Extended Summary:

When the Titans rescue in the Warehouse fails, Robin is once again trapped with Slade. But there is a greater danger than Slade, the longer Robin stays with the villain the stronger his darker side gets. Now Robin has to race against the clock to escape Slade before he loses himself forever.

*Key*

Author's Note

"Socio Talking"

"Think talking to Socio"

Flashback

"Talking"

Chapter 1

-Just the Beginning-

Richard Grayson shifted ever so slightly, so the straw settled more comfortably around him. He was completely covered in the pile of fresh straw that was used to line the animal's cages and his body was thrumming with intense excitement. He was about to kill Jen. At the beginning of that week he had been given a stick with a name on it just like all the other circus kids, as a part of a long running game. His goal was to find the kid who his stick named and take them out of the game by killing them with a stab of his stick. He had started the week with Deacon, one of the older kids, and had easily taken the boy out while he was eating breakfast. He had then received Deacon's stick which lead him to get Grace out while she was selling tickets for one of the shows. As the week continued he had systematically moved his way through the game and now it was Jen's turn. She would be his 6th kill. The game was called Assassins and he was the best assassin ever. He almost giggled with his excitement as he saw Jen come into sight. She was older that Dick by a year but she didn't have a place in the show yet so she would just help out around the camp. Today, she was sweeping up around the animal cages. All alone. A perfect target. Her back was turned to Dick now and he slowly started to slip out from the straw careful not to make a sound. He shifted his grip on the stick, hiding it in his sleeve just in case Jen turned around and saw him, but he knew she wouldn't. She was completely oblivious. Dick crept close placing his feet carefully on the dusty floor. Edging close in swift and silent steps. At that moment he thought about how he had seen a snake slide up close to a clueless mouse the summer before with the same deadly grace. He was the killer snake and Jen was his unaware mouse. A few more quick steps and he was right behind her. He slyly slipped the stick from his sleeve and slid a half step closer. And with a broad smile he jabbed the stick to the small of Jen's back.

Robin shot off of his pillow as he violently broke way from his dream. His eyes flew open to see the small concrete confines of the room he was given by Slade. He ran his hand over his face feeling his clammy skin. He hated remembering those childhood memories. He knew now why he had behaved that way. He knew why he loved the idea of killing off the other kids in the circus even if it was just a creative form of tag. It was purely psychological but Robin forcibly shifted his focus, not wanting to dwell on his internal problems he instead focused on his biggest problem, Slade.

It had only been three short days since the Titan's failed attempt of freeing him at Slade's old warehouse. After destroying his old warehouse Slade had relocated them to another location and after a thorough beating, Slade had left him to rot in this room. Robin rested his back against the wall and analyzed his small space for the millionth time. It was 14 square feet of solid concrete with a heavy steel door as its only exit. In one corner of the room was his narrow army grade cot that came with it's own mildew scented pillow and lacked sheets. Across the room was a hose facet that seemed to give out decent tap water that would run off into the rusted drain was proudly positioned in the middle of the floor. Robin sighed and looked over to the smooth metal door.

He wanted to be angry. He wanted to scream and shout but the bruises on his body and the painful stomach roars stopped him. He had to save every ounce of energy he could. He needed to stay focused and figure out what he needed to do. He needed a plan, goals, a list. First off he needed to fill his belly, it was nearly impossible to think with his stomach threatening to collapse in on its self. With steady deliberate movements Robin made his way off the cot and across the room where he sunk to his knees and turned on the facet. With his hands cupped under the flow Robin drank and after he couldn't stand another gulp he quickly removed his mask to scrub his face hard before replacing the mask. With nowhere else to go Robin returned to the cot. Now that his mind was slightly less clouded Robin began to think.

He focused on then events of the past few weeks. What did Slade really want with him? Was the Chronoton Detonator a real threat somewhere? Had Slade taken him away from the Titans so a real Detonator could be made without his interference? No. It was too straightforward. What if this whole apprenticeship was a cover for something even more sinister… a new plot by the Legion of Evil perhaps? It could make sense.

"Or maybe he sees your potential." His internal voice rumbled.

Robin shuddered and tried to ignore the thought.

"Oh come now Robin we both know what we could do, who you could be if you just let loose."

