of his shower. They would kiss me goodnight as I fell asleep during the second half of the movie. I'd yawn and say that I wasn't tired. Then Dad would ruffle my hair, pick me up, and take me to my bed. Mommy would give me one more kiss goodnight, then shut off the lights and close the door for me so that I may sleep peacefully in my wildest dreams.
I laughed and fell to the ground. The rain felt so good.
Clash!
Immediately I sat up, startled. It was the first lightning strike.
Bang!
The second flash. It wasn't very safe to be on a roof top. I began to turn around and was about to stand up when I saw by the windows, a figure. Slade. My breath was caught in my throat. 'How long had he been there? Had he seen what I had been doing? How was I supposed to react? Why was he up here? Didn't he have work? Why did he have to ruin everything?'
Slade broke the silence, "Rain has interesting qualities to it...It has a way of relieving people. I'm guessing you noticed."
"I..."
"It's fine. You've been cooped up, I know. It's not fun to stay inside all of the time," He said.
Clang!
Lightning flashed again. I looked out to see it...over the bay...the tower was illuminated. I felt my jaw drop slightly, but did nothing to stop it. Like the waves in the bay, I felt a wave of homesickness overwhelm me. They were all there, asleep, safe, and sound. And where was I at three 'o'clock in the morning? Playing in the rain on the roof top of my captor's Haunt.
"It's refreshing, isn't it?" He said.
I ignored him and slowly started walking towards the edge of the roof nearest the tower. It was right there. It was plain and in view. I could see it standing in the wave stricken bay. Home was so close... I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Slade looking down at me. Of course, he always was.
"Robin, I want you to look at the city right now. What do you see?"
"Deserted streets, lights on in the skyscrapers downtown, Titans Tow..." I couldn't finish and scrunched up my shoulders.
"You know that the underworld of criminality can run from the highest skyscrapers of a city down to the sewers? It can link to anything and never let go if it so chooses. Could you imagine, holding all of the strings of this city?"
I turned to look at the masked man, "No, because I'll never hold the strings of my own life. I'm always going to be your little puppet, aren't I?"
I think it was pity or regret that I saw in his eye during the pause, "Robin, can't you see this as an opportunity? Stop being so stubbornly blind. This apprenticeship could be so much more to you if you would just give it a chance."
"Yeah, like what? Being hated for being a thief and at the right hand of the city's crimelord! It doesn't appeal to me in the slightest, Slade!" I screamed.
Slade just looked at me, "Is that all you see me as, Robin? Just a crimelord?"
I was stunned at this question, but answered, "You, Slade, are a criminal. You have set the city outskirts aflame, you have stolen and destroyed the property of others, you've probably killed people too, and you have kidnapped me from my home. What else would you be?"
"I am a crimelord and a criminal, Robin. I am not however, a kidnapper. You are here because you chose to not let four people perish. I also believe that you came here in search of me, correct?"
"I came to bring you down, not to become your little apprentice," I said hotly. The rain began to beat harder.
"You miss what over there, Robin? What did you have over there? Yes, you were a leader. Yes you had friends and yes, you had the respect of so many in the city. What do they give back to you, though? Sure you form bonds with friends, but those are weaknesses. And the city won't be there to help you when you're older and need help yourself because you will never remove your mask that guards your friends," I didn't want to listen to this. But I did. I wasn't sure if Slade was entirely right, although to some extent I knew he was.
A few minutes ago, I felt like I was a child just enjoying life. Now, I feel like a child who was entirely lost.
"I could be a valuable teacher to you, Robin," Slade said as he turned my chin so that I was looking him in the eye. A teacher? Why would he want to teach me? Wasn't he just doing this to rip apart the Titans? What could he teach me? I had learned from the best...
"I don't need a teacher, Slade," I said as I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Perhaps, then, just a person who has advice?" Why did he keep asking me this?
"It's hard to see you as anything resembling a teacher or someone to come to for help, Slade, when the first thing I see every time I look at you is my captor and enemy," I told him and turned back to face the bay several miles away.
Slade sighed, "Typical, of you to think that."
"Why?"
"I'd probably think that as well if I was in your situation," He replied.
