Chapter Thirty-Four: The Tamaranian Superpower

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Tamaranian Superpower

It was an odd sensation. His head felt very light, though the rest of him felt like nothing. He just couldn't feel the rest of himself. When he opened his eyes, everything was blurred. He saw a tall figure writing something down and tried to make a sound. Slade looked at him and walked over, putting a hand on his forehead. It felt cold. Slade sighed.

"How are you feeling?"

He tried to talk, but his speech was slurred, "haaat... ow..."

"You're alright. You're just feeling the remnants of the anesthesia. You've been out of it for a day," Slade told him, "You should be feeling much better. though, when the anesthesia wears off."

Robin shut his eyes as he focused on breathing, though he did well to pay attention to Slade, "It's early now, but in an hour, if you feel up to it, I'd like you to come to breakfast."

Though Robin couldn't see himself feeling better in an hour, his mouth twitched, telling Slade that he would. The man brushed Robin's bangs out of his face and watched him for a moment before turning to go.

"Don't worry about the IVs," He told him, "You don't need them anymore."

The door shut and he was alone. To his surprise, he began to feel the anesthesia already wearing off. There were still places that didn't seem to be losing the numb sensation, but he was beginning to feel his nerves picking up signals from where he hadn't been injured. He opened his eyes and looked around. There was an IV in his left arm and diagnostic sensor on the side of his chest. Whatever had happened to him... He couldn't really think straight, so he decided not to, since he didn't have to.

At least Slade had decided to make sure his injuries healed properly. He turned his head to the side. Slade... and... bits and pieces of his mind felt shattered. Like a glass picture his by a baseball. The edges and rims of other people in images were all he could retain at the moment, as his stomach dropped and he felt sick. There was one image that refused to be recalled, as every time he tried to do so, his head felt it would tear open. As much as he wanted to recall the image, a twisted premonition of fear overcame him.

When he finally could feel most of himself again, he looked over at the clock and realized that he had fifteen minutes to join Slade at the breakfast table. Moving his hand over, he carefully pulled out the IV and the diagnostic device before scooting himself up and off of the bed. His foot was extremely stiff and tingled as he walked. He noticed both his foot and his dislocated shoulder had been bandaged up, as well as right hand. He pulled his shirt off and went to the dresser, pulling out what came...

He noticed other injuries marring himself as he changed and actually spiked his hair up for the first time in about a month. The side of his stomach had a large line of stitches in it as did a small part of his lower left arm. In other places, inches of gauze were taped over him, wounds he assumed came from the glass. As for his back... a thick, cool compress held itself over several fading bruises. They must have been much worse before now. Three minutes to go and he was ready. Except...

In the main room, Adeline attempted to focus on the paper in front of her and drink her water. She hadn't seen Dick in a day and it worried her. Actually she had been worried since she had been kicked out of the dining room two days ago. And of course Slade wouldn't tell her anything. At least the room had gone back to normal. The morning after the fight, Adeline didn't think she could stand to look at it. What had Slade done? The question begged to be asked, but at the same time, Adeline didn't feel that she would get an answer for that, either.

To her right, Slade stood by the window, the air muggy from the past week. The fact that Robin had at least woken up was a good sign. That meant that his early suspicions had been correct. Though if Robin were to get up and join them, that would be... The door opened and both of them looked over. Adeline dropped her glass and water spilled over the table and paper.

Robin stood fully dressed in an outfit that resembled Slade's. Orange on one side, black on the other, the armor extremely similar, and a silver "S" over the left side of his chest... It had been a long time since Slade had seen Robin in that. He smiled under his own mask. Adeline was stunned, but what made her feel sick was the touch at the top. Slade walked over to Robin, hands behind his back as always and stared at Robin. The Boy Wonder held himself there, posture fixed, despite the fact that underneath the protective armor, his wounds were still smarting.

Slade brought a hand under the boy's chin and tilted it up so that Robin looked up at him. The mask. That is what was different. The entire time that he had been there, Robin had either not worn a mask, or had kept the one remaining from the Bat. Not now. Instead, the mask had two spikes, one on each end at the corners of his eyes, that tilted up, resembling Slade's.

Slade smiled again and dropped his hand, "You feel well enough?"

Robin nodded and turned his head back to the ground. Adeline's mouth dropped as Slade continued, "If you could get Ms. Kane another glass..."

Robin nodded and immediately left for the kitchen, only to return seconds later with a full glass and a towel for the mess. Shocked, Adeline took the glass, and moved aside as Robin quickly cleaned up the spill. He placed the towel on the kitchen window and stood to the side, waiting. Like a soldier. Adeline felt sick.

Slade chuckled, walking over to his apprentice, "You impress me, Robin."

Robin didn't move and Slade continued, tilting Robin's chin up to see him, "Perhaps we'll up the level of your training this week."

It really wasn't a 'perhaps' or a 'we'll'. Slade would increase the training level - that was certain. Robin nodded once. The result of the other night, Robin's behavior, it was beyond anything that Slade could have asked for. Adeline couldn't even talk. Wintergreen came in the room and brought in two dishes for Slade and Robin. Slade thanked him and the old friend left. Robin stood there, not making a sound and after a moment, Slade looked back at him.

He shook his head, "You can eat."

Robin's eyes opened slightly and nodded as Slade finished, "Very impressive, Robin."

