A/N: WHAT IS THIS!? Two updates in like what? Two days? I dunno what is even going on anymore. I just got into a flow.

Anywho I have to go work on my webcomic... so this may be the last update in a little bit. I'm already behind on pages. EGADZ!

Anywho thank you all soo so much for the reviews and faves!

EDIT: 01/09/2022 - Fixed up some typos and allowed it to flow better.

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Jump city had been busy as of late. The Titans without their leader were a bit of a mess, but they had managed to patch things up and keep moving forward. The city seemed to be as if it was crawling with villains. Anytime they had tried to reach out and look for Robin it was just one alarm after another. Any one of them would sure like some down time especially after the whole Brotherhood of Evil fiasco. But the world didn't want them to take a break. Seemed unfair if you asked any of the young heros.

They never did find his body amongst the rubble. Therefore Titans refused to think him dead. But that decision was up to the Bat. They told Batman everything about their encounter with the Brotherhood of Evil. The Batman himself refused to think his ward long gone, but something needed to be said to the public. The Titans without their leader could draw a lot of unwanted attention. And he couldn't simply state that the boy wonder was in the hospital. Because in all honesty he had no clue where Richard was. Finding him could take awhile.

Stating that his ward was dead was more difficult then he was prepared for. When he found Robin they could call the whole thing off, saying that he faked his death for various reasons.

"What if...?"

"What if what BB?" Cyborg looked to his friend. Batman was already in a discussion with the Titans. His face on the screen in their main room.

'What if Slade took him?"

"Slade?" Batman inquired.

Raven sighed. It seemed Robin kept a lot from everyone, including his own mentor. "Slade is one of our villains..."

"More like a arch-enemy..." Beast boy interjected.

Raven looked at Beast Boy with a slight glare, before turning her attention back to the screen. "Slade and Robin fight each other a lot, everytime Slade comes into the picture, Robin takes off to fight him."

"Yes, but usually Robin comes back home from his fights with Slade." This time it was Starfire. Her voice was sullen. "And how would Slade know where Robin was and why would Slade even take Robin?" A thought came to her mind. "What if he... like before?"

Batman look onto the Titans. Richard had really left his mark on this team. They were all somewhat off due to his absence. "I need you to tell me everything you know about this Slade character, and any of Robins dealings with him."

Cybord nodded. "I can send you all the files we have on him." Batman nodded before ending the conversation. The Titans grimaced. Sending files to Batman on Slade was a touchy subject. They all knew Robin kept a lot of info about Slade on his own private computer systems. But all actions against the villain, including Robins apprenticeship were recorded in the main computer system. They all looked at one another as Cyborg brought up all the files on the masked villain. Sending these files made them all feel unstable. Batman obviously didn't know about anything to do with Slade. And now they were giving all their source material on the villain to the Batman. They felt as if they were betraying Robin... But if it helped find their leader. They would do it.

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It had been hours since he had his chat with the Titans. Bruce sighed as he leaned into his chair looking on at the main screen in the Batcave. The files and pictures the Titans had sent him lay open to him. But knowing Robin this wasn't all of it, the Titans were probably only able to send what they could, the rest was probably on Robins own laptop.

Bruce sighed again and took a swig of the now cold coffee Alfred had brought him about an hour ago.

Slade Wilson. A name he pulled up from the depths of files on his own computer.

According to the Titans pictures and information on the man, he knew exactly who this was. How the hell had Robin gotten himself involved with the world's greatest mercenary? Deathstroke was not someone who took anything with ease. It didn't seem much like the man to randomly show up in a city and play "the villain". Unless he was looking for something.

That's when he came across Robins account of his apprenticeship with the man. Which answered why Robin was seen stealing from a Wayne Enterprises building and fighting his own team. He remembered asking the boy on that subject and Robin just dropped it all together. He thought with time his son would tell him. But nothing...

Bruce sighed and took another swig of coffee. If Slade had really taken Robin, then there wasn't much time, and the man had connections all over the world. Deathstroke could of taken Robin anywhere.

