Chapter Four: It's Never Too Late

Bright blue eyes watched as his parent's faces turned into terror while their bodies flipped in awkward positions. They couldn't stop falling, they couldn't grab onto anything. They just steadily made their way closer to the hard ground… the ground that held no safe landing. A part of Richard wanted to join them in their fall, but his feet stayed rooted to the raised platform. Twin snaps sounded throughout the tent as their bodies hit the floor, necks and legs bent in the opposite direction they should've been.

With no time to spare, he leaped off the platform and joined his parents to the afterlife…

His whole body jerked severely as he awoke from the same nightmare he had been having for awhile. The panic drove at him once again when he realized he had no idea where he was. All he remembered was waking up a couple of times; only to have a needle pierce his skin, making him sleep… and have more nightmares.

His arms thrashed at his invisible enemy, trying to ward off the sharp needle that was bound to come his way again. A loud beeping was heard throughout the room, piercing his ears. It almost matched the rhythm of his rapidly beating heart.

"Relax, Richard. You're safe." A large, rough, hand was pressed to his forehead and Richard heard the familiar tone, but couldn't match it with a face. Bringing up his hand, he tried to bat the heavy weight off his forehead, but it was forced down a second later by the mysterious character.

The calloused fingers brushed away a few strands of his hair and it felt oddly comforting. "Open your eyes, Richard. See where you are." It seemed oddly taxing to gather the strength to open his eyes. Perhaps it was because he hadn't had them open in what seemed like ages.

Or maybe it was because he didn't want to face reality.

Slowly, but surely, his eyelids cracked open into slits. Sleep caked his eyelids as he opened them wider, but alas, he shut them involuntarily when a bright light hit the pupils. Lying there, he focused on his breathing while his finger's wandered up to his face to trace over the thick scar running across his right eyelid.

His tongue ran over the chapped skin of his lips and he exhaled loudly, but calmly. Nothing would get done with him panicking like this. "Wh-," His voice cracked and he swallowed a couple times, trying to wash down the undetectable block. "Where?" That was all he could get out at the moment and he sat there, waiting for the cool, silky voice to tell him the answer.

"I'll tell you everything, if you open your eyes, Richard." The man wasn't playing fair, but his mind was a haze and answers sounded good right now.

Blue eyes blinked up at the ceiling, trying to get used to the brightness that was the white room. It was too bright for his liking… his eyes danced over to the source of the speaker. It was a handsome man, with an indescribable age. He didn't look familiar, but something was off about him, something that would occur to Richard when he woke up from this… daze.

"You're at the Wayne Memorial Clinic. Do you remember what happened?" Tired blue eyes moved away from the man that wouldn't give him the answers and it irritated him. Didn't the man say he would tell Richard once he opened his eyes? Now he wanted him to think in this foggy mind.

"Starfire! Lift me up. Raven, hold your fire!" The red haired alien flew over to her leader and hooked her hands around his arms. They flew through the air and she dropped him on the giant's shoulder while he retracted his Bo staff. If he could strike it in the neck he could weaken the giant considerably, which would make it more tolerant to the attacks. He brought down his staff, but before he could connect it at the monster's neck, Raven took that moment to toss a streetlamp at the giant. It hit the stone monster, but it also clipped Robin across the head- sending his vision black for a moment's time.

A loud, terrified gasp filled the room as he remembered the events from… how long ago? It seemed like years ago. It all seemed like a dream to him. Perhaps… just maybe, he was still dreaming? And then it hit him. It was just so second nature that he didn't think anything about it when he woke up. The last time he had his memory about him… he had legs, but he couldn't move them now.

The heart monitor next to him started beeping off rhythm again and he reflexively moved his trembling hands down to pat the bed sheets. Were they brutally ripped from their sockets? Maybe he had laid on them for weeks and they were just numb. His hands roamed the length of his present leg. They were there.

He then tried to clench his toes and lift his leg and bend his knee, anything, but he was unsuccessful. This… this couldn't happen to him. Not-, no.

This was a nightmare… he had to wake up. The doctors must've gotten him with another needle when he had woken up.

"Breath, Richard." The man stood up from the chair and came over to him, reaching out to bring him back to reality.

Darkness claimed him before the man did, and he blacked out.

--PA--

Raven sat in the darkest corner of the common room, trying to mediate. But her eyes were cracked open, roaming over to her teammates whom were doing different things around the room.

