A/N: Sparrow here. exciting news guys! this is my first ever chaptered fic :3 so this is only the prologue to give y'all a taste! Dawn and I went to see the dark knight rises last night for the midnight showing. best. movie. ever. go see it after you finish reading this proulouge, and after you review, if you haven't XD the theatre i went to still has gray matter on the walls because my mind was blown. ;) faint whistling noises as that joke goes over some folk's heads. anyway here's the prologue!

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Teen Titans or it's characters (though I am mentally dating Robin XD). If I did own them Dawn and I would totally be in the show, and this here would be an episode not a fanfiction.

Prologue

"Another day, Robin. Another day" Slade declared over his shoulder. His calm voice carried over all the sounds of bending metal and crashing gears. As the room fell down around him, Robin remained motionless staring after Slade, his mouth agape as the other Titans leaped into action.

Slade didn't make threats. He made promises. Robin would know.

He stood, shocked still, as the flashing red lights bathed the collapsing room in an eerie glow. Between pulses of the warning glow debris tumbled down from the ceiling. Robin looked up to see a large gear about to fall on his head. He started to run, but he couldn't.

What's going on? This isn't how I remember it, he mentally screamed. Where was Raven? Hadn't she been the one to push him out of the way?

The gear came down on top of him and all he could do was watch.

The lower half of his body was now trapped underneath the overly large cog. Robin saw Cyborg grab the probe machine and run towards the exit with Raven flying above him. Starfire and Beast Boy were already at the door waiting for them.

Robin tried crying out for help, but his voice wouldn't work. No, no, no, no, NO! Robin thought starting to panic.

The Titans took one last look at the wreckage then turned and left.

Robin made a sound resembling that of a strangled animal as more of the rubble crashed down around him. They left. Did they not see him? Did they not remember why on earth they came to the Haunt in the first place?

As rubble rained down from the ceiling, voices echoed around Robin.

'Excellent work, Robin. We appear to be evenly matched, and equally ruthless. Not surprising.'

'You know, just 'cause we're trying to catch Slade doesn't mean you have to act like him.'

'Betrayal. Destruction. Revenge. We really do think alike.'

'No matter what the reason, no matter how much we wish it wasn't true, Robin is a criminal now. And just like any other criminal the Teen Titans have to take him down.'

'I am the thing that keeps you up at night. The evil that haunts every dark corner of your mind.'

"No! Please, stop!" Robin yelled into the taunting echoes. He buried his face into the metal flooring and tried to keep the voices out of his head.

"No, Robin. I won't stop. Not now. Not ever."

Jerking his head up, Robin couldn't believe his eyes as Slade walked toward him across the piles of rubble. Not a scratch on him. His mask was in one piece.

"No," Robin choked out, "NO! This isn't how it's supposed to be! We defeated you! It doesn't end this way!"

Slade stopped inches in front of Robin, the steel on his boots a breath away from Robin's nose.

"Oh, but Robin. You always knew it was going to end this way," Slade said in his cold, silky voice. Every word carried its own separate threat as they trickled down to Robin's ears.

Robin couldn't believe it. Was he really going to kill him? Just like that? It seemed wrong. Too… simple? Robin opened his mouth, about to say something, anything, when Slade finished his sentence.

"Apprentice."

Robin woke with a start, gasping for breath. Sweat trickled down his face as he tried to get his bearings. Newspaper clippings littered the walls, and diagrams covered the table he had been resting his head on. His room. It was his room.

With relief, Robin got his breathing back to normal. It was only a dream. A highly terrifying dream, but not real. Still taking deep breaths, Robin had almost calmed down when Cyborg poked his head into the room.

"It's him," Cy said with venom in his voice, "It's Slade."

Shit, Robin thought his heart missing a beat, it's happening again.

A/N: Sorry bout the curse, but 'Oh no' wasn't going to cut it. i try not to cuss in my stories too often, but sometimes it's necessary to convey the emotion. Anyway Dawn and I are going to the beach sunday, and so i may write there, may not (can't judge me if i don't, it's the beach XD). so may or may not be a week or two til chapter one is up. Sorry! but if i get a lot of good reviews, it might encourage me to update sooner *wink wink* til next time then ;)

- Your friendly neighborhood Sparrow (nerdy and i know it (; )