Title: A Darker Shade of Love
Author: Jordan Herbert

Rating: M throughout the entire fic.
Genre: Angst/Slash/Drama
Pairing: Sladin in the beginning with RobinRed X in future chapters
Chapter Summary: The Apprentice Arc comes to an end.

Theory of Omission

After the mission and the argument with Slade, Robin had gone to bed alone, for once, and woke up alone as well. All the while, he was still contemplating Slade's words. What was the man trying to do? He wanted to be Robin's father now as well. Wasn't being Robin's crazy boyfriend/lover, archenemy, and 'master' enough for him?

Robin was really sick of dealing with Slade. He just wanted the Titans to come in, bust open his stupid mask, and then go home. But like that would ever happen.

Even though Slade had left him alone the night before and he had completed his first mission, Robin was still tired. He had tossed and turned for a few hours, his mind turning over Slade's words and trying to figure them out. He felt like he had even been thinking over what Slade had said during his dreams though he knew he hadn't slept all that much.

He just hoped that Slade was going to give him another easy day. He needed it.

Apparently, going one night without sex made Slade an angry bastard. Or it might have been the fact that Robin had called him a psychotic asshole before he had stormed off to bed and locked the door.

Breakfast had been silent and from there on it had been nothing but Slade's angry remarks as Robin failed to impress him during his training exercises. He managed to take down five Sladebots with a single move but that still wasn't good enough for Slade and he was forced to do it again and again. Slade then set up different Sladebots around the main room and called them targets. Robin had to hit all twenty targets in under three minutes.

The Sladebots fought back, they were spread all over the large room, and a few were even up in the rafters, hiding and moving so they were never in the same spot for more than a few seconds. It wasn't humanly possible. Heck, it was barely metahuman possible to complete.

"I'm not sure if you know this or not," Robin bit out after knocking out all twenty targets in five minutes and twenty-three seconds. "But I am not a metahuman."

"No, you are my apprentice and I expect you to do this simple task without failing." Slade snapped, starting the timer once again. "Begin,"

After five more tries, his time getting better each time, Robin's exhaustion finally caught up to him. His legs were shaking as he bent over, hands on his quivering knees as he panted.

"Again, Robin," Slade ordered, still not satisfied with the time of three minutes and four seconds.

Robin moaned, "Slade, please, I need to rest. At least get a water break," he knew he was dehydrated due to the headache currently trying to split his head in two.

"If you want water you'll have to earn it. Now, begin," Slade demanded once more and watched as Robin forced himself into a graceful jump, arching his back as he flew to the rafters.

Taking out the three in the rafters first with one well placed kick and two carefully aimed Slade-designed-shurikens took thirty seconds. From the eagle eye vantage point that he had, it was easy to strike down the four bots in the west sector with more of the exploding shurikens. He dropped down to finish off the five in northern area with his bo-staff and used his weapon to catapult over Slade's throne and dispose of the two hanging in the south by throwing the one into the other.

He was over a minute and forty-five seconds by the time he reached the east section and began hunting down the remaining six in the shadows. One managed to grab him from behind but his bo-staff was still drawn and easily took off its head with a swing.

Weaving around, he found another two and swiped the feet of one to thrust his staff into its chest and ram into the other one with his steel-clad boots. The last three ran out of the shadows and threw their own styled shurikens at him as he emerged. He blocked them with a twirl of his staff and aimed a kick at one's chest, only to be blocked as well.

Twisting his body, Robin did a round house kick to its head and a spinning kick into another one. It was a bad idea in his condition as the world continued to spin and the pressure in his head increased tenfold. He looked at the remaining Sladebot, two feet in front of him and at the red glowing timer directly behind the target.

The timer stated two minutes and forty-seven seconds but Robin was too fatigued to even stand any longer. Falling over onto his back with a loud grunt, he panted for air as he attempted to regain his breath.

Slade looked over at his exhausted apprentice and glared. One target was still untouched and directly in front of him; that was unacceptable. After seeing the way Robin had easily out maneuvered his friends the night before, Slade knew that the boy had been hiding his true skill level the entire time he trained him. Robin was holding out on him. Not to mention the boy's sudden horrible attitude.