He had his work cut out for him.

But where to start?

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The sun still scorched the land beneath it. It was heavy and dry. The usual type of day out in this desert. It had been a long time since he spent his days willingly out in the desert, but he easily got used to it. His apprentice on the other hand, although he had been out here for some time, he could tell that the heat easily got to him. The boy was already sweating up a storm.

The older man handed the younger a canteen of water and Robin took it gingerly.

The rest of the drive was rather silent between all of them. He didn't blame them. They all just went through a rather unsettling series of events. This may of not been so new to Jillain's granddaughter, but Robin... although the boy had seen some gruesome things in Gotham, Slade knew this was a bit of a different level for the boy. Slade even had to admit this was pretty far fetched from what he had originally planned, but all was working it seemed.

Slade took a glance at the young mans form as he looked out beyond his side of the jeep and watched as little houses and shops passed him by, his arms rested on his lap and he could imagine a frown etched onto the boys face. His blue eyes probably still dancing with annoyance. He still had the canteen he had given him moments ago, the item itself resting in the boys lap.

Richard Grayson was a stubborn young man. Oh Slade knew who his apprentice was, he knew who Batman was. It didn't matter. Slade was only after one thing anyways. To be able to take the Bats protégé and mold him into the very thing the Batman stood against. That would be quite the victory. It wasn't as if he was bored with his time, on the contrary he really did need an apprentice. And Robin always was the perfect choice. All of his latest actions proved as much. Richard Grayson was having a shift in his persona, and the more time he spent out here the more he would change.

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"There!"

It took a bit of driving around but they had finally found the hospital. And Robin really couldn't believe in Sariel when she had said "makeshift" until now. The building was small, so they also had tents set up outside. "Makeshift indeed" Robin thought as he got out of jeep.

"Is he awake yet?"

Sariel shook her head" He woke up once, but drifted back to sleep." The woman sighed, he could tell she was worried. Robin took Asif's arm over his shoulder, while Sariel took the other. The two carried their companion to the decaying structure.

"I"ll stay here, you get the boy checked in yes?" Sergei shouted out to the dou. Robin didn't even look back, he just waved his free arm in response.

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"Excuse me... Ma'am..."

There was some nurses and a few doctors filtering around checking on the men. "Soldiers." Robin mused. There was so many of them, all of them wounded, some more so then others. Glancing around some didn't even seem to be alive anymore. Their eyes simply staring upwards or out beyond the walls of the tent. Was this just a public hospital, or military... or perhaps it was both? The military seemed to have a heavy influence out here especially with the civil war brewing. Robin wondered if at one point this hospital was originally just for civilians... or was it even a hospital before? The building seemed small. To small to be a fully functioning hospital.

Robin couldn't help but notice the look of despair in the Soldiers eyes. Some where bandaged and were able to sit in chairs outside the tent. Many tried to have small talk and hold more cheerful conversations. Raising their voices and clapping their hands. Some even began to sing some sort of local song. But as it died down, they sat there looking at one another, they all knew they couldn't escape the world around them.

Robin turned his attention from the men to his two companions. So wanting to leave behind the heavy reminders of the world he to was now in.

It wasn't long before Sariel began using that foreign language of hers again to communicate to one of the nurses once she grabbed the woman's attention. The nurse called over a doctor and Robin and Sariel moved Asif onto one of the cots. The doctor began to ask Sariel a few questions before turning the conversation into a language Robin could understand.

"You speak english?"

Sariel nodded. "Yes. I may know arabic, but my friend does not. So english is probably best."

The doctor looked at the woman oddly. "Amusing to find an American woman that knows our tongue."

Sariel smiled in response. "I've actually been speaking it since I was ten."

The doctor smiled and didn't push the subject any further. "What exactly happened to your friend? He doesn't seem to be heavily injured?"