Robin nodded again before sliding into the seat. The absolute obedience... The etiquette... How... Adeline slowly got up from her seat.

"Ex.. excuse me..." She said before turning and exiting the room.

She needed to lie down. Robin watched her before turning back to his food. He took a bite and the rest of breakfast was quiet. It was neither awkward nor unwanted on either Slade's or Robin's part. It was just simply silent.

-T-

Something that Starfire had never experienced on her homeland was the massive infrastructure that made up Earth's many cities. Over time, she became used to the tall skyscrapers within Jump and Gotham and she marveled at the creative urban layouts a city could be built upon. But Metropolis. Metropolis was an entirely different story.

Unlike contemporary Jump or classic Gotham, Metropolis' rich identity arose from its variety, history, and above all else, its vibrancy. Every form of building, from every decade, was represented in every area of Metropolis. Their defining features were how they were maintained. It was clean, fresh to the eye. Every window shone in the sunlight, making the city sparkle with a golden glow.

For Earth's resident Tamaranian, it was both beautiful and overwhelming at the same time as she walked down the sidewalks, taking a break from her long flights in favor of walking. For the past three days, she had flown from city to city, originally planning on returning to Gotham and giving herself a few days to travel to organize her thoughts.

She couldn't understand how she could possibly get anything done with the attitude and present customs that Earth presented. But if she could sort out what she knew instead of ignoring it or simply letting Robin deal with it, then maybe a solution would come to her. During her travels, though, she came to a point where the road that she had been following forked. She could either go to Gotham or Metropolis.

Throughout the past two days of travel, she had come to only two conclusions: One was that there was no way that anyone could understand Earth's laws. The second was that Robin probably would not be pleased to see her, as he had avoided talking to the Titans for the past month. And more than anything, she hated confronting her friends...

The Tamaranian had heard of Metropolis, though. Who hadn't? It was the very definition of an American city. With all of the hopes and dreams of New York, Metropolis prided itself in its significance within the United States as a symbol of inspiration. And of course, there was their resident superhero.

The last son of Krypton, Superman.

Fighting for truth, justice, and the American way.

The last son of Krypton.

If anyone knew why Earth operated the way it did, anyone outside of the immediate culture, it would have to be Superman. Though Starfire had only met him in passing, she felt that taking a detour to speak with him was worth a shot. So here she was, walking through the bewildering city, entirely lost. Maybe it would be better if she flew...

As she crossed the street, Starfire came across a large building. Tall and separated from the rest, above it read the sign "LexCorp". It sounded familiar... She shivered, despite the weather being warmer than most places, and readjusted her backpack. She kept walking, passing a delivery man walking towards the large corporate office. He opened the door and walked to the front desk to hand a package off. It was exchanged and put on the automatic delivery service to the top floor.

From there, the package entered the hands of a very slim secretary, chewing her gum like always. She knocked on her boss' door. As she entered, she could hear the clear displeasure in the occupant's voice.

"If you're bothering me, you had better be here to tell me that Westfield's..."

"Relax, baby," Marcie said, "I've got your package. Dr. Westfield, Cadmus Labs and all in the return address."

Luthor spun to the side of his desk and got up. He was over in front of her in a second and took the package, ripping open the thick manila envelope to find a small disk inside. He tossed the envelope to the side and sat down at his desk. He scanned the disk in a small virus detector by the side of his computer before inserting it and waiting for its contents to load. The connection was almost instant. Almost. And the instant seemed to drag on.

Westfield appeared on the screen, "Mr. Luthor. Your contract with us is now complete."

"I can see that," Luthor said, "Now tell me, the Xeno-cannon is entirely up and operational, right?"

"Of, of course," Westfield stuttered, "It could be moved right out of here right now if you wanted it to."

Lex smirked at the sad excuse for a scientist, "Really? Well..."

He looked out to the side of the window, "I'm glad that I have direct control of it now."

Westfield nodded slowly, a bit confused, when Lex pulled up another screen and hit enter. On the other side of the screen, Westfield turned around to see the Xeno-cannon activating. The connection terminated. The miracle of telecommunication and remote control became a curse as Cadmus failed to override Luthor's control. Of course it was no use.

Outside Cadmus Labs, Lane marched out of the front doors. The nerve, turning her away. Then again, she should probably be used to it by now. Her reason for being here? Her search into Luthor's finances had led her into some of the current president's father's records and dealings when LexCorp had been LuthorCorp. One was one of them was a government lab that had broken off in recent years to become Cadmus. The reporter then began to realize that many of Luthor's bills, made out without reason, had appeared to be going to government agencies, matched old codes that identified Cadmus. In fact, all of them did.

She had smirked at the revelation. She had been right. Luthor was up to something. So it would figure that she would get kicked out of Cadmus almost as soon as she had walked in. Lois scowled at the ground as she pulled out her phone to call Clark. Maybe bragging would make her feel better if only for a moment. She turned around to look back at the Labs' front glass doors, to see the two security men leaving their posts.

"Huh?" She forgot her phone was ringing.

"Hello? Lois?" Silence, "Lois? Are you there?"

"Huh?" Lois was pulled out of her trance, "Um, sorry, Clark, never mind..."

"Lois? Lois? Where are you?" The star reporter began to tune him out.

