Teen Titans Presents- Robin; Torn Legacy of a Prodigal Son
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Chapter 21: The Punishment; When Iron Bars Slam Shut on My Future
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He was dumped into a room with zero light. Darkness coaxed him to open his unmasked, swollen eyes.
"We're back, my apprentice." Slade's tone sounded more a grunt as he let the boy slam into the ground, a boot over the small of the kid's back, arms twisted back as he sharpened the brutal wake up tug.
Gritting his teeth, Dick knew this was how he'd be coming back up. How Slade had lied about letting go of Terra. About – well, not wanting mind control in the mix!
"Don't get up; I have to rescind my offer –
Dick gasped through clenched teeth, not holding off on a comeback threat of his own.
Slade never broke his word…What was he doing?
"In fact, you may have convinced me that you don't deserve a respite. Killing in vain of a single sacrifice…" Hissed the man as he pulled harder, grinding his boot in till it elicited a whimper from his apprentice's sealed lips.
"Highly unprofessional for my brand, and just as selfish."
"Sorry…. I…. escaped…."
"You're NOT." Slade snarled and let go his boot from the kid's spine. Arm tugged as a reminder, Slade's knees pinning the brat like he'd snap if he bent back anymore.
"You chose to run, you chose to break your promise to the Titans, boy….and that oath, to me…Are you sure you can be forgiven if you continue to defy my way? If you continue to wait on the Bat to come after us???"
"He…. will…"
" Won't, boy." Slade let the kid fall. Dick gasped into his lungs precious air, his palms saving him from finding the floor.
"He won't get much closer than I'll allow. You've not even thought about them, only about yourself."
Slade chuckled, well…. Dick's idea was that if it wasn't that, a smirk then. His head tried to turn round just a little. He didn't want to face the man that had threatened his team, his family.
"Assassins don't go by a code to kill and forget?" Dick snipped, feeling bold.
"It, depends on the target. You're not trained at that level to –
"What if I was." Dick was playing into his hands, yet if it was to find out more about the chip under his skin...
"If you were, you'd know how to slice a throat by now." The man said monotonously. "A true mercenary does it for survival. For status at times, but you? For the experience. If only you'd taken your role a bit more seriously, I might have kept you –
"Wait." Dick kept his voice even.
"I, want to try. As long as the Titans aren't our target. Or, Bruce."
"No."
Dick ground his fists and wobbled to stand. "Why? They aren't your real enemies! The league, the Titans…. they're…not the same –
"And eventually your former " friends" will become adults – grow up as reserve members of the Justice League. They won't just be a threat, they'll become my demise."
"Then no deal? How about –
"How about this." Slade let his voice pan out. The screens of the main room started to glow.
"You can pick; Batman or the Titans. Which should I go easier on, child?"
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The rest of the scene left the tables turned as Timothy Drake paced around his room. Getting back to the cave was an impossibility. Bruce was brooding in his safe haven; up the wall files on possible suspects, clues and….and….
Tim sighed and threw a hand over his face. "B…. I want to help. So, why won't you tell me?"
He really didn't care if he got scolded, so Tim did some digging of his own. He went to a different wing in the manor to do a bit of research on whoever the first, the very first Robin was.
The door was locked, and Alfred had the key.
Tim clicked his tongue and vanished, determined to know more.
Because right now, he was Bruce's last anchor in tights running around the city with the Bat. He'd made a promise, just like Bruce had with wanting to find his first.
The son that went away, but he was here ! And ready to fight anything on all fours! Or, two? Or, none…
God, he felt like a wuss for not barging in.
"Now, where does Alf keep his spare skeletons keys…"
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Terra was sat down to look at her faults, to be shocked until she quaked in her boots. In a new suit that would give her powers a purpose.
For some greedy others.
Rose stood with her arms crossed, grinning as she switched the screens. Her eyes on Terra, to not be traumatized by the rinse cycle daddy had put together while he got someone else ready to beg for their freedom.
A dumpy, little thief.
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Slade eyed Richard as the boy stood his ground, just barely enough to sway.
"By the way, apprentice…" He stilled considered Dick for the post, it had to be a trick.
"That note which the cameras picked up faintly…where did it come from? Can you tell me, child? Who offered you a way out."
"I, don't know." Dick shook his head, knowing that was the truth. Slade had to take it. "It fell, and so I just…did what it said to –
"That was because the one who had wanted to leave it…"
Slade let his bots come through the doorway with a cuffed, masked figure.
And something else.
A gun, with a strange ball at the end of glowing red –
Dick blinked.
"Here, is the answer to your prayers, Renegade – your last resort was this!"
