Rated M for violence, language, and whatever else I throw in there.

"Ahh, Doctor Conner. You are awake. Good."

Sally Conner awoke to a disorienting pitch black. Piercing through it, a voice spoke evenly.

"Doctor, I want to ask you a question. Have you ever wondered what would happen if one were to shoot a bullet into the top of the kneecap, aiming through the bottom of the heel?" said the voice in a calm, calculating tone.

Sally squealed as the realization began to dawn on her that she may die, horribly and painfully.

"I hypothesis that, with the calibre of weapon I am accustomed to, it will tear its way through the leg, out of the heel, and hit the floor. However, I am unsure about the ricochet. Will it bounce back up through the foot? Would the leg tissue have slowed it enough to prevent any bounce off the floor?" The voice's tone did not change.

Crying, Sally whimpered out the words, "P-please don't h-hurt me!"

A sigh of seeming exacerbation came from the voice, "I am sorry to say this, Sally, but I very much wish to hurt you. I have only tested this hypothesis twice. The first time, the woman was in a wheel chair, meaning the tissue was far too decayed for it to be a real test, and the second man was much too heavy for the test to be performed properly. I ended up using a gun of too high calibre and simply blew the leg off."

Sally's sobs became more intense as the voice spoke the words in a tone as menacing as an algebra teacher.

"However," said the voice in dry satisfaction, "I can be persuaded to test my hypothesis at a different time, on a different person."

"I'll-I'll give you anything you want! Please!" Sally half-screamed as she closed her eyes, preferring the familiar dark to the hostile one all around her.

"Oh Sally," the voice said in mocking concern, "It is not what you can give to me, but what you will take."

Sally slowed her breathing as she prepared for whatever came next.

"In one day's time, you will receive a package. That package has 15 pills in it. You will take 1 a week for 10 weeks. The 5 extra are in case you lose one. Do what you will with the extra if you have any when you are done. If you fail to take the pills, you die. If you tell anyone about the little talk we're having, you die. If you lose more than 5 pills, I will shoot you through the kneecaps and elbows for incompetence and watch as you bleed out. If you try to run, we will follow you. If you attempt any form of technicalities involving the rules, you will die. Understood?"

Several moments were passed filled only by darkness and stifled sobs.

"Sally, speak when you are being spoken to," said the voice in an almost fatherly fashion.

"I," Sally whimpered out, "I understand."

"Good. Oh and, a letter will be sent to you after the 10 weeks. You may do with it what you wish," said the voice as sounds of movement began to fill the darkness.

"Wha—"

Sally was unconscious before she could utter another syllable. In a few hours' time, she would awake at home in her bed with a bad migraine.

Slade smiled under his mask.

Robin lashed out at his target with the force of ten grown men. The thud of his fists turning what was once solid into something less always gave him a rush. Soon, the punching bag he was training on ripped in half to reveal broken dust of what used to be solid granite.

Barely breathing any heavier than he was before, Robin allowed the automated system Cyborg had set up to spew out another target. This time, he would aim to be precise, striking only where the kidney and lesser organs would be.

The sudden sounding of an alarm interrupted Robin's training. He rushed off to the briefing room to find out what was going on.

"Robin!" a deep voice called from the approaching room as he entered it.

"What's going on?" Robin said as he mentally prepared for a fight.

"Cinderblock is at it again," Cyborg said.

"You think he's working for Slade again?" Robin asked, half excited and half apprehensive.

Cyborg smiled and replied, "Only one way to find out!"

Robin thought of punching through bricks and smiled as he left the tower.

This will be a slightly darker take on the Titans. Trying to improve my writing skills on here, so feel free to knit-pick the fuck out of it.