"I'm at Cadmus Labs... following a lead..." She peered inside and walked back towards the front to get a better view without the glare...

"A lead, what lead?" Clark asked over the phone.

"Luthor's..." Lois looked to the side after she noticed that she couldn't get in without it being unlocked from the inside, "Finances... look, Clark, I'll call you back. I think I might have something."

She ran around to the back to see if she could sneak in another way (trespassing never came to her mind anymore), "Well, okay, well, listen, Lois..."

Lane pressed her head to a window, hearing something... like screaming as Clark continued, "If you need anything..."

BANG!

Lois fell to the side as she screamed, dropping her phone. Her mouth dropped as she looked up to see a massive, six story tall, armor covered machine making its way out of the building into the streets of Metropolis. Lois stood up and ran to the side to look into the building to see several people lying on the ground unconscious. Turning back to the six-story machine, she strapped her bag to her side and ran off, grateful to be wearing sneakers today instead of just her office heels. Her phone however, was completely forgotten.

At least, by its owner.

On the other end, Clark had canceled his order in the Deli near the Daily Planet in favor of running outside to get a better view. Upon hearing Lois' scream, his worry had shot up dramatically. He scanned Metropolis with his X-Ray vision to the area of town containing Cadmus. While he couldn't find Lois, he did find a six-story machine coming towards the center of the city. If that wasn't what Lois was screaming about, he didn't know what was. First though... the wreckage...

He scanned the fallen debris for anyone trapped. No one, no sign of Lois, just her cell phone. That meant that she was alright. He knew her well enough to know that. So he flew off towards the machine when he came into the vision field of its cameras. Luthor smiled.

"Come on, Superman, I dare you," He smirked.

Looking for the weakest point, Superman flew like a bullet towards a section of two armored pieces. But upon impact, he found himself rocketing off into a building. The shock echoed throughout the city and people everywhere turned around to see what was going on, including their visiting Tamaranian and two men working in the Daily Planet. As Perry ordered the young freelancer, Olsen, off to get pictures of whatever was going on, Superman groaned.

"What was that?" He asked to himself.

He moved to bring his hands back into fists when he felt them sting. They were bleeding. Great, he guessed the thing was covered with some form of Kryptonite. He flew up again, deciding to switch to using long range tactics. He blew against the machine before hitting it with a blast of laser vision. It looked weaker, but it kept moving as Luthor directed it towards the center of the city. He tried again. Still nothing. Maybe the coating was gone. He aimed at the front, blew his icy breath against it and quickly hit it with the intensity of his laser vision before flying in to ram it backwards off balance.

Again, he felt himself propelled backwards into the concrete streets. He shook his head again, noting that his knuckles had been ripped open further. The Kryptonite coating was resisting all force and weathering deterrents. As he looked up at the machine, he saw that the machine was tilting off balance, ready to topple... But as Luthor had designed it, its massive center of gravity pulled it upright. Superman's jaw dropped. It should have... But before he could finish his thought, Luthor decided that they were far enough into town to unleash the massive super weapon. Even so, the two simultaneous bangs were enough to move Starfire into action.

"That can not be good..." She said to herself, flying up into the air.

Superman heard the machine squirm inside and suddenly shoot up several poles which spread open a screen almost in a dome shape, colored with a tinge of green. Finally catching up, Lois watched as the dome rose much higher than the rest of the city, a massive amount of concentration of energy appearing to hold up its center. The lime-green tinge didn't make her feel any more comfortable about it, either.

"Ms. Lane! Ms. Lane!"

"Jimmy!" She called, turning to see him running over to her.

"What is that thing?" He asked.

"Don't know," She answered looking up at it, "It came from Cadmus Labs and I'm certain that Luthor's behind it."

"How do you know..." Jimmy started when he shook his head to begin taking photos, "Never mind, but how's Superman fairing up...?"

Lois glanced over at the hero slowly getting up from the ground, "I... I don't know..."

"Do you think we should stay here or..." Jimmy began as the sound of his camera's shutter clicked away.

"We're staying here," Lois said, "That's gotta be Kryptonite and if it is..."

Jimmy shook his head, "Can't Luthor be at least a little more original..."

"When is anyone?" Lois countered sarcastically.

Across the way, Starfire flew up, discarding her bag to a nearby rooftop when she caught sight of Superman, who still hadn't seen her. But the machine in front of her worried her more than her impeding social dilemma. Superman flew up, determined to find a weak point. Even if the screen was coated in Kryptonite, he could most likely still rip through it...

Luthor laughed as he initiated the weapon's power. Starfire heard an all too familiar sound as the dome, already casting a shadow, began to be infused with the tower's energy. Superman halted momentarily, at which point, the sound blasted. Starfire covered her ears as the machine echoed Cyborg's sonic blast over Metropolis. Most only covered their heads, as the two reporters did below. But some... Starfire watched as Superman cried out, the sound burning his ears and skin, causing him to sink to the ground faster than he had before.

"Superman!" She called, but he couldn't move, save to open his eyes to see who was calling him, and he saw rockets now emerging from their stations inside the machine aiming directly at him.

They fired.

"No!" Starfire yelled.

She flew forward and blasted several of them, as starbolts came to her hands and from her eyes. Luthor stood up. What was... Starfire headed straight for the rocket launchers, punching them off into heaps of wreckage. Lois watched as she began to tolerate the constant whine coming from the above. Jimmy began to take photos again.