If the boy wanted to hold out on him and treat him like dirt after everything Slade gave him, then Slade was going to teach the little brat who was in charge. "I believe you still have one more target, Robin, and your training is hardly over for the day." Slade growled as he sailed across the room in a few easy strides to loom over the boy.

Robin's eyes were closed and his mouth hung wide open as he gasped and panted, his chest moving rapidly with each ragged breath. "I…can't, Slade. I'm too…tired," Robin moaned as he forced his eyes open and looked up on the man, begging him to take pity. His head was still spinning and it was starting to make him feel nauseous. Since Slade recorded his vital signs, as he was informed the night before, obviously the man must have known that he was feeling unwell.

Slade did not look happy with him and normally he would have been worried that an upset Slade would lead to his friends' being harmed or even himself, but he was too worn out to even care.

"If you are so tired then you should sleep at night." Slade folded his arms over his chest in annoyance. He knew about the boy's unhealthy insomnia habit and he felt no remorse since Robin did it on his own.

"I'd love to," Robin glared as he regained his breath and with it some anger. "Too bad you don't let me sleep at night, you bastard." He growled as he tightened his fists at his sides even while he laid out on the ground. He did not feel like being yelled at when he was obviously physically sick and on the urge of being mentally sick as well.

Slade's eye narrowed at Robin's words. "Fine, then to allow you more sleep at night I'll move all of our nightly activities to the daytime. Does it make you feel better if I work to your schedule?" Slade hissed as he reached for his belt and unclicked it.

Robin's eyes widened, his stomaching rolling with the thought, and he struggled to sit up despite his head's warnings. "I'll…I'll finish the training."

"Oh no, Robin, it's too late now for you to change your mind." Slade pressed his heavy boot to Robin's chest and forced the boy down again on his back. "You want to sleep at night, and seeing as I'm a reasonable guy, I'll compromise with you. After all, you are right; a growing boy should sleep at night." Robin tried to pry Slade's foot off and instead Slade pressed more of his weight onto the boy, receiving a loud gasp of pain out of Robin's pressured lungs. "So let's make you nice and tired."

"Don't touch me!" Robin shouted as loud as he could as he squirmed under the pinning weight of Slade.

Suddenly, Slade's foot lifted from Robin and the always-a-Titan-at-heart boy tried to lunge away, only to be kicked hard in the ribs and sent rolling several feet until he finally came to a painful halt on his back. "Stop telling me what to do, apprentice." Slade hissed as he strolled slowly over to the smaller male. He was well aware of Robin's condition and he knew no reason to have to hurry while the boy wasn't fast enough to go anywhere. Besides, he knew that Robin had no where to go even if he did try to run. He was going to teach Robin who was in charge once and for all.

Robin clutched at his pained side while he sat up on his knees, thinking over the probability that Slade had broken one of his ribs. A large hand rested on the back of his head and his eyes widened in fright as his face was pushed to the floor and his ass hung up in the air. "Please, don't, Slade." But his plea had fallen on deaf ears as Slade forced Robin's pants down to restrain his knees.

As Slade straddled Robin's legs and traced the boy's red crack, Robin tried to plead again. "Please, Slade, it hurts so much." He already felt the tears start to threaten in his eyes and it disgusted him.

"If you didn't move around then it wouldn't hurt as much." Slade growled as he pressed his erection against Robin's sore, puckered spot and caused the boy to cry out in a bit of pain and a lot of fear already. One would think that he was use to it by now. Thrusting his hips, Slade entered Robin faster than he ever had before due to the position that provided deep penetration as well as help from gravity.

Robin banged his fist against the cold floor as Slade unforgivably moved within him once again. He didn't scream or curse, his throat felt too sore for any of that, but his tears fell rapidly from his puffy, masked eyes. His stomach was feeling much worse, his migraine was on the verge of driving him insane, and he now had to deal with the flaming pain of Slade pulsing inside of him. Having his body at the odd angle was starting to make his back sore as well.