Cyborg and Beast Boy were playing video games, although they seemed a little less enthusiastic than they usually were. Starfire was sitting on the couch, looking out into space… and the newest member of the team was making himself a sandwich.

Everyone in the tower seemed depressed and there was a good reason for it to. Their leader had a terrible accident that they all felt responsible for. She remembered watching as her bewitched lamp post flew toward Robin, making him loose his balance and fall.

The rest of the team was flying around the city, trying to rescue the people from being stepped on. It was too late when she just watched as their leader's body slammed into the street. Not only was she responsible for his fall, but also when she just stood there and stared at him as he tried to roll away as fast as he could from the coming down stone foot. Not only her, but Starfire, and Beast Boy, also just watched. Cyborg made an attempt to run as fast as he could toward Robin, but failed. It was him who instructed everyone what to do in the situation. He was the one who told Raven to float Robin over to the Titan's tower with her black magic. Even then, she sensed something was severely wrong with Robin. She tried to heal him as best as she could.

This accident came to a shock to her. They had felt that Robin was, well, immortal; someone who never would get into this kind of accident. The whole team saw Robin as their leader, someone who would never perish, but really, he was just a human. And that was their own mistake.

She had heard no news once so ever about Robin from Batman. She could only meditate to keep her mind off the whole subject, making sure her emotions didn't get the best of her.

The 'new' Robin was keeping himself busy with training in the workout room… something him and Robin probably picked up from Batman. The new Robin wasn't as good as Robin in fighting. Sure he had good moves, but Robin had always had great strategies and better skill in the martial arts. She didn't understand completely why they needed the new Robin, although she guessed it was to keep Batman's and Robin's identity covered.

She just hoped Robin would be coming back home soon.

--PA--

Deathstroke watched as his apprentice fainted. Of course finding out he was paralyzed was life changing and he was also weak from all the sedatives, but when Richard woke up, he would come to terms with his condition. Deathstroke would see to that.

What he really was worried about was Richard's fever and the rising infection in his body. The sooner he took his apprentice away, the faster he could work without being undercover. He would be able to give the antibiotics to him freely. The antibiotics were easy to smuggle to Richard, but the hospital took detailed records on which drugs left the center and where they arrived.

Slade leaned against the bed frame and looked down at the boy. Now that his apprentice was sleeping, he was able to think clearly and more in detail of what he was going to do with Richard.

Now that he had gotten his hands on Richard, he could start working with the boy. Batman had given him the greatest example of the meaning 'manipulation.' The man cared too greatly for his crime fighting and would give up his ward just to keep his image and continue as if nothing had happened. Even after all the two had gone through, Batman had thrown Richard away.

Batman saw Richard as a broken superhero, but Deathstroke saw him as broken toy… something that would shine with brilliance once he took apart the foundation and put if preciously back together. A toy in which would be envied among others, but it would be completely in his possession by then and it would be impossible for others to take his creation away from him. And when he fixed his toy, he would train it to become loyal…someone who would stand by his side. It would take a great amount of time to reach that position, along with a lot of trust, training, and respect. But time was what he had.

"Excuse me; I'm here to visit Richard Grayson." Deathstroke sneered softly, his back facing the visitor in the door way. His mind started turning with the possibilities in which the Batman was here. Was it guilt, perhaps?

No matter...

Clearing his face away of any emotion, he turned and nodded toward Bruce Wayne. The man carried a bouquet of lilacs and Deathstroke wondered lazily if they were Richard's favorite flower. How… sweet.

"He's resting right now." He paused for a moment and surveyed the Dark Knight with a critical eye. "Sir." Respect, was it really needed? Perhaps, but Slade didn't seem to be inclined to give the man the satisfactory of leaving the room.

Bruce nodded and made his way over to his apprentice while Deathstroke picked up the clipboard to scribble a few notes on it, well aware of the man's eyes on him.

"Sorry, what was your name again?" Batman's voice sounded through the room and Deathstroke watched in the corner of his good eye as Richard stirred on the bed. Hiding a smirk, Slade turned back around and positioned his body between Bruce and his apprentice. Oh, it would be fun to play with his toy and the Bat.

"Ah, my apologies. My name is Dr. Wilson and I'm caring for Richard now." He could just feel those pretty blue eyes staring holes on his back and he hid a smile while looking down at the clipboard. "And you must be Bruce Wayne, am I correct?" Of course he was correct, he was always correct. Bruce gave a hesitant nod, his eyes wary as if he could sense something was about to transpire shortly.