"Who is that?" He yelled over the sound.

"Well, it's not Supergirl," Lois yelled back, "She looks familiar, though. Can you get a close shot?"

"Already did," Jimmy said, showing her a quick photo from the digital preview.

"She's with the Teen Titans," Lois recalled and suddenly it occurred to her, "Stay here, I'm going to LexCorp!"

"What?" Jimmy called, not noticing the writer heading off into the opposite direction as he continued to take pictures.

If their visiting superhero continued to take out the machine, and from what she had already seen Lois was sure she could, a bit of evidence linking this to Luthor would be extremely useful for tomorrow's front page. Meanwhile, Starfire finished dismantling the rocket launchers and went to rescue her fallen comrade. She lifted Superman's arm over her shoulders and flew him to safety, and unhooked her Titans Communicator.

"Cyborg!" She called into it and instantly, Beast Boy was on the other line.

"Starfire! Where have you been? I mean, thanks for up and leav--"

"Where is friend Cyborg?" She interrupted.

"Of course, you'd want to talk to him because... Hey!"

Cyborg pushed the green kid out of the way, "What's up? Star?"

"How do you shut off your sonic cannon?" She asked or rather almost demanded.

"Huh?" Cyborg asked, surprised, "Why?"

"I found who stole your designs of technology," Starfire explained.

"What? Who?" Cyborg asked.

"Well it is mainly a where..." Starfire started, "But how do you shut the sonic cannon down?"

Cyborg shook his head, "You have to disconnect the wires on the inside. If you can, look for clues as to who is controlling the remake."

"I will do," Starfire said, terminating the connection and setting Superman aside.

In a streak of light, she readied a starbolt and increased its power before letting it loose on the sonic-cannon remake. It hit its target and exploded a piece of the exterior, allowing for Starfire to fly inside. The mass of connecting technology inside it was smoking, making it difficult to see, but with her eyes lit, she was able to see the many wires she had to pull.

Outside LexCorp, Lois easily found her way inside as more people were worried about their possible impending doom to care about trespassers. Riding up to the top floor, Lois readied her voice recorder. Luthor had to be behind this! At a certain point however, the elevator stopped and Lois was forced out to a floor about ten floors below the top. No matter, the stairs would do from here. She continued her way up.

On the top floor, Luthor stood outraged. There was no way he was going to let some teenage girl stop him now, considering all of the time and money he had put into this. The worse luck he could have was that this was a Titan. It couldn't be Supergirl today, oh no, it had to be someone unaffected by Kryptonite.

"Marcie, leave!" He ordered, knowing that he needed another offensive and all of his focus.

Marcie rolled her eyes and stormed out at the sudden order. As she left the room, Luthor pulled up another computer program. As soon as she shut the door, Lois found her pressure point and she slid unconscious to the floor. Carefully, she passed the small mike underneath the door just before it would be visible on the other side. Then she stood up and listened in.

"Come on, come on..." Luthor said, "Where are those heat seekers..."

She smiled; she had been right all along. Inside the Xeno-Cannon though, Luthor's luck was fading. He could no longer move the machine because if he did he would have to switch off the cannon, which he could now no longer power back up if he did so. Outside the Xeno-Cannon, Jimmy continued to click away when in a burst of green light, Starfire, emerged from the Xeno-Cannon.

"That was... distasteful..." Starfire muttered to herself, still coughing, when she looked up.

She had followed Cyborg's instructions, but the sound was still permeating the area. She pulled the communicator out and began to text Cyborg back, 'cannon still functioning'. As she continued to pelt the machine and dome with starbolts, she heard the communicator ring again. Pulling it to eye level she read, 'Destroy the power source then - idk where that would be, though'.

Starfire bit her lip when the center five poles emerging from the cannon caught her eye as they swarmed with the green glow. The power source... She began to fly straight at it when she heard a voice coming from the giant machine, sounding much like a classic over-the-phone male instructor.

"I'm giving you fair warning, girl," the voice said as Luthor spoke into the microphone in his office, still unaware of Lois' voice recorder at the bottom of his door, "Surrender now. You have no chance of beating me."

Starfire stopped and her glowing eyes looked at the machine directly before announcing, "I never surrender and if you believe that I have no chance of defeating you, then you have certainly underestimated me."

Luthor repressed the urge to growl. Behind her, several rockets seemed to come out of nowhere and she flew back into action. Moving out of their line of fire, they changed course and began to follow her. She narrowed her eyes and let loose a few starblazers. They exploded in a fiery fury and she set course again for the five poles.

"No!" Luthor yelled and thankfully for him, the microphone was switched off at this point. He continued, muttering to himself, "Wayne's Xeno-mineral converter..."

Inside, Lois scrunched up her forehead in thought... Xeno-mineral... Kryptonite... So that's how it was radiating its energy in the form of sound! In the open, Starfire finally got close enough to the five poles and aimed. Her starbolts were deflected. She flew in and instantly felt the electric energy pulsing threw her body as she positioned herself between all five poles. The Tamaranian groaned...

'Do not give up now,' She told herself.

