Slade narrowed his eyes at the computer before him, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, so focused on his work that even the footsteps of a visitor were not enough to make him look away. "I see the chip is working again," Luthor commented as he walked into Deathstroke's work area, curious eyes studying the monitor the assassin was focused on.

"Not exactly," came his response, a small frown on his face as his typed commands were yet again ignored. "It said that Renegade's mission was complete earlier which was definitely untrue." He leaned back against his chair, head resting again his fist. "Now it says that his mission is still ongoing, and it's now at priority alpha status. I know I didn't authorize that."

"And what exactly is the problem? Alpha status insures a quick finish, and you will have him at your command sooner than expected. I thought that was what you wanted."

"A quick finish, yes. A sloppy one, no. The chip's influence on his emotions is making it likely for him to complete his task at the wrong moment, which means the probability of him being caught will rise as well." He tapped his fingers against the desk. "I also noticed something that I believe could be the cause of the glitch in the system."

"And that is...?"

"Project Renegade was given the ability to break down technology to make battle with electronics impossible for an enemy. At my request, Cadmus made sure that he wouldn't be able to activate the ability until his Mission was complete, but for some reason, strong emotional responses enables him to lash out with this power now."

"Again, what is your point? His abilities do no harm to the Light, so I don't see the issue."

"The original plan was to keep him around for at least another month, to finalize his programming and train him to ensure him a place in the League, remember?"

A scoff. "Of course I do."

"Then my point is clear. Cadmus didn't get around to add the finishing touches to his programming, the Justice Brats broke him out before the date he was supposed to 'escape,' and as a result there are holes in his programming. The boy is able to use powers that he shouldn't posses, and because it goes against his programming, he becomes easily agitated. Part of him says that he can't use these powers, but the other half says he can. An inward battle such as this is what's making the chip confused, and now he's rushing through his Mission so that it wouldn't be a problem anymore. His chances of being caught are rising, and I will not stand for my soldier being taken away from me by the League."

"Hm. That does seem to be a problem, doesn't it? Well, you're in luck." Luthor smirked. "By next year's time, the League will be out of the way and your little pet will be at your side once again. The Light has a new plan, one that Renegade would only hinder if he were to stay where he is. He will be in your grasp by New Years."

"That is... wonderful news." Deathstroke smiled coldly. "But I was relying on Renegade's emotional response to completing his task to be able to get him to join me willingly. Without his Mission, there will be no emotions for me to take advantage of, and he will likely rebel against me."

"The solution is simple: if you can't make him join you willingly, tell him to fall." Lex chuckled as he began to take his leave. "I'm sure you know what to do then. After you have him, there isn't anything anyone can do to save him. No heroes outside of the League will bring him back, and the sidekicks will most likely die trying." He paused in the doorway. "But don't pull him out until our plan is ready. If the Light can't succeed in our plan, we'll need him to stay stationed."

"Of course." He watched as Luthor left, and turned back to look at the screen just in time for the monitor to show him Renegade's fear levels spiking. "Since it's three in the morning, and you're still at Wayne's, I assume you're having a nightmare," he mused out loud. A wicked grin appeared on his face. "Do not fear, my apprentice... The real nightmare has yet to come."

xXx

"I understand that you're hurting from what you experienced," Black Canary said softly.

"... Well, considering that I sent all of my friends to their deaths, I think I have a right to be a little traumatized." He laughed hollowly.

"So talk to me, that's what I'm here for. I want to help you, Robin."

"When the Team was still new, all I wanted was to be leader, and I was furious at Kaldur for stealing my role." He shook his head and moved his gaze to the ground. "But now I realize how stupid I was. Kaldur took the leadership for selfless reasons, while I only wanted to lead so that I meant something to the Team. I was so desperate to matter that I would take up the responsibility of leading an entire team of super powered heroes... I was delusional. Still am."

"Your thirst to prove yourself, do you know where it originated from?"

He nodded slowly. "My time in Cadmus only taught me one lesson: that I'm useless. That's what the scientists have told me, what Desmond told me," he sighed. "And what my Mas- Deathstroke told me." His face fell. "It really hurt when Deathstroke called me that; I tried so hard to please him, to make him proud of me, and all he did was-" he stopped short, closing his eyes. "I just needed to be told that I mattered, somewhere."

"Robin, you do matter. You've helped the Team accomplish many missions, and you have saved dozens of lives already." He didn't reply, and she leaned forward. "Did your earlier fascination with Batman have anything to do with your need to prove yourself? I still remember when you had a cute obsession over him."

"... I don't know." He stared at the wall behind her. "Something about him inspired me, and I guess the mystery around him made me want to know him more." He frowned. "Bats took care of my training right away, and he gave me tools to use in the field that I could actually keep. For the first time that I could remember, I had a teacher who wouldn't shout abuse at me when I messed up. He encouraged me. I guess a part of me always yearned for a parental figure after my parents died, and when Batman was kind towards me, I just sort of clung to him."

"And so you wanted to be like him."

"Yeah. I wanted to be like him so much that it was all that was on my mind for the longest time." He closed his eyes tightly. "If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell him?"

"Nothing leaves this room," she assured him.