"You are correct. The front desk gave me permission to visit Richard. Now, if you'll excuse me, Dr. Wilson, I would like to visit him alone." Deathstroke nodded, flipping through the pages of the documents.

"Yes of course. Jest let me get this paper work straightened out first." At seeing the man's face contort, Deathstroke interrupted smoothly. "It will only take a couple of minutes. Just some yes and no questions and afterward you can see Richard alone. " Without waiting for an answer, Deathstroke started reading off the questions that were not on the clipboard.

"It says here that you're not giving permission to the hospital to give Richard antibiotics, is that correct?" Bruce opened his mouth, as if to defend himself, but Deathstroke continued without a pause.

"And it says here that you were notified that without the antibiotics given to the patient, he will likely acquire an infection or hospital illness that results in death?" He couldn't help the small smirk as he watched Batman's jaw clench and his hands grip the flowers in a death hold.

So Slade was accurate in assuming the man was guilty of not signing the papers. Under his lashes, Slade studied the man. What made the Batman not sign them? Was it that Richard and Wayne had more of an emotional bond then Slade had first originally thought? Maybe Batman had been an emotional wreck the night he was informed of Richard's incapability and wasn't in the right mind to sign. But it still didn't change Slade's game. He was going to use Wayne's hesitation of signing the papers as his trap to lure Richard. And his trap started now.

Three

Deathstroke scribbled something on his paper and turned toward Richard.

Two

His blue eye locked with tired blue and he cocked his head to the side, as if he were surprised to see Richard awake. The boy's lips were frowning. Oh, how pretty he looked when in pain.

One

He moved out the way to let the guardian and ward lock eyes.

"Why, Bruce?" His toy's voice spread thickly through the room.

Check and Mate. He moved gracefully over to the sink and leaned against it, watching in amusement as Batman looked over at him as if he planned the whole thing…

"Why?" Richard spoke more forceful, as much as he could with his hoarse voice. The boy's blue eyes looked upon the Bat with betrayal. Emotional ties that snapped were rather fascinating to watch. How would the Batman get out of this one?

Bruce sighed and ran his hand through his slicked back hair. "I was coming here to visit you and sign the form. Alfred made me see what my mistake was, and I was devastated that I actually considered-,"

Deathstroke watched as his apprentice's normally attractive face screw up in anger. "Don't lie, Bruce. I know that you're a man who makes good decisions on the spur of the moment. If you really wanted me around, you would've signed the whole form without Alfred's word of advice. You always do things your way without the help of others." Richard was trying to sit up, while never loosing eye contact with Bruce.

Batman nodded and set the lilacs on the table beside Richard. He glanced over at Deathstroke whom had crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't going anywhere. Not when his plans were already working out perfectly.

"You're right, Richard. I do make decisions in moments like that. But I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought when you discovered you could never walk again, that you would just give up on life. Ever since you were a small kid, you've always used your legs to do what you loved in life."

Richard fell back on his pillows and glared at Bruce with unbelievable eyes. "You thought I would've lost the will to life just because I'm…" Robin faltered and Slade frowned. The boy would have to come to terms with what he was. "Paralyzed?"

Deathstroke watched as his apprentice sagged against the pillows in weariness and his fever showed 103 degrees. This was like his own personal puppet show… how quaint.

"Richard-," Wayne tried so desperately, it was sickening to watch.

"You were going to kill me." There was that betrayal Slade was so found of.

Batman stepped closer and he watched as his apprentice straightened up again, clenching his hands together. "Richard, I was going to sign it-,"

"After you found out I was conscious and wasn't dying from an infection." Richard's eyes flashed, his fever rising another degree. "Just leave." This discussion wasn't over, Slade knew that. Robin wasn't convinced of everything presently; it was up to Slade to whisper things in the boys ear, to convince him that Wayne thought him broken and useless. But was this emotional bond too strong for Slade to pluck it apart?

Just as Bruce was going to open his mouth again, Deathstroke stepped in between them and gave the Batman a sneer. "Richard's health is unstable and he is in no position to be arguing. If you would please take your leave and let him rest…" Batman looked at the monitor besides Richard's bed and gave a sharp nod. Without another word, the Batman turned his heel and left the room.

Once the door slammed, Deathstroke watched carefully as Richard looked blankly at the closed door, with a face of disbelief.

Everything was working out just the way he liked it.