Starfire thought of the nerve that a person would have to steal her friend's technology. She thought of their terrible desire to harm others, especially someone who has done nothing but help others. She thought of her friends helping her on the other side of the country. She thought of Robin and her intense desire to bring him home... Her body began to glow, not from the electricity, but from her own raw power as she gained the Star energy... Jimmy watched as the teen began to rise to the middle of the five poles and the outward glow of green covered her entirely.

BOOM!

The starblast rocketed outward, crippling the five poles and destroying the Xeno-Mineral converter. Above her, the pieces of the dome began to crumple like aluminum as they deteriorated and fell while the powerful surge of the Kryptonite coating of the cannon dissolved. People cheered, even Jimmy, who had stopped taking photos for just a minute to do so. But inside his office, Lex banged his fists on his desk, infuriated.

"NO!" He yelled, "NO!"

Lois smiled and pulled the mike away and ran to the stairs. Her work here was done and Perry would love the next day's lead article. At the scene of the fight, Starfire looked around, dazed, the entire scene a blur as her energy had left her. The cannon was dismantled. Metropolis was safe... But that's when the backfire hit and she screamed. The electric blast hit her like an atomic blast and she fell into the heap of twisted wires and metal that was once a great menace. Starfire moaned and squinted. Above her, she saw a figure outlined in radiating light of the sun before she succumbed to the pain and finally passed out.

Chapter Thirty-Three: Just Make It Stop

Warning: This chapter contains a violent fight sequence and psychological trauma. What goes on within the fight is very important though, so my recommendation is to just read the dialogue if you don't want to read the fight. You should get about the same understanding of the events of the chapter. Just wanted to put that out there. You have been warned.

-T-

Chapter Thirty-Three: Just Make It Stop

The only really good thing about having an internal digital clock was that you always knew what time it was. Even then, that could always be so easily turned against him. Like this morning, for example. Cyborg had been up all night, working on the Titans' database information hub center. The subject? Jump City criminals. He was starting to understand a little bit as to why Robin had never gotten any sleep.

Currently, two others on the Titans roster were awake. Raven was off to the side reading while Beast Boy was busy making tofu French toast. It was probably partially because that sounded like such a disgusting combination of food in his head and partially because he was massively tired, but somehow, Beast Boy's antics this morning had done nearly everything to set him off. It was practically a miracle (or maybe Raven's doing) that he hadn't sucker-punched the little booger through the front windows straight towards China.

But being the oblivious one that he was, Beast Boy never got the warning signs that Cyborg had sent. So instead of dissolving the relatively calm situation into a fight, the temporary head of the Titans got up and decided to give himself a break. He really did need one anyway... He began heading towards his room when he saw Starfire down the hall opening a door that led to the roof. While he normally wouldn't have bothered asking what she was doing, curiosity got the best of him when he saw a pink backpack strapped to her back.

"Hey, Starfire!" He called down to her.

Starfire turned to see him, "Oh, hello, friend Cyborg. Uh, nice day, isn't it?"

He walked over to her, forcing a peasant smile on his face, "Uh, yeah, I guess..."

He eyed her bag, "So what's that you got there?"

"Oh, uh, this?" Starfire said, clearly feeling uncomfortable, "Uh, well, you see, I..."

"Looks heavy," Cyborg noted.

"Well, relatively speaking, yes, but with my enhanced strength on this planet it is..." Starfire trailed off as she saw Cyborg cross his arms and look down at her. There was no way she could skit around the subject, "I... uh... I am sorry friend. I..."

"You're worried, aren't ya?" Cyborg asked.

Starfire nodded, "I do not understand why friend Robin has not called us or why he has not come home and nothing I do can put my mind at ease..."

"We're all worried, Star, but what were you going to do? Go to Gotham and find him?" Cyborg asked.

"It is not..." Starfire sighed, "I... I can respect Robin's orders. I did not expect to find him there. But that is not... I was not planning on going there..."

"Huh?" Cyborg asked, surprised, "Where you going to go?"

"I... do not know," She confessed, "I... I just do not understand why people behave certain ways on Earth. And I do not mean to offend you or the others, but I do not feel like I can simply wait here. It makes me... nervous..."

Cyborg nodded and sighed. He looked at Star, who's head was bent low. Of all the Titans, the changes in Robin's life worried her the most. They all knew how close she was to him – how much she had been thinking about him. He was her best friend and the lack of communication, after a month... realizing it now, he could see why she was fretting so much. Perhaps it would be good if she left for a little while. Get her mind off things in Jump or even maybe work a little to find out what was going on with him (and Cyborg was almost certain that she would).

"Alright then," He said, "Why don't you just go take a break, a vacation or whatever, alright?"

"Huh?" Starfire looked up at him.

"You were just about to leave, weren't you?" Cyborg asked, his smile now softer, "Go on, take some time off. I'd get the rest of the Titans to go with you, but I think it's best if the rest of us stay here. That cool?"

"Oh..." Starfire's face instantly brightened. She flew up and gave Cyborg the biggest hug in the world, making him glad that he was half robot, because man did her hugs hurt. "Thank you, friend Cyborg! Thank you! I apologize for not planning to say goodbye, but I did not think... Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Yeah..." Cyborg managed, "Uh, Starfire? Can you, uh, let me go now? You're denting my... steel-plated armor."

"Oh," She released him, "I am sorry. Forgive me. But oh, thank you!"

She flew to the door, her bag at hand, "Thank you. I will contact you soon. I promise."

