Disclaimer: TT, Slade, and Robin are (c) to DC Comics. Sariel and Jillain are mine tho'. I wanted to say thanks for all the faves and follows. It's been a awesome run so far. Anywho, here is the next chapter. Got some fight scenes in here. Hope you enjoy. Please drop me a review! =)
EDIT: 07/15/2019. Fixed errors and giving it more umph so to speak. Flows a bit better.
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They were booking it through the forest, while trudging through deep snow no less. All they could hear was their own footsteps. The forest itself. was vacant. No animals. no people, just the creeks of the trees in the distance. Nothing. It was as if the forest itself was keeping secrets from them. And no matter how far they ran, nor for how long, it would always withhold it's truths from their eyes. Everything was silent, until... gunfire.
Sariel's eyes immediately darted in the direction of her grandmothers cabin. The shots seemly rang out from that general area. But the girl knew better then to take the bait. Robin however, wanted to go back, but she insisted not to with a simple, yet stern "No."
"But your Grandmother?"
"She'll be fine."
Robin growled at the young women. "How the hell can you be so sure!?"
"Look!" Sariel turned on her heels and glared hotly at the boy wonder. They were evenly matched it seemed, for a moment the two just glared at one another, both taking a stand on what they thought was the right way to go about things. "She risked a lot to get you out of the damn house, if we go back now, everything she did for you would be in vain, and I won't let that happen."
Robin gritted his teeth, but as much as he loathed to admit to it, she was right. Even though leaving someone behind to die wasn't high on his list of priorities, going back would be a deathtrap. "We need to move forward." It seemed Sariel had the final say.
Crack.
"What the...?" The two huddled down and tried their best to blend in with the trees and snow. Both kept an eye out for any kind of intruder. However, it was pitch black, with nothing but the moonlight spilling in from the cracks in the treetops. They sat there for awhile in silence. There was nothing at first, but soon a small unit of the Brotherhoods troops passed them by. Robin looked to the girl beside him and put a finger to his lips to signal complete silence. The two stayed quiet until they thought it was clear. Robin automatically went into detective mode, looking for any leads as to where they came from or where they were going. "We should follow them. See how they got here so fast."
"It's easy to track someone down in three days Robin." The young hero narrowed his masked eyes at the girl. "We were the ones foolish to stay here." she said. "You can't trust anyone... We need to get going."
"AHA! Knew you were hiding somewhere." It was one of the Brotherhood troops. One of them must of doubled back to check if they were hiding out. The trooper pulled out a gun and aimed it at their heads. Sariel, seeing this, wasted no time and pulled a gun from her own holster, dropped to the ground and shot the man in the head, well before the trooper could even get a shot off. Robin was in shock, then in rage as he turned to Sariel whom was picking herself up from the floor.
"YOU KILLED HIM!"
"And?"
"WHY!?"
"He was going to KILL us!"
"That doesn't-"
CRACKLE...
"What the-?" It was coming from the body. They turned to look and saw it spark, as if it was never human to begin with. "This isn't-"
BOOOOM!
The two were startled at first, but now looking over to the soldier, they found it was nothing more then a smoldering robot. Robin ran over to it's remains. This technology, the way all the wires were connected, so neat, so tidy. He only knew one person that took such effort into electronics. His mind reeled. Screamed at him. The dark aura, that damnable presence. It was here. He took the mask off of the body only to find one of the iconic faces of one of Slades soldier like robots underneath.
Sariel walked over to the man. "He's all yours."
"Thank you Sariel."
The girl departed. Leaving only him. And that voice, he knew it anywhere. The Brotherhood wasn't after him. "Slade." The very name was laced with poison as it left his lips. How the hell did Slade find him out here, unless...
"It seems you woke up a bit premature." The man stood still, still as the forest it seemed. He was waiting for the boy to make his move. But he didn't attack, Robin just slowly turned around. His masked eyes narrowed in anger. He was seething, Slade could tell.