He took in a shaky breath. "After Batman took me in, I thought it was a given that after he either passed away or retired, then I would become the next one. I thought that was part of the reason he took me in, so that there would always be a Batman protecting Gotham." He lowered his head. "I... I can't. He can give up anything for the sake of his mission without a second thought, but that's not me. I sacrificed my friends in order to save the world, and even though it wasn't real, that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I don't think I can be the Batman anymore. I don't think I want to."

Canary gave him a look of pure sympathy. "Robin, you don't need to become someone else for you to accomplish anything. You can be yourself, and-"

"How?!" He shouted suddenly, standing. "How can I be myself if I don't even know who I am?! Yeah, I finally have my identity, but Batman was wrong about me getting all of my memories back. I still don't know who I was, or what my parents were like." He snarled. "I don't even know how Cadmus captured me, or when! All of my memories are either gone or blurry, and by the time I broke myself out of Cadmus, I was an empty shell of a person! Dick Grayson died when he was eight, but who am I? I'm not Renegade, Deathstroke's pet assassin, and I'm not the cheerful Robin that Gotham thinks I am. I'm not even the rich son of Bruce Wayne!" He covered his face, whispering, "I look at my reflection and all I can see is some kid with black hair and blue eyes, but who is that?"

"Robin-"

Sobs forced their way past his throat as he clenched his fists. "I-I don't even know what I want anymore. I-it's like I keep forcing myself to go t-through life every day, but I'm sleep walking instead of actually living. Before the failsafe, nothing mattered but hero work, b-but now nothing matters at all. What am I supposed to do now?"

"You can continue living a double life as a hero, or," she lowered her voice. "Or you can retire, and be a civilian permanently if that's what you want."

"So you want me to hide from my problems, like a coward," he said crossly, a scowl forming.

"Rob- Dick, you're still just a child. No one would frown at you if the stress was too much and you wanted to leave. In fact, I'm sure everyone will understand." While Robin continued to look indecisive, she smiled in reassurance. "And retiring from hero work doesn't have to be permanent. You can come back if you decide that's what you want, once you find yourself. That's what you want, isn't it? To learn about yourself?"

"... I don't know," he admitted. "A part of me wants to, but the other half wants- needs me to continue what I'm doing now."

"The only life you know is an extraordinary one, whether it be locked away in the depths of Cadmus or saving the world, you don't remember living a normal life. I think you're afraid to give up what's familiar to you."

"Maybe..." He mentally sighed to himself. He should have known that nobody, not even Black Canary, would know how he felt. It wasn't just the familiarity of an extraordinary life that kept him from permanently hanging up the mask, but something like... instinct. There was always a push towards the League, a constant thought in the back of his mind. He felt like there was an important duty he had to accomplish within the hero community. His destiny, maybe? He didn't believe in destiny, but what else could be gluing him to where he stood in the world?

Canary watched him for a moment, trying to read emotions she couldn't possibly understand. "If you don't want to leave, but still want to find yourself, I think a trip to the past will help you in the long run. When was the last time you allowed yourself to think about your circus days?"

He frowned. His memories before Cadmus were covered in thick fog, and while he was sometimes able to see distant images in the haze, they were never clear enough to put all of the puzzle pieces together. Maybe Canary was right, he needed to do research on his past self, maybe learn about his parents while he was at it.

"I think I'll try that." He said, wiping away the wetness on his face. "Sorry for the emotional breakdown. It's just-" he stopped mid-sentence, struggling to find words to finish it.

She held up a hand. "There is no need for am apology. It sounds like you had a lot on your chest, and I'm glad you let it all out rather than keeping it to yourself like a certain bat we both know."

Dick cracked a small smile. "Yeah..." he stood up taller, forcing his smile to widen. "Well, not that this hasn't been fun or anything, but can I go now?"

She nodded with a smile of her own, seeming pleased by his apparent emotional recovery. "You may, but remember that you can come talk to me whenever you want, okay?"

He snorted. "I'll remember that the next time you're on a date with Green Arrow." A small chuckle came from BC as he left her office, and he bolted towards the Zeta Tubes the moment the door closed behind him.

xXx (Sometime Later) xXx

"Hey Bruce?"

Bruce continued typing out a text to Lucius, who had asked when his business meetings should be rescheduled to. Knowing that he wouldn't ever get back to replying if he let himself get distracted by conversation, he simply said, "Yes Dick?" And hoped that he wouldn't be offended by his distracted answer.

Luck was on his side, because the boy didn't seem bothered. "How would you feel if I died?"

Bruce's fingers froze just an inch above the buttons of his phone, and his head snapped up to look at the hesitant teen. Out of all of the things he was expecting, that was definitely not one of them. "...Why?" He asked slowly, wondering if the session with Black Canary an hour ago wasn't as successful as he had thought. This had to have been about the failsafe in some way, he knew.

Maybe because Dick died near the end?

"I-" Dick started, but then seemed to rethink it, sighing quietly. "You know what, never mind. Forget I said anything, 'kay?"

Before Bruce could get another word in the sudden conversation, the boy spun around and hurriedly fled the room. Blinking a few times, he turned his attention back to his phone and tried to go back to what he was doing, but found that his brain refused to let the question be pushed to the back of his mind. What would he do if Dick died?

... He didn't want to know.

xXx

AN: Thank you all for your reviews! See you all next chapter!