"I'm not in the mood for comparisons, Slade," I said.
We stood there for a couple minutes. It rained hard and cool wind blew causing me to shiver. I felt so alone. Slade just stood behind me, watching as always. I wanted to leave. I hated his stare. I hated it here. I still had no idea when I would be back outside again, so I savored what I could of being outside that rainy night.
BOOM!
The building shook. I slipped and fell over the side. I grabbed the drain pipe. It wasn't holding all of my weight. A bolt snapped off and I moved farther down. A wave of water flooded over me. If I wasn't as wet as if I had just stepped out of a pool before, I was now. I choked on some of the water. My grip was slipping, I was going to fall. A hand held my wrist. Looking up briefly, again there was Slade and again he wasn't about to let me fall off of a building.
Slade pulled me up and over the side of the building. On my knees, I choked out, "What? Did the building..."
"The building just across the street did, we're fine," He told me as I continued to choke out the dirty water in my lungs. As soon as I did, I noticed that I was shivering.
"Best get inside, now," Slade said as I stood up. We went over to the window and went inside. When we were back on the ground floor, I was about to go back over to the desk when Slade grabbed my shoulder. In the corner was Wintergreen with warm and fresh towels. I went over and took one. I draped it around and was using it as blanket, when Slade took another towel from Wintergreen.
"Take off your gloves," He commanded.
"Why?" I guess I irritated him, because he took off my gloves anyway. He dried off my hands thoroughly. As he did, I realized he wanted to keep my blood warm after being outside in the cold rain. As he stopped with my hands, I used the towel I had to dry off my hair.
"It's about 3:30, you can go and get some rest," I nodded, and was about to go when Slade had his last word, "Tomorrow we will start on some combat maneuvers, nothing like the other day though. I don't want you to worry about it. Just rest okay?"
"'Kay," I said. Was he saying it with a smile or a smirk? I couldn't tell and just wanted that mask off. I turned to go. I meant for my foot to move towards the door, but a question lagged in my mind, "Slade?"
Slade turned back to face me, "Yes, Robin?"
"Why did you ask me what I saw you as?"
There was a pause, "I merely wished to know to see how you've been adjusting. That's all."
"Oh," I nodded, "I guess... that makes sense. I'll just..."
Once again I meant to go, but oh no. My mind wouldn't have it, "Could, do you... I guess, I mean... Do you want me to see you as something in particular, Slade?"
Another long pause. Slade walked up to me and looked me dead in the eye, "You, Robin, are an inquisitive young man. I don't degrade you for that. It's a good thing. Your intelligence will grow because of that. As for your answer... I'd say this: what you see me as gives me an idea as to how to teach you, train you, and how you've been reacting to this change."
"That doesn't really answer my question," I responded.
"Then I'll let you think what you want on that one, Robin. It's not one that I really have an answer to. Now, go off to bed."
I nodded and went back down the corridor to my room. I knew that I wouldn't get as much sleep as I needed, but I would get something. The pillow under my head felt like a cloud. I quickly fell asleep, even though my mind kept nagging me with the enigma that was Slade. Did he want something out of me? Something that he couldn't force out of me? Did he really want me to see him as a teacher? Why should I even care what he wants? Why am I asking these questions? I needed my sleep. Oh, well. Tonight was a change and it was nice being out on the rooftop. I'd be asleep soon dreaming of memories of the Titans and I'd be free of these... questions...
What does Slade really want out of me?
A/N: So what did you think? R&R! It was very fast paced in comparison to the other chapters. Lots of stuff going on. I loved writing up the ending though, it was my favorite part. In the next chapter, Slade's back again for his POV. Also, I am considering doing two chapters or have two parts in some coming chapters from two POVs other then Robin and Slade's: The Titans' and Wintergreen's. For readers, would you like that? I'm just wondering, that's all. It wouldn't be for a couple chapters, but I'm starting to ask now. Oh, I finally saw Pirates. Yes! Now people won't yell at me for not seeing it. And now that I've fought off writer's block, computer uploading problems, and sickness, maybe fate will cut me some slack with this story! Please, I'm begging to be able to finish this before I get busy again. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!
Later!
Rena