He closed his eyes, praying to some merciful God or whatever was currently watching him suffer, that the pain would leave him any way that it could. Robin really felt like he was on the verge of dying and he hoped that he would. Or better yet, he hoped Slade died. The man obviously didn't care about him; he had made that clear the first time he had raped him. But now he seemed totally heartless as he continued to slide in and out of Robin at a fast pace, panting and moaning as he moved along. He wasn't even trying to make it good for Robin as well.

Robin hated him, he really hated him. From that moment on, Robin knew that he would never forgive Slade. No matter what Slade did from there on out, he would never forgive him for being so uncaring and neglectful of Robin's own feelings and health. It was now completely over between them and forever would be.

Mixing his scream of pain with Slade's groan of pleasure, Robin sobbed. "Hate…Hate you…" he mumbled over and over again as Slade pulled out of him. "…Hate…" Slade made himself decent and Robin did the same, slowly.

"Get up, apprentice, you have yet to finish your training." Slade hissed as he turned and started to walk away. Robin shakily started to stand but the room began to spin and he collapsed to his hands and knees, shaking all over. "Robin," Slade started but stopped when Robin hurled violently on the floor.

"Robin," Slade hurried to the boy's side as Robin vomited the meager meals some more. He kneeled next to Robin and placed his hand on Robin's shuddering back, rubbing soft circles.

"Don't touch me, I hate you!" Robin shrieked as he closed his eyes and fiercely shook some more. Vomit ran down his chin and he sat back on his knees for a moment as he tried to get his rolling stomach to settle. He felt awful.

"Relax, Robin," Slade removed his hand. "I know you're just feeling sick and you don't mean anything--"

"I mean it!" Robin glared at Slade and then balanced on his hands again as he rocked a bit and then threw up once more. "I hate you so much, Slade." He hurled the last bit of food from his stomach painfully onto the floor as his tears continued to trail from his face and splash onto and mix with the meager, half digested meals. "I wish I had never met you. You only cause me pain and I…I…You're a monster! A heartless monster and I don't know how I could have ever had loved you but I know what you are now and I don't love you anymore and I never will again; I hate you!" He finalized.

Slade kneeled next to him in silence for a moment before he got up and left, again leaving Robin to himself to deal with his problems. Robin didn't care though. He didn't want Slade near him anyway. Then he started to dry heave. Tears started to fall faster from his eyes; he was in so much pain and it was Slade's fault just like it always was.

Moments later, Slade returned as Robin finally stopped crying and his stomach began to settle. He held a glass of water and a couple of pills in his hands. "Here," he handed them to Robin. "It should help make you feel better." Robin swallowed the pills, not caring if they made him fall unconscious and die if it would only get rid of some of the pain, and drowned the water in three gulps. He moodily handed the glass back to Slade, avoiding looking at the man. He couldn't even stand the sight of the man anymore.

"I want you to spend the rest of today resting instead. Do you need help walking to the bedroom?" Slade asked with a hint of concern in his voice. Robin ignored it and shakily stood on his own unbalanced feet. He staggered angrily from the room without looking back or answering Slade's question.

Once he was in the hallway, he leaned against the wall to support him and slowly made it back to the bedroom. As soon as Robin hit the bed, he passed out blissfully.

Robin drifted into a dreamless sleep after a while. His exhausted body didn't even bother to try to toss and turn while he slept, even though his arm was becoming numb.

He was awoken to the feeling of soft fingers on his face. He blinked and groaned a bit woozily as he opened his eyes. Slade was stroking his face, he could have guessed. "Robin--" the man's voice was as gentle as it normally was when he thought he was making things up to Robin. The thought that the man would touch him again after so little time frightened Robin and he jolted up and away from the man.

"Oh god," Robin instantly regretted the action as his stomach revolted and his head screamed at him in anger. He glared at Slade as he held both his head and stomach. "What?" he bit out, fear completely gone and only his anger remaining.

