Summary: What really happened to Robin when he became Slade's apprentice? And what did Slade intend for him. Prequel to Darkness.

A/N: Only one person guessed it so congrats to Balance in the Dark. Good job. As for the rest of you, you will understand in the first part of the chapter and probably go "oh". Well enough from me on with the story.

Flashbacks

Thoughts

How the mighty have fallen

Chapter 2: Pain

Robin slowly came around. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't in his room on the semi-comfortable bed. Next he noticed he was laying on a metal table with straps across his chest and tied to his ankles and wrists. He tried to pull free but the restraints held him tightly to the table. Robin finally calmed and looked over at his left arm to see how bad the cut was, what he saw shocked him. The make shift bandage had been taken off and his shirt had been ripped further up his arm to his shoulder. That is when he started to hyperventilate. If Slade had seen that, he shuddered to think what the man would do. After a few minutes he calmed again and looked back down at the small black bat that was on his left shoulder. As he lay there he thought back to when he first got the tattoo.

He had come across the small tattoo shop while he was out patrolling. They didn't care that he was underage so he took advantage of this. Now he sat in the Bat cave waiting for Bruce to quit pacing and start yelling at him. He had broken a rib and thus got carried back to the Bat cave and when Bruce took off his shirt it was hard to miss the small black bat on his shoulder. Finally Bruce stopped pacing and looked at him.

"When did you get it?" He asked calmly.

"About a month ago." Robin said hanging his head. Bruce only nodded.

"Well what's done is done. Just don't tell Alfred. He had a cow when he heard I got mine." Bruce said clapping Robin on the shoulder.

"Tell me what?" Alfred said calmly from the entrance. Bruce whipped around to face the old man. And Robin groaned. "Busted." He said quietly to Bruce. They had spent the rest of the day scrubbing the Bat cave from top to bottom.

Robin was throw out of his memories by the sound of a door opening and closing. He started to shake slightly as Slade stood over him.

"When did you get it?" Slade asked in a voice dripping with anger. When Bruce asked that question he was calm when Slade asked it his voice radiated with anger. Robin being to afraid to talk back answered quickly.

"About two years ago."

"Well, Robin this brings up a problem. You can't fully be mine if you are marked as someone else's." Slade said in a voice that made Robin extremely nervous. "I suppose I will have to correct this."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked not bothering to hide the fear in his voice.

"Do you know what they used to do with cattle, Robin? They branded them with a special insignia so if they got lost or stolen they would know who they belonged to. But when they were sold to someone else that person placed their own insignia right over the previous one. Therefore making the previous one disappear." Slade said coldly as he reached for a long pole made of iron and a blow torch that was sitting beside the table. Robin watched in horror as Slade heated up the iron.

"Slade, no. Please don't. Don't do this..." Robin couldn't believe he was begging Slade, who just continued to heat up the brand which Robin now noticed had his insignia on the end of it. Robin started to struggle as Slade dropped the blow torch and turned to him.

"This is going to hurt." That was all the warning Slade gave him before he pressed the brand to Robin's shoulder. Robin bit his lip trying to hold back the cry that escaped him anyway. When Slade pulled the brand away Robin screamed as he felt it take skin with it. After a few minutes he passed out from the tremendous pain.

Slade noticed Robin's exit from reality and looked down at the iron mark and smiled. He also sewed his wound on his arm up and bandaged it. Some day this boy will thank me for all this. He doesn't realize how great a villain he could be. But one day he will show his inner nature. And then he will realize what I always wanted for him. Slade took him back to his room and dropped him on the bed the left him to his sleep.

A/N: Well, did that explain why he was holding his arm. I know some of you probably don't like the brand but what can I say in this fic Slade is sadistic. R&R