"No problem, Star," Cyborg said, rubbing his shoulder, "Take care, alright?"

"I will," Starfire said, "See you the soon!"

With that, the Tamaranian flew up and out of sight. Cyborg rolled his eyes and began walking to his room once again. Upon reaching his room, he went straight for his bed, collapsing on the hard metal like it was a meadow of pillows. He plugged himself into his charger and laid back. As his sleep mode kicked in, he figured that he'd tell the others about Starfire's departure later. It might not have been the best idea to let her go and leave only three Titans present in Jump, but they'd deal with it.

Besides, it could always be worse.

-T-

The long hours within the meat house had remained mostly cold and quiet ones. Lonely ones too, if Robin didn't count all of the dead animals around him, which were ever so hard not to notice. At some point, he had just shut his eyes and tried to rest, shut everything else out, hoping that somehow, he could ignore the insanity that was his life. When Slade had finally come to let him out, there had been no words exchanged. Only a bitter glare from Robin and of course, an uninterested expression from his captor.

The few days that followed were quiet ones, too. When given an order, Robin did what he was told to do quickly and did so without a word. It wasn't because he had given in. It was more like his mind was too preoccupied with everything that had happened in the recent months. Everything kept building, like a tower, a precariously perched tower. When it would fall over was anyone's guess.

The silence of the estate had reached everyone, including Slade and Adeline. Everyone just got what needed to be done, done. No questions asked. Perhaps Slade, though, was the only one who didn't seem disturbed or stressed by this. Adeline couldn't believe her own behavior. She hadn't fought Slade since that night and she somehow felt nervous to even remind him. She wasn't afraid of him. No, it was never that. She was afraid of what she would do. It was like being in the same room with him... would she slip back like she had before? She couldn't bear the thought.

When she finally saw Robin for the first time after the incident, she got tongue-tied. She knew that he deserved an explanation. Of all things to see a friend or even a confident flirting, okay, kissing the enemy, the betrayal of trust that Robin must have been feeling... She couldn't imagine. She had to tell him...

"Dick..." She started.

Dick stopped cleaning one of the dishes in his hands.

"I..."

Slade walked in, "Are you done?"

Dick looked over at him and back at the sink, working once again. That was it though, she had been shot down. For the ten minutes that it had taken her to build up the confidence to tell him, she lost it within the few seconds that Slade had entered the room. She couldn't take it and walked out of the room, her heals making a clicking sound against the tiles. She hated him.

And Robin ignored her. He remembered what it was like to be betrayed before, with Terra and what she did to the Titans because of Slade's influence... And Robin was pretty much certain that there wasn't anything more influential than getting kissed by someone you were head over heals for. From what he had seen, Ms. Kane fit that description. After everything that she had told him, he should have figured that having her on his side was too good to be true. She was still alive because she was in cahoots with Slade. It was the only logical reason and now it was all too plain and clear for him not to see it.

The only downside to the silence in the puppeteer's mind (as he wasn't all that concerned with Robin finding out about his and Adeline's past relationship), was that the focus, the progress, was at a standstill. The boy was clinging to the shock, which prevented him from getting closer to accepting his new position. He needed something to get Robin to react. He could wait, as always... It was just a question as to whether he really wanted to. Besides, there really wouldn't be any real harm in edging Robin's progress along and wasn't his goal to have Robin progress? Perhaps a change in pace was all Robin needed...

As Adeline walked out of the room, Robin continued washing the dishes. Slade knew Robin was paying attention to him, though he made no signs of it. What that meant to him though was that it was as good a time as ever to talk to him.

"We'll be having dinner in the main room, casual, tonight," Slade said.

Robin glanced up and over to him, meeting his gaze before nodding once and returning to his work, a passive expression covering his face. Slade put his hand on Robin's shoulder and instantly felt Robin attempt to control the tightening of his muscles.

"I expect good behavior out of you, as always," Slade said, before releasing him and exiting the room.

When he was alone, save for the cameras of course, Robin finished his work and looked up at the clock. It was six thirty, meaning that dinner would be soon. He walked back to his room to change, thinking how sad it was that he actually knew his way around his prison so well. It had never really gotten to this point in previous detainments when they had battled in Jump...

He changed into dark leans and a loose, but decent white t-shirt. He didn't bother using hair gel much anymore and this time merely combed it with a slight part at the front. It was half an inch longer than normal since he hadn't gotten the chance to cut it. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he paused briefly. Despite his body feeling sluggish, his mind felt semi-alert. The only thing really slowing him down was the reality of just how long he had actually been here. He was tired of it, sick and tired of it, and annoyed at himself because of it. He shouldn't be here. He should be in Gotham where he needed... to... be... The clock changed to six fifty eight. Dinner was near ready. He left to go to the main room.

It took him a minute to get there, so he waited thirty seconds before he opened the door to see both Slade and Ms. Kane standing in opposite corners of the room. Slade, as always, remained in his uniform, the mask off this time while Ms. Kane took up a skirt and blouse. Slade looked over and smiled, making Robin's eyes widen slightly. It was just an instinct, a reaction that he had developed over the weeks he had been there so that he could be ready whenever Slade might have the upper hand. But of course this time, it was nothing.

He thought.

"Well, let's sit down. Wintergreen has already left out an appetizer," Slade said, gesturing towards the table.