"Sariel, she..."
"Lead you out here as per my orders. She's a good actor you see. She was trained to deceive, trained to survive in any condition, and she can take orders... when it suits her." Robin growled at the man. Slade kept inching closer and closer with each word he spoke. But the boy stood his ground, he wasn't about to show his nemesis that he was in a weakened state. "Hello! He asked Sariel to bring you here dumb shit. He obviously has gotten a update on your health and well being." he bickered with himself. But It didn't mattered. The boy wonder was stubborn, he wouldn't fold for just anyone.
"Why?" he growled through his teeth.
"Why do you think?" Slade was only a few feet away before he stopped and placed his hands behind his back. The two were locked for a few moments as they both made eye contact. Mask to mask.
Robin just glared at the man. The forest was silent again as they stood opposed to one another, it was then it began to snow lightly, the cold once again tugged at the boy. "Your planning something! Is this some sick joke, to drag me out into the damn woods and then tell me your grand scheme of things!?"
"No." The first punch was thrown by the criminal. Robin barely dodged it by preforming a back flip and landing a few feet away.
"Then why!?" Robin burst forth from his crouching position. When nearing his enemy he jumped into the air and twirled around, intending to land a roundhouse kick to Slades head, but the mastermind saw it coming and caught the boys foot, and one single motion threw Robin into the nearest tree.
A bit dazed, Robin shook his head in just enough time to see Slade running at him, he dodged the fist again. The mastermind, seeing this, began to strike profusely. And all Robin could do was block, and it carried on like this for awhile until he saw an opening. Taking advantage of it, Robin punched the criminal right in the stomach, then dropped and did a spin kick, which would knock Slade off his feet and onto his back. With a smirk, Robin went to punch the man, only to have his fist caught.
"Trying to knock me out while still on my back, how dishonorable of you Robin."
"SHUT UP!"
Slade kneed him in the stomach. Hard. Really hard.
Robin fell backwards onto his knees, before crouching over and coughing up some blood. Slade stood up and shook his head at the young man before kicking him in the gut. The boy wonder cried out in pain. "No." he thought. "Not again." He kicked the boy again, and again. And all the boy could do was lay there for the moment, and take the brunt of Slades hits. His mind reeled in a fury that had come to be associated with the mysterious figure. This man kept popping up in his life. Kept him fighting in these brutal contests of strength. And right now he had nothing. No weapons, no proper armor, nothing.
Robin inhaled the crisp air and waited for another kick, anticipating it so he could make a move, but nothing. His masked eyes narrowed, his face calm, Robin looked up to the masked criminal and asked again. "Why?"
"Why what Robin?"
"Your Deathstroke... aren't you? Sariel, she said the name a few times, It fits now." The young hero was crouched over, trying to catch his breath, if he had any left that is after the beating he received.
"It's another alias. A rather popular one."
"Why... did you free me from the Brotherhood? I could be dead and out of your hair."
"And leave such good potential to rot? Your worth far more then being a slab of ice for a trophy Robin. The Brain wasn't wanting to let you go, but I convinced him otherwise." Slade looked down on his young foe. He could see the gears grinding away in Robins head. Oh yes the boy knew what he wanted.
"Forget it." Robin glared at the man. "If you think I'll ever be your apprentice again, you got... another thing... coming." The boy gritted his teeth, his body still aching from the beating. Slade just stared down at him. "You think you have much choice in that matter Robin?"
"Yes!" With a lot of effort, Robin shot up from the ground and decked Slade in the head. His fist connecting to the criminals metal mask definitely hurt, but it was worth it. Slade stood a bit dazed and Robin to advantage of it and went to kick the man, but nothing was going his way. Slade caught his foot again, and threw him to the ground. The boy grunted in pain.