"No." Robin told it firmly.

Robin growled under his breath, Slade was bad for him. Not just because Robin was a hero but because Slade brought out the worst in him. He had worked too long to build up his internal walls around his true persona just to let Slade make them fall. He knew exactly what kind of person he really was and he would let himself die before he released that into the world. Because the fact of the matter was that he was a Sociopath. Conscienceless in the most dangerous form of the word. He wasn't the type of sociopath that lounged around lazily leeching off others around him nor was he the business type of sociopath that would use his peers as stepping-stones to for fill his ambitions, instead he was the dangerous kind. He was naturally the kind of person who knew the difference between right and wrong, but the distinction failed to limit any decision he made. It was only by luck that Robin was the being he was now. His sociopathic self had spent years forming a fake conscience and he had used it every time he put his cape and mask on to be Robin and in some kind of trick of fate the conscience stuck. That was all Robin was a sociopath's attempt at a ethics. It depressed him to a certain extent if he dwelled on it too long. Despite trying to keep his true side hidden there where a large number of traits that slipped through. Impulsiveness, aggression, disregard for his own safety. All of which were enough to get anyone potentially diagnosed as a sociopath but apparently went completely overlooked if you where a hero.

Robin shifted on the bed and the loud squeak brought him back to the present. He wasn't sure how long he had zoned out but the painful stinging in his eyes told him that he hadn't blinked in over a minute. Robin however didn't dare remove his mask. He had no desire to look at his surroundings without the specialized optics of the white lenses built into his mask. Robin settled for blinking moisture back into his deprived eyes, and in that second Robin heard a noise that made his blood chill instantly. The sound of boots.

As the noise drew closer Robin didn't know whether to cower into his little corner or face the approaching threat with his shoulders squared. In the end his body made the decision for him, it stayed frozen still. The thundering of feet grew deafeningly close and just when he thought they couldn't get any louder they stopped. Directly outside his door. His breath hitching he watched as the large door swung open revealing him to the man standing beyond.

He had never been afraid of Slade before but then why should he have. Back then Slade was just a low level mastermind, he controlled and manipulated but he wasn't a major league criminal. But now Robin knew better, as he stared into the single blazing blue steel eye of Slade Wilson he knew how laughably out his league this was, just like he had three days ago.

"New deal Slade." Robin growled, "If I lose my friends, you lose your apprentice." Robin felt his legs getting weaker. He couldn't last much longer. He leaned in a little closer to make his words count. "And I know how you hate to lose." And with that Robin let the pain wash over him as he sank down to his hands and knees. The pain was more than he would have ever imagined. It felt as if his very soul was lit on fire. He tried to grind his teeth through the pain and was surprised to taste the blood that was leaking into his mouth.

There was a metallic clatter and Robin opened his eyes to see Slade's mask roll to a stop just under his face. He gasped and he felt his head being snapped back by a large hand gripping his hair. His eyes locked on a single ice blue eye and he felt his world come crashing down around him. The man's face it's self wasn't all that scary, an older man with a simple black eye patch covering his missing left eye, buzz cut white hair and a short squared beard. The thing that was truly scary about the man's face was the title it held Slade Wilson, Deathstroke the Terminator. Robin had seen his face countless times on wanted posters and in case files. The enigma who had the ability to expose his true identity to the world and still remained at large.

"Nice try apprentice." The man growled and twisted his fist harder in Robin's hair, "But there is no way I could ever lose."

The nanobots shut off then and Robin felt himself being flung over the man's shoulder as if he weighted absolutely nothing. He felt wetness in his eyes as his world blurred and blood leaked out from them. He tried to scream out to the fallen Titans as he saw Deathstroke trigger the building's self-destruct but his world had already vanished into a dark void.

The rush back to reality was a quick one as Slade was on him before he could even react, a single hand wrapped around his neck and pushing him against the wall.

"I'm disappointed in you Robin." He snarled into the teen's face, "Very. Very. Disappointed." With each word Slade pounded Robin into the hard concrete wall.