Adeline eyed it and Robin before making his way over to pull out the seat to the left of Slade. Robin pretended to take no note of her and sat down across the table from her. Slade pulled out his own chair and casually took to dinner quicker than the others did. However, they all finished within ten minutes, without a word spoken.

Wintergreen took their dishes and they waited for him to return with the main course. 'So much for casual,' Robin thought. He failed to notice Slade's eye ignoring him. It had settled on Adeline instead. He knew that she felt an urge to explain the other night to Robin. He was also willing to bet that Robin wouldn't hear it. The timing couldn't be better.

"Adeline, you haven't persisted in having our daily spar," Slade said, and sure enough, they both looked up, "Have you conceded, then?"

Adeline ignored the question and looked over at Robin, who had gone back to looking down at his lap as Wintergreen brought in three steaks and placed them in front of the three diners.

"Dick, don't think that..." Adeline started.

Robin glared up at her, waiting, and Slade could almost see the tension the comment had sparked in the room. Adeline silenced herself before gulping down a hard breath and continuing.

"It wasn't like that. I haven't been..."

"Are you serious?!" Robin demanded, standing up, "That's your explanation?! 'It wasn't like that'?!"

"Sit down, Robin," Slade said calmly.

"Shut up!" Robin spat, and Slade's eyes narrowed. Come on...

"You're both... both..." Robin struggled to find the words, his hands up in the air as though trying to grasp the phrase, "Argh, it's so... I can't believe I was so stupid to trust you! You're sick and I'm disgusted to even know you!"

"Dick..." Adeline pleaded.

"No!" Robin yelled, his chest pounding, as weeks of anger and frustration began to tumble out of his mouth, "I hate you! I hate you both! You're cruel and demented and you can't think of anyone but yourselves!"

"That's enough," Slade said, hinting at the possible trouble Robin was about to get himself into.

"No! You're not the boss of me! I'm almost seventeen! Neither of you are and I don't have to take orders from either of you! Ever!" Robin told him.

At this point, Slade stood up as well, towering over both of them. Adeline looked over at Slade, a sudden worry reaching down into her gut. What was he... Slade's eye kept Robin's gaze, but the Boy Wonder didn't move.

"You don't have any right to tell me to do anything. I'm going back to Gotham and there's nothing you can do about it," Robin whispered, each word trembling just enough...

To both of Robin's and Adeline's surprised, a deep rich chuckle began to make it's way out of Slade's mouth, until it became a roar. Adeline stepped back and suddenly, Robin didn't feel as confident as he had been moments earlier.

"The right?" Slade asked, "I have every right."

Robin kept his teeth together and shook his head, "No... no, you don't, you don't!"

He swung his arm out to reinforce his point, when Slade grabbed his wrist and swung it around, forcing Robin onto the table with a hard 'Slam!'

"Slade!" Adeline yelled, but before she could do anything, Slade threw Robin against the chinaware cabinet, littering the ground with shards of broken glass.

"Slade, what are you doing?!" Adeline asked, panicked.

Slade looked and coolly walked over to her, gesturing, or rather guiding her towards the exit. While holding her arms as she stumbled backwards trying to force her way over to Robin. The word gesture was being used extremely loosely in this regard.

"Forgive me, Addie, but I think Robin and I need some time alone," Slade said.

"Slade, wait, stop..." She pushed against him, but that's when he reached the exit and gave her a final shove and slammed the door.

She almost tripped and fell over, but she caught herself. Not in time, however, to reach the door before Slade locked it. Adeline jingled the handle. No. No...!

"Slade!" She yelled, "Slade!"

Slade could hear her muffled yells on the other side, but ignored them as he heard glass rustling around. He turned his attention to see Robin on his knees, blood streaking down the side of his face from the right side of his forehead, his jaw aching from the previous impact with the table. His shirt was slightly red, too... The headache was splitting, but Robin forced himself to get back up. For Gotham...

"I'm not going down that easily," Robin said, standing up.

He leapt forward, kicking out, though missing Slade completely. He swung his arm out and landed a fist on Slade's side, but that only allowed Slade to take advantage of his motion and swing him straight into the corner of the kitchen window. He could feel a bruise already forming by his stomach and the loose fabric that had torn from his shirt. Whether the bruise had split open, he couldn't tell as he gasped and attempted to dodge Slade's next attack that sent him spiraling to the floor.

He attempted to roll away, but felt himself being lifted up by his hair, "This isn't easy?"

Slade was taunting him. He head butted Slade's chin away and flipped over to the other side of the room, near the centerpiece. Slade smiled, and walked around the table, ignoring the banging on the door and the yells coming from behind it.

"What's the matter, not going to hit me?"

He was getting to him. He could see it.

"Argh!" Robin lunged forward but was instantly slammed into the armrest of the sofa, falling to the ground, though he skidded along to the windows.

"You claim to be so unhappy," Slade said, walking over.

"And I am!" Robin yelled.

He wasn't being taken seriously and he hated it. He was never taken seriously. Never...

"Hey," Slade said, holding his arms open, "I'm not saying that you're not."

Robin's jaw dropped, but before he knew what was happening, Slade had him in a tight headlock.

"But do you want to know why you're not happy?" Slade said, holding the teen's neck tightly.

