Disclaimer: I wish I owned Slade and Robin, it would be so much fun to play with their lives, but alas I do not. sniff
A/N: Ok, I really was disappointed not seeing Slade at all in the new season, especially with the Brotherhood of Evil. Whether is was his son's involvement or what not, I'll just say that Slade was too busy with planning his next attack. This story will contain angst and Robin torture, just warning ya! It takes place during the episodes where the Brotherhood of Evil has captured Robin.
Summary: Slade spots the perfect opportunity to seize what his rightful once again, the perfect apprentice.
Truth in the Dark
Chapter 1: From bad to worse
Robin stared down at the chessboard, his eyes blazing in anger. Though, one could not see his eyes through the mask, his body posture spoke volumes. Before him, the leader of the Brotherhood of Evil continued to mock the Boy Wonder with that annoying monotonous voice.
"Would he just shut up! Not even Slade talked this much," growled Robin mentally, "I still can't believe I got beaten by a brain. Life's so unfair!"
"Take him away," ordered Brain.
Robin allowed himself to be hauled out the room, his hands handcuffed behind his back. Looking up at the frozen statues of the majority of the Teen Titans, Robin felt a wave of despair threaten to engulf him. How could he be so stupid! He should have known that Madame Rouge could morph herself into any person. He should have been more wary when handing his spare communicator to Hot Spot. He should have…
His train of thought was interrupted as the guerilla guards threw the young boy into the wall of his cell. Allowing himself lay on the ground, Robin glared at them, as the metal door slide shut and the only light entering the cell came from the space between the bottom of the door and the floor. Sighing, the Boy Wonder sat crossed-legged on the ground and began to formulate any ways to break free of this prison and warn the remaining the Teen Titans. And, if worse came to worse, he would have to come up with some explanation in order to ask for the Justice League's aid.
"Please, don't let it come to that. I'm not ready to see Bruce yet," pleaded his mind.
-In a populated city nearby, deep underground-
Slade looked up from his workbench, frowning at the televised destruction of the Teen Titans. The TV screen revealed the wall lining with statues of the frozen teenage superheroes somewhere inside the hidden base of the Brotherhood of Evil. Of course, Slade knew exactly where the base was. He had a certain habit of making sure where all his enemies where. Hence the disappointment he felt when he located Robin's beacon from inside the base, inside a cell. The microscopic homing beacon was located in Robin's brain, hidden underneath all the neural electrical impulses. Slade hadn't wanted to place such a device in his apprentice's mind at first, but Robin's defiance and value was too great. A hallucinogenic dust to drive Robin mad and reveal to Slade if the boy's obsession would continue onward after his 'death' was the key to see how faithful the boy remained to his master. Adding the beacon to the dust was just a bonus. And now, if the Boy Wonder or his friends ever somehow found the chip by miracle, it was too engrained into the boy's mind that removing it would result in permanent mind damage.
"I have decided to finally put the leader of the Teen Titans to rest. Yes. That is correct. Robin the Boy Wonder, the former protégé of Batman and leader of the Titans will cease to exist," the monotonous voice of Brain announced.
A group of villains arrived on the screen, a calm Robin walking in the middle of the group, his hands still cuffed in front of his body. Slade narrowed his eye and studied his apprentice. Oh yes, even after Robin's escape, Terra's betrayal, Slade still considered Robin his first and only true apprentice. The boy's mouth was tight and his face was void of all emotion as the crowd of villains cheered for the demise of one of the great superheroes.
Professor Chang began preparing the machine. Robin shifted his body slightly as if to watch the professor. Slade grinned behind his mask. Oh, he knew what exactly what Robin was planning. Knowing the outcome of the fight that was about to begin, Slade left his temporary warehouse and decided to pick up where Brain was sure to fail.
Robin never felt this calm before in his entire life. His mind seemed to have flipped a switch and opportunities that he had not seen before existed before his very eyes. Shifting his body slightly, pretending to watch Chang, Robin took one deep breath and leapt into the air.
Doing a back flip in the air, the Boy Wonder sent his feet crashing into the two front guards. Twisting his body towards the wall, Robin landed his hands on another guard's head, spun around and using leverage sent himself flying towards an air vent. Tucking his head in, the boy slammed into the screen and skidded into the vent. Urging himself forward without a break, Robin began to crawl, blood seeping on his forehead from a head wound. He could hear shouts being yelled and the clambering of villains to find out where he was. Knowing soon that the villains would catch up, Robin found the nearest vent, kicked out the screen and landed quietly in the bathroom.
"They'll be able to track me if I go out the normal way," muttered Robin to himself. Going into one of the stalls Robin peered down the toilet and noticed that it was just an open hole. "Please, make this worth it," prayed the boy before diving head first down the toilet.
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"Have you found him," ordered Brain.
"No, sir. He somehow disappeared. We are now searching the woods, but there are no tracks or scent whatsoever," reported Madame Rouge.
"Where did you go, Robin? Why would you leave your teammates behind? Is it because you finally revealed your true colors as a coward," pondered Brain.
-Meanwhile, outside-
Robin collapsed on the snow behind a boulder, bringing up his shivering body into a ball. He somehow managed to live through his crazy little stunt, but now he feared that he would die of hypothermia. After falling into the sewer, Robin was able to take a few fresh clean breathes of air, before being sucked into a drainage tube and into the icy-river. Fighting the strong current and clawing at the ice to access the needed air pockets, Robin searched for a thin spot in the ice. Figuring he was far enough down the river, Robin began his exhausting swim to shore and kicking at the ice in order to break free and take in gulps of precious air.
Staying close to the shore, Robin ran down the bank. But soon after, coldness set in and pure exhaustion caused the Boy Wonder to collapse. Crawling on his hands, Robin found a temporary shelter and hideout between the boulders. Too weak to collect wood and knowing that the smoke would alert the Brotherhood of Evil where he was, Robin wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep his center warm and began to doze off.
He didn't know how long he sat there or if the coldness was finally getting to his brain, but the next time he mustered the strength to look up, Slade stood before him.
Slade simply started down at the shivering boy that was snuggled between two boulders. Knowing full well that Robin was going to escape, Slade took the fastest transportation to get here and begin his search through the woods to find his apprentice. Raising an eyebrow underneath his mask, the mastermind took in the soaking wet, shivering boy.
"Wonderful," croaked Robin.
"Despite your current condition, you still have enough strength to talk back to me, I feel honored," mocked Slade.
Robin growled, which sounded more like a moan to Slade's ear. Slade turned his head westward. He could hear those blundering villains of the Brotherhood making their way slowly towards the pair.
"We'll have to continue this delightful conversation later on," stated Slade.
Robin, too weak to hear the on-coming footsteps and his mind numb, narrowed his eyes at Slade, "Huh?" But the only answer he got was a punch to his face, enough to send him falling into darkness.
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A/N: Well, there ya go! My first Teen Titans fanfic, dealing with my favorite two characters: Slade and Robin. Reviews are always appreciated! Thanks.