Sariel grimaced. The problem with Geist is that the man could cause damage and it would never be physically seen. "Please do me a favor doctor, check him for any broken bones or internal bleeding. He was... beaten up pretty bad." Asif did gain a few bruises and nicks and scrapes. "He got knocked out... I'm worried what was done to him while he was out cold."

The doctor looked up the woman. "I'll preform some x-rays and keep him on medication. That being said he should stay the night. Come back tomorrow and check on him, I'll have more information on his health in the morning."

Sariel nodded and the two left.

The woman made her way back to the jeep. Robin turned around to take in one last look at the hospital. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. Perhaps in movies or on TV... but seeing this in reality, this makeshift hospital in the middle of a warzone. It hit him. He felt responsible for Asif's injuries because he left him behind to go in search for Sariel, assuming that Asif could take care of Geist, since he had previous encounters with the ghostly man. But he had been wrong. And now Asif was paying for Robins mistakes. The young man shook his head. Why had be been so reckless? Hadn't he learned any better while leading the Titans? HIs team had taken down Slade, twice. Brother Blood and not to mention the end of the world. Trigon was something he was proud to put on his list of foes defeated. His shoulders slumped, then there was the Brotherhood of Evil. He failed his team then... but according to any local paper the team had somehow pulled through. But still...

Failure had riddled it's way through him every time he thought about the Titans. And he couldn't just shrug it off. Robin sighed. It was then he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. It was Sergei. "Of course it's him" Robin mentally cursed.

"You're friend will be safe with them, we should go and find a place to stay for the night." Robin turned to look at the man. The young hero nodded. He could use some food and a good nights sleep.

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Robin sat alone, it was later in the evening. Sergei had thankfully let him be that night, seemingly wanting to catch up on some sleep. Why the man had stayed with them he had no idea. He simply stated he wanted to help... But Robin supposed the older man just got as swept up as Robin did with the whole ordeal. The man was military so he should have to report back to his base or something at some point in time... Really the only reason he was out here was because of Slade. He couldn't even blame Sariel for any of this, she was just out here doing what she normally did he supposed. He still wasn't sure on what that was however. But he supposed that didn't matter right now so Robin shrugged the thoughts away.

He had his food in a quiet corner as to not to draw any attention to himself. The motel they were staying at was across the road, it was run down, the beds were not really comfortable. But doable he supposed. After he dropped off whatever belongings he had, he went in search for something eatable. He supposed he should of cleaned himself first. Fresh water in a bowl and soap was left in the room for him. It seemed the showers didn't work. But his stomach took priority.

"Hey." Sariel had found him.

She sat down across the table from him. The restaurant she had found him in made all sorts of food, most people from the west didn't like the food out here. But then again even if he didn't, she assumed he was just really hungry. "Soooo..." she began. "Did you ever get though to the Titans before all the mayhem broke loose?"

Robin shook his head. "No, never got the chance." Robin took another bite of his fatoot, which was general Yemeni dish.

"I see, did you want to try again? We can try and call them tomorrow morning?"

Surprisingly Robin shook his head. "No."

Sariel raised a brow. "But... why?"

"I want to make sure Asif is ok first... I don't want to leave without knowing. Besides I'm sure Slade is still out there looking for me, if he's not here already." Robin instantly thought of Sergei but he couldn't prove anything, as it was right now the Russian military man was simply just that, a Russian military officer. That and deep down Robin knew he didn't want for his team to see this place. Perhaps it would be good for them or perhaps not. He didn't want to know either way and asking them to come all the way out here was selfish. He'd find another way. A way to get back home and then he'd contact them.

"Ok if that's what you want...?"

Robin nodded. "For now, yea... Sariel?"

"Yea?" she looked more tired then she let on and he instantly felt a bit of concern for the woman. He then wondered if this is what his teammates always felt when they would see him every morning with bags under his eyes.

"I'm sorry about Asif... I thought since he knew about Geist... That he could-"

"Robin don't apologize."

"But-"

"Asif did his best, we should be thankful he's alive unlike the rest of them... "

Robin looked down to his food. "I'm sorry about them to."