"Getting a bit better Robin. But you forget, you've only recently recovered, you push yourself to far for someone that was on ice a short time ago. Admirable, but foolish." He hated to admit it, but the damnable man was right, he was pushing himself to the brink. He wasn't even close to being in top form, and it was stupid of him to even try and pick a fight with Slade.
His breaths were short, but he had to ask. "Why out here? Why order the girl to bring me out here?"
Slade bent down to help the boy up, not answering Robins questions. He simply, instead stated that they were going back to the cabin. "I can either carry you Robin or help you walk, it's up to you." Robin disliked both options, at first he insisted to walk. But in the end, it was Slade helping him when he felt weak, or out of breath. Robin would always fight the helping hand however, causing Slade more of a headache then he anticipated.
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When the two arrived back at the cabin. They found the older woman with a rifle in one hand, and a few dead rabbits in the other. Robins mind went back to the gunfire. "That's the shots we heard... and Sariel knew." He stared at the women in question, who was sitting on the porch. "She played on that, and made me believe..." The young hero slightly narrowed his eyes at the girl. She was taking orders from Slade. Did that mean she worked for the criminal? He now had more questions then answers.
Robin slowly turned around to face the man behind him. "The brotherhood never did come to find me did they?"
"No. They wouldn't be able to find you out here. Jillain's little hiding spots, ones just like this, are always excellent places to smuggle things in or out, whether it be weapons, artifacts, or in this case, people."
"I don't get it. Why drag me into the cold?"
"What is there to get Robin? I left you here in Jillain's care for a few days. When I returned, do you really think you would of taken care of your surroundings, and minded yourself when you saw me step into the household? No, it was for the best to teach you a few lessons out on the field as it were." Robin had a scowled etched onto his face. "The first so called lesson being?" his frown deepened.
"Do not trust anyone." Robin could swear the man was making some sort of joke only he understood and that he was smirking under that metal mask of his.
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-4 hours later-
"What are you going to do with the boy Slade?" Jillain found him in the basement. Where he had set up a few laptops to monitor the on goings of his 'business'.
"I believe it's time to take a little vacation. I've already made preparations. Where he is going, he won't come out the same."
"I see." Jillain sighed. "Well if you ever need any help, you know where to find me."
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Robin was left under Sariel's watchful gaze. She wasn't about to let him escape, although that is all he wanted to do at the moment. But he knew he wouldn't get far in his condition. And with the snow coming down rather heavily outside, the outdoors could very well mean his death.
"I'm sorry." It was almost a whisper, but Robin heard it all the same.
Robin shifted his glance away from the woman. "What the hell for?" he spat.
Sariel shrugged it off. "My grandmother is good friends with your so called 'master'.
"He is NOT MY MASTER!" he panted a little after his outburst, clearly out of breath, the earlier actions seemed to really have taken it's toll on him. "Either way." she spoke up. "I'm sorry, I don't usually deal with Grams and her little army, nor do I usually have any dealings with her so called friends."
"Then what were you doing?" Robin leaned back on the couch and stared out the window, the night sky and the snow at that moment were far more interesting then the programs on the TV. "I was visiting my grandmother..."
Silence. Nothing. He wanted to say something to her, ask her something. It took a bit, but finally... "You shot that robot dead on in the head."
"If your asking what I do for a living you wouldn't like it. But no, I don't work for Slade if that's your next question."
"It wasn't." he said sharply.
"Uh huh... suuuuurrree."
-1o minutes of silence later-
"You know the snow is kind of pretty. It just covers up the whole world and swallows it whole, masking the ugly, the blood, the wars... and turning it into a temporary wonderland.' The girl just sat there and looked out the window. "And regardless of how fake it is, it's kind of nice."
Sariel smiled. "Cold, but nice."
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Next Chapter: Robin needs to find a way to get away from Slade and he'll try and do so at any cost. But according to Slade that isn't going to happen anytime soon. It's time for a little flight to somewhere only Slade knows.
Emmm yep... angsty fighting and whatnot. PLS PLS REVIEW!
-Fangy