Teen Titans - ReBeL Yell; If I Had Stayed a Renegade

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ALREADY HAVE A FIRST

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SCENE WHERE Slade confronts Robin leading to " I already have a father." After that scene ended, what else was said or done in the haunt? The question sounds spooky enough to dive right into, so?

More mental mind games!

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Slade could have chuckled, saved his wit for here and now or even lashed out. Instead, he gave Robin the coldest shoulder.

"Go, prepare for your next mission." Slade's words were detached as he was, hands over the desk, gripping it with white knuckles as if…

Was he jealous of Batman?

Dick didn't need to know the reason. Slade's sociopathic tantrums could be chucked at some other lackey. He just turned to go, until Slade's hand went up, making the boy cringe.

"Hold on…." The man commanded, stuck in his own train of thought. "Before you go off, Robin…you are aware that I've been familiar with what you said, that I'd never be the "first" in your eyes to teach you what I know."

Dick's mouth went dry. What did that mean?? Did he know about…

Robin's eyes narrowed. "Slade, I asked you to leave him out of this –

" You were the one who credited the old bat." Spat the villain, walls echoing by Bruce's lowly title that…only villains he knew…

Dick began to feel warmer than he already was in his hated apprentice uniform. "Please, I can –

"Under our agreement you'll do as I command, so I want to know one thing that I have not uncovered…As his protégé, why did you leave that city behind? Why hide it at all, that you wish he were here right now –

"I don't!" Dick shouted back, itching for a reason to run away.

He couldn't, and Slade held the trigger if…if…

This was worse than he'd feared, but Slade was going to do it. Drag him through the metaphorical mud to have Robin spill secrets on his former partner back in Gotham.

"Why is he so important anymore, when you ran this far from being under his watch? Could it be that the man didn't see your potential as I have."

" No." Dick growled. "We had a falling out, I'm over it. It's nothing."

"Is that so…" Slade had power here, power to get Robin to bow upon his leave to a new master.

He didn't want to speak or fail now in his real role, not as Slade's little captive. The Titans were still in danger. The city…his home!

"Then you won't mind speaking, truthfully about why being here isn't enough of a rush for you…. your vital signs were superb. Or had I needed to tell you again about the reports?" Slade rubbed his chin, curious..

"You most of all were at the top of the list for any candidates I would have chosen…though ever since Red X, there seems to be some dynamic that you won't embrace."

"Because I'm nothing like you!" Rebuked the young hero, trying to act as tough as he could. Slade was not just a bully; he was far worse than a simple criminal mind.

He was a strategic and calculative hunter, a real thinking brain on two legs with muscle. A deadly combo.

Dick had to try to keep his mouth shut. Stop it in any way that he could…

So, he launched himself at the man. He punched and even tried to activate the blaster on his wrist, yet Slade only gave Robin a bone crunching chop to the shoulder as he went down. Still in one piece, but dazed.

"You've really been taking my lessons to heart, all of that anger has to come from somewhere, child."

"You…were…. the reason, why…" Dick panted, his body tossed around by the neck of his collared suit, the shin plates doing nothing to save his fall. "I have a special serum that can remedy those wounds. You'll still be going on that mission, apprentice." Slade's boots tapped the ground as Dick tried to crawl, feeling helpless as a worm to a hungry bird in the springtime.

"Stop trying to deny the inevitable." Slade dragged his apprentice to lean against the desk as he attempted to set the boy's shoulder back in place. Dick was panting, from the pain…. he was –

The injection gun BURNED! Dick gritted his fists, teeth and shut his masked eyes so very tightly. No…way was he going to go in without a back up plan!...

He let out a breath, hair sweating as the ebbing pain died down, the shoulder back where it was before.

"There, good as new." Slade patted the kid on the back and Robin flinched from the contact atop his healing affliction.

Dick's eyes stayed shut a moment longer as his breathing soon steadied, while Slade's grip had a calming effect on him. Yet, that was only because the man's reassurance was all this hero had…

"You're… insane!" Dick gasped out as Slade dragged the boy's head to SLAM* down and hit the adult's work table, his young body pinned as Robin still felt too weak to go against the monster in his view.

"A thank you, might suffice." Slade reprimanded his student. "I taught you how to endure…. the Bat's teachings though…maybe weren't enough." Slade had to be smirking, or frowning. The grip on his apprentice's head of hair made the kid groan, the biting ache still at the back of his youthful neck willing to stick around the one full piece.

For now, anyway...

"You know how to go about this, Robin. You won't answer my questions, yet here we have all the time in the world to pull you apart…piece by piece."

Dick froze up, lip trembling. That…. was the darkest, most murderous set of words ever spoken by this enigma of a person, and Robin was mortified that they'd been directed at him.

In that hour, that moment…. Robin came to realize just how dangerous this criminal mind was. He would kill Robin to have his answer, and he'd tear the Bat apart for the same reason that Dick would never call Slade "father" in a million decades!

He was a beast, and this poor Belle had to outsmart the crook… somehow…

Whatever Batman was up to, he hoped Slade's message would never reach those pointed ears. Not before the Titans found out what those machines were equally capable of doing to them all…

"You'll have time before I might mold you to be better ghan the Bat wanted. You'll come to trust no one else. It's your choice, Dick."

The lights went out and the sky light was illuminated.

It was almost time. Dick, couldn't move. He just layer there until Slade dragged him up. "You think a mask can fool me? I have eyes and ears in every city around the country. Networks working beside that rodent's company CEOs. I have more power than you can imagine and now? I have what want…you'll eliminate them for me, tonight."

Slade shoved the kid into the chest of a waiting Slade bot cluster. "See him up to the roof. Be sure to monitor his movements at all costs." Slade command the bots as they surrounded the teen. Corralling him up and flanking him front to back as the way up was a steep drop down. He couldn't think. He couldn't speak or plan…

"Good luck, my dear apprentice." Slade waved and then returned to his monitors. The only thing Rkbin saw before he was led away from those screens housing the data on his friends, was how Slade stood in a triumphant brilliance – no. He wasn't that cocky; he was readying for a battle.

Against the Teen Titans.

And Robin was going to incarnate them, on his own…

His friends. His, family.

And Slade knew, because the coordinates moments later as the copter dropped them off….

Was Wayne Enterprises' California location.

The night raged on, as did the boy's thumping, beating heart.

~ Bu – Bruce…but- Bruce…. ~

A song that he just couldn't get out of his head.