The woman reached out to touch Robins hand. "Don't be." She gave it a squeeze before using her palm to rest her chin on. "They knew what they were signing up for... if anyone should be sorry it should be me. I couldn't get them out alive this time. We all just got to deep."

"What were you doing anyways?"

"Infiltrating the ben Elohim. What you would call a crazy super villain group." she smiled at Robin and he smiled back. "I got in rather easily, or so I thought. Got all the intel I could, and as of now, after a couple years, I left... or more like got found out. Can't really say I want anything to do with them anymore though." she sighed. "The ben Elohim kinda went into hysterics when they found out I double crossed them. A few days ago, when I was still with the organization I got a rather disturbing call that put me out here in the first place. Someone was killing all of their men. Just randomly being shot up in the streets, many being tortured. But what I found out later was that the men that were killed, they were not really Soldiers... but random people they used to cause distractions. Generally a bunch of kids that think it will be glorious to sacrifice themselves for her."

Robins looked at the woman for a moment. "Distractions?"

"Yes, but some where just being hunted, and not fulfilling their jobs. They would call themselves the most devote. But in the long run they are all just scapegoats. They tend to target bigger named people in the area, if there is anyone in the area that is well known, and if the ben Elohim wants something done about whoever it is, they will send what most would think a rookie Soldier out there and just start shooting. It causes alarm and mayhem and allowing for whatever the ben Elohim want to happen, happen."

Robin stopped short.

"What's wrong?" Sariel nudged the boy wonder.

The emblem... "Do these people wear a emblem of some sort?"

Sariel nodded. "Like a dagger and a snake, yea..."

Robin was taken aback. The man that waltzed right up to Slade and shot him wore that symbol, as well as the cowboy like figure on the plane that day. If these people were used as distractions, as horrible as that was, did the ben Elohim want something to do with him? It would make sense since the man in the small town distracted Slade enough so he could make an escape... and hide away on that cargo plane.

But If they did want him to escape from Slade, then why have him thrown off a plane? Or was it all just coincidence?

"You ok?" Sariel nudged him once again.

Robins blue eyes looked into Sariels. "Yea... I just think I've encountered one of them before... How I was able to escape Slade in the first place. Some Soldier just walked up and shot him."

Sariel frowned. "I assume that Slade was unharmed however, I cannot see that man taking on any kind of damaged really."

"The bullet never reached it's target, but because of the panic he caused I was able to escape and sneak on board a plane, which eventually dumped all it's cargo in fear of getting caught I suppose. It was carrying guns." He didn't mention the cowboy. He was still all to confused about this himself. "I just happened to be with the cargo."

"Ahhh so that's how you ended up in the desert. You really should be glad to be alive, not many survive The Empty Quarter."

"So I've heard."

"Well either way," the woman got up from the table. "You're here now, I guess you better make the best of it before you call that team of yours. Treat it like a holiday yea?"

"Exactly what kind of holiday is it when I get shot at, or have to fight zombies and race through a cramped town to find a hospital?"

"The adventurous kind?" She threw the teen a smirk. "I'll see you later tonight. Enjoy your Fatoot."

"Is that what it's called?" Robin look down at his food. He had to admit, it wasn't exactly up to his standards but it wasn't half bad. Sariel waved her goodbyes as she walked towards the motel leaving behind Robin with his thoughts. Something was very off. Slade was one thing, the ben Elohim were another and Sariel knew much about them. But he bet she wouldn't spill all that she had on them. He didn't blame her however. In a ways, her keeping her mouth shut also kept them all a bit safer.

Robin shook the thoughts away. He would have to deal with all of this in the morning. As much as he wanted to slip back into his 18 hour days as he used to back in the tower... his body felt like it already had been through a rough 48 hour day. And at this point he simply concurred with his mind and body agreed to rest that night.

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WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON RIGHT!? But atleast now we're making some sort of connections here. Also BATMAN! YAY!

Please please review and let me know what you think! =)

And thank you all!

-Fangy