Slade held out a few more pills and a glass of water again. Robin took it greedily and gulped the water down in one go. "You've been asleep for five hours. How are you feeling?" Slade asked.

"Like you really care," Robin snarled as he kept the glass in his hand, choosing to glare at it instead of Slade.

Sighing and opting not to respond, Slade rose from the edge of the bed. "I think some fresh air would be good for you. So, I've decided to send you out on your next mission a littler earlier than I planned." Slade looked at Robin carefully. "It's at Wayne Enterprises but I'm sure, even with your illness, you won't have any problems handling this job."

Robin's eyes widened and he looked up at Slade, stunned for a moment. Did the man know? No, Robin decided, Slade couldn't possibly know the connection that Robin the Boy Wonder had with Bruce Wayne.

"You should know the building pretty well already, due to your little heists as Red X; all of the Wayne buildings are built with the same design in mind." Robin glared at the glass in his hand when Red X was mentioned. He hated to be reminded of his mistakes and creating Red X had been one of his biggest mistakes in his entire Super Hero career. After all, it had led him closer to Slade.

"Fine," Robin growled, "What do you want me to steal?"

Robin had to think fast, he had to act fast; time was running out. His team, his friends who refused to loose to Slade, were withering in pain before him and Slade was behind him, still talking to him. "This is the price for your disobedience, Robin. Now do as I command. Attack!" Slade ordered and Robin frantically looked around the room. He spotted the device, the same one that had infected his friends,

"No." Simple as that, Robin finally felt like himself again. Then he made his move. He lunged for the devise as he ignored Slade's outcry and grabbed onto it, holding onto the machine for dear life even through the intense pain.

Then it happened, his name and bloodstream was added up onto the monitors. Robin stood, his body glowing red and feeling the pain of Slade's nanoprobes. "New deal, Slade; if I lose my friends, you lose your apprentice." He groaned as he moved closer to stand defiantly right in front of Slade. "And I know how you hate to lose."

Robin collapsed to the floor and continued to groan in pain. He didn't know if Slade was actually going to let him and the other Titans live but he did know one thing; he was no longer going to be under Slade's control; he'd be free or die trying.

Slade tossed the controller—the hated controller that had been in control of Robin's fears and compliance for the longest of time—and the pain stopped. Slade had his wrists clenched in anger by his sides and brought up his foot to kick out at Robin.

Acting quickly, Robin grabbed his leg with an appreciative smirk as Slade's eye widened in surprise. He punched Slade and grinned as he called out, "Titans! Go!"

Watching the other Titans fly into action and deliver attack after attack onto Slade made it truly feel like everything was back to. Slade was going to be defeated and he was going to be back with his friends in no time. Robin smiled as he delivered a high kick to Slade's already cracked mask.

He landed gracefully and his eyes widened as the side of Slade's mask broke off and fell to the floor. Slade's eye widened and he retreated further into the shadows before Robin could catch a glimpse of his face. "Another day, Robin," Slade threatened as he worked a few buttons and levers. "Another day,"

With that said, the lair started to collapse and Robin watched as Slade disappeared during all the hectic mass. The gears fell, the pipes collapsed; Robin swiped the half cracked mask while he dodged everything and made for the door. In the flashing red light, Robin opened the door, basked in the pure, whit light, and turned to his teammates.

"Let's go home," Robin knew that the nightmare was over.

A.N. Okay this chapter was choppy but that's because I was following the Apprentice Part 2 episode. Anyways, this ends the Apprentice Arc part of this fic! Whoot! Do you know what that means? In, at the very most, three more chapters Red X will appear! And I know a lot of you are thinking 'Robin is Slade's and no one else's!' Well, trust me, I hear you, I really do, but since when does Red X ever play by the rules? Also, he is a thief so Robin can belong to Slade still, but Red X can just steal him away for a while. Also, it's not like Slade's ever gone for good, especially from one of my fics. So whether you're rooting or booing Red X, don't worry too much about it and just continue to enjoy this. Because you are enjoying this, right? I mean, come on, there's been a sex scene in almost every single chapter so far!