He splayed out an arm, before nodding to the bots to bring the gagged and tied up suit….
Suit….
Red X!
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"How! That's not…my –
"It is, and I would like to properly introduce you." Slade's eye changed as the false informant was made to kneel onto the floor right beside his captor and tormentor. Dick's legs stood, yet he didn't know what was happening at all. It was so much, so quickly.
"What do you plan to do? Who is he, Slade?"
Slade huffed, ad with one fierce tug of the Halloween mask from X's skull –
"No…." Dick paled in comparison to this undead…
A living, ex – boy wonder knelt before them. His face beaten by a very reason. Why he was here now, was all the same as his green-eyed spite for Slade's daughter's madness and Dick…
How he'd felt like a damned sacrifice right about now.
"Meet, my traitorous informant; Mr. Jason Todd." Smirked the mastermind as Dick's world seemed to turn on its axis.
"Back from the dead, and just as guilty as you are, my dear apprentice…"
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"He was on tube, on the news – yeah! I told Aqua – Lad…. Are you serious, for real? A'ight. I'll tell em."
Cy got off the line with Speedy. "We gotta step it up. Slade is playin' for keeps here if we don't try ta' stop him."
"Can we not call the "team of the swatting" to help in finding our friends –
"We are heroes!" Bb burst out, shouting. "I won't let him do anything to hurt Terra or Rob…. we can't just let the feds take this…Slade will totally crush em' like he did to Robin! We are the only ones who know. I can track –
"And what? We go in, guns blazing while Slade plans to wipe us out with one push of his device??"
"Are you saying we should let him keep brainwashing our teammates, Cy?? Huh??"
"This fighting will not result to a decision being made. You both are acting –
"Please, dear friends!"
"Not now, Starfire. These two are being highly irrational." Raven pushed Kori out of the circle.
Yet Starfire had kept quiet, stayed away from their debates when she'd discovered Red X, Robin's attitude on the roof of Wayne Enterprises.
It had to end.
NOW.
" STOP THE FIGHTING! RIGHT…. THIS MOMENT!"
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On the count of three wouldn't work.
Grant felt like he couldn't sleep. He had to, but his mind wandered on about how long it had been since X or Jay had been back.
"It's his digs, jeez. Where is—
Grant grabbed his gear, looking at his mask and wondering if it all would be too much…
Too much, to be good for someone other than…
IT explained just enough, as he shut the door behind him, cussing under his breath.
"You stupid, kid…why did you go in alone? I'm not pulling you out. Not yet, dude…"
He needed some back up before he'd ever let the healing factor kick in to wipe the Ravager out.
He was still number one in somebody's eyes.
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"Renegade."
Slade had gotten his attention as Dick watched how a murderous gaze from one fourteen- or fifteen-year-old doppelganger…could be, so blue.
"He made his choice to come here, alone….and it seems my deadbeat child is to blame –
"No, it isn't –
Slade stared Jay down, yet Jason was a wild one. He tended to spit at his betters; Dick knew this from his short history with the younger Todd, before his days of being someone else…
"Why did you do it…. why?" Dick shook his head, eyes still as disappointed as Jay was with Slade's new methods of torture. "Had to. He wronged us first, so a birdie told me you were…. he was, and so I made myself available to this guy." Grinned Jay, cockily.
"It was me or him, so I did take one for the team cause his kid was on my side."
"Grant." Slade made a motion to the bots as one carried the strange percussion massage gun. It wasn't, and it made Dick sweat to realize just what Slade was planning.
A branding.
"You got me, so now what? Batman is goanna keep his promise. I made sure to get his attention."
"One Wilson Way…"
Slade saw Dick's eyes bulge. "That was you??"
"Scent was there and everything." Beamed the thief. "Beast Boy got the hint after that. Rebel Yell? You know what that is?" Snickering, Todd did so much work outside of their scope that Slade didn't wait.
"And for that, your services are no longer required."
"Stop! Jason!!"
The gun had him shocked, alright.
Shocked.
And infected as Jason bowed in agony, forehead to the ground as Slade gripped his mane to wrench it up.
That one cold gaze looked very angry. Very, as Dick launched himself at the mad man.
"Not today, boy." Slade flicked his wrist, and Dick's poor vision, soon went completely white.
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What is going on, you ask? Dick just thinks the "chip" is used to track him, but if he doesn't realize it too soon... more to come! Read to find out – Stay curious! Chapter 22 "Hanged man – A rock to a crying face." Saying I heard in Sunshine Sketch 4 - koma years ago. Anyway, stay curious!