With an effortless flick of his arm he sent Robin sprawling across the room. Robin tried his best to twist his body and land on his feet but he was flying faster then he thought and his body smashed sideways into a wall. Scrambling to his feet quickly he managed to block Slade's next punch with an arm but was able to do nothing about the knee that came crashing into his kidney. Robin dropped like a rock the internal damage caused by the nanobots causing blood to once again flow from his eyes, nose and mouth.

"I tried to do this the civil way, apprentice. I really did." Slade said as he crouched down to Robin's level. "But it seems my kindness was lost on you."

Robin let out an outraged cry and lunged forward sending his fists forward into Slade's unmasked face. Slade dodged the uncoordinated punches easily as he stood up and sent his foot into Robin's ribcage. Robin was once again thrown to the floor.

"So let me explain this in a way you understand." Slade said as he towered over the boy. "You are mine. My apprentice. My servant. My property! And you will do as your master instructs!"

Slade's words where loud and powerful and each one seemed to be like a blow to Robin. It was hard to breath. Robin struggled to get a gulp of air. Had he broken a rib? He squirmed and he found out the answer. Slade's boot clad foot was on his chest pinning him to the ground and slowly crushing him. How hadn't he noticed? Robin thrashed trying to get air into his lungs but was only able to when Slade lifted his foot. Air rushed into Robin's lungs and he quickly backpedaled away. With distance between them Robin recovered quickly and looked up to glare at Slade.

"No." He hissed with all the power he could.

The reaction was instantaneous and painful. Slade had his fist clamped around Robin's neck and his back was pressed into the wall.

"What was that?" Slade growled low in his throat.

Robin struggled a bit with his words and Slade turned his head to the side so his ear was close to Robin's mouth.

"Speak."

"DON'T DO IT YOU IDIOT!"

Robin heard the roar loud in his head, but Robin was already dead set on his next words.

"DO YOU WHAT TO KILL US OR SOMETHING!"

Robin steeled himself and leaned his mouth close to Slade's ear.

"No, Slade. Never."

Robin heard the words that came next but they didn't make much sense. He knew what each word meant but all together its meaning was lost on him. He heard the dull pound of flesh on flesh and felt the air flow around him as he was tossed around like a rag doll. It was all to soon before Robin was yanked back to reality by a loud crack and a blinding pain. Robin screamed in agony as his vision cleared and he was brought back to reality.

"There you are Apprentice." Slade cooed darkly.

Slade was crouched in front of Robin with his broken arm in one hand. Slade said something else but Robin was beginning to go into shock as he looked at the odd angle of his forearm and the bone that seemed to be trying to liberate itself from under his skin. In a quick flash of movement Slade reset the bone and grasped Robin's chin, forcing him to look at the man's face.

"Look at me when I am speaking." Slade growled dangerously. He ripped the mask from Robin's face.

Robin gasped and tried to look away but Slade's grasp was firm, Robin settled for down casting his eyes.

"I said look at ME." Slade's grip tightened impossibly hard.

Robin looked up at Slade and glared. Bright blue eyes met ice colored eyes and the two stared each other down. It was Robin who looked away first and with a disgusted growl Slade knocked the boy aside and stormed out of the room closing the door loudly behind him.

Robin listened to the boots retreat down the hall. Robin looked at the room around him from his position lying on the floor and felt an overwhelming sense of insecurity. Without the enhanced optics of the mask the space around him was a dark void. Endlessly vast and stiflingly minute. The void was only interrupted by a sliver of light that seeped through a crack from the other side of the metal door. Robin might have chuckled at the irony of it, on the other side of the door was his salvation but it also held his demise. Robin wasn't able to tell the difference when he finally slipped into unconsciousness.

-Author's Note-

Sociopath

a person with a psychopathic personality whose behavior is antisocial, often criminal, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.

Hey guys I hope you like this first chapter of Releasing The Demon :D I got the idea for this a while ago while doing a book report for AP Psychology so I'm going to be adding a few psychological things in the story here and there. It kind of fits Robin to be a sociopath in hiding seeing how he can be really obsessive and aggressive at times and keeps a calm and cool demeanor around himself other times. Some may call it passionate and professional but I call it suspicious. ANYWAYS I don't really have a name for what I am going to have Robin address his sociopathic part as, so if you have any ideas please feel free to tell me. I hope you like this story enough to Follow it.

See yah later (°v°)

-Missing Jay