Robin gasped and choked, struggling to pull Slade's arm off, but at the same time, he was becoming disoriented from the lack of oxygen. The headache became a migraine.

"It's because you won't accept your new life," Slade whispered.

New life? Robin panicked, he elbowed Slade in the gut and tumbled away, coughing a bit to relieve his bruised throat.

"As what?" He yelled, backing away.

Slade merely took out his staff and swatted it at the Boy Wonder, who did a backwards somersault to land out of the way. Robin dodged out of the way again as Slade attacked and used it to slide out towards the kitchen door, hoping that it would be open. It was locked. He barely managed to knock himself out of the way.

"As my apprentice," Slade coolly answered.

Just like all of those times before. Robin jumped to one of the mounted fixtures and held himself there, despite feeling bits of glass digging into his hand. He wished that Slade would just let this apprentice thing go...

"No! You killed Bruce! You took everything from me!" Robin argued, "I'm not going to be your apprentice! Not now, not ever!"

Slade chuckled and merely tossed one of the many jars at Robin's hand. The boy dodged it, but tumbled to the floor. He shook his head, but couldn't get his thoughts aligned before he felt Slade pick him up and drag him over to the dinner table, miraculously still as though it hadn't been touched. Robin struggled against Slade's grip, but it was hopeless.

"I'm interested," Slade said, picking up a steak knife left at Adeline's dish, "I took everything from you?"

He couldn't be intimidated.

Bang! Bang!

The door kept twitching.

"You killed Bruce! You took me away from my friends!" Robin cried out.

Slade chuckled, "What friends?"

Robin didn't have time to process it as he felt the cool metal being pressed against the side of his arm and chest, just before it would tear the skin.

"Those Titans, that used you?" Slade asked, "Those 'friends' that saw you as pathetic and weak?"

"They didn..." Robin gasped as he felt the knife threaten to push through.

Slade held it there ever so carefully, without lifting a finger.

"You know they did, Robin," Slade whispered, "I think you were smart to send them away..."

Robin shook his head at the 'compliment', "You killed Bruce, you killed Bruce..."

"And why should you care?" Slade asked.

As the banging and screaming from outside the room continued, he added, "When he never did?"

Robin struggled instinctively, accidentally drawing blood through scratches made by the teeth of the knife, which dripped down the metal. He sucked in his breath, the stinging almost like being shocked by an electric plug. And suddenly, Robin heard his own logic killing every bit of hope inside of him.

"You think I don't care about your well being?" Bruce whispered and looked down at Dick.

"No."

"And why would that be?" Bruce asked, leaning in and challenging the statement.

"How about 'you'd take everything I ever had away'?" Dick asked, finding a silent road blocker.

No. He was wrong. He had been wrong. Bruce had protected him. He had...

"You could never argue with him," Slade whispered, "His word was law."

Slade tossed Robin to the floor and the Boy Wonder quickly moved out towards the kitchen window sill. He had to fight this. He needed to win... for Bruce... But this time was different. Slade wasn't holding back. It was... scary. And for whatever reason, the shock, not making the first strike, the disorientation... Robin didn't know which was the cause, maybe they all were, but Slade was like something shooting through the wind at him. He moved quickly and with enough force to make a good dent in a car at the very least. As soon as he was fully conscious of it, Robin attempted to keep himself from shaking.

"What was his excuse for his orders?" Slade asked, curious, "To protect you? Why didn't he teach you to be able to protect yourself?"

Robin leapt out of the way, avoiding a punch coming his way, and clung to one of the wall decorations.

"I'll answer that one," Slade said, looking up, watching Robin's terrified expression.

For that moment, he really thought that this man was actually going to kill him.

"Because he wanted to control you."

Robin shook his head. No. No...

"No..."

Slade found the bo-staff that had been leaning to the side, twisting his fingers around it. He knew that Robin could take this. After all, the boy was incredibly resistant to pain and of course, Robin needed to be brought face to face with everything. Everything that he had been avoiding since he arrived...

"No? Break free from those ridiculous lies, Robin," Slade said, "You have such great potential. I can see it now, just by watching you."

Robin's grip on the wall piece tightened, his fingers going numb.

"He just never gave you the right training," Slade said, before tossing the bo-staff up at the piece, causing Robin to dodge out of the way. However, his shoe lace caught hold of one of the antlers he had been holding onto, ripping his shoe off and throwing him off balance.

He landed under the dinner table, a few shards of glass digging into his back. He felt woozy...

"I don't care!" Robin yelled, scooting away from Slade's feet.

"Why?" Slade tossed a chair away, making Robin back away further.

"Because he gave you a life after your parents passing?" Slade demanded, "Did he give you a family?"

Robin paused as did Slade. Ye...

Slade laughed and Robin recoiled, backing towards the opposite side of the table, "What kind of family uses people, each other?"

Robin turned. He had to make a run for it. He had to get out of here. He had... Suddenly, he heard the sound of something being tossed at him, splitting the still air and instantly, sharp pains reached his back and he screamed, falling to the floor. It was like several leaches had spread their reach through out his whole back and were sucking the blood out of him. The bruises thickening from a brown to a deep purple-blue.

As he looked up, he saw a broken chair in front of him, a few of the legs slightly ripped out of place. He gasped as he felt Slade lift him up by the shirt.

"I know it hurts," Slade cooed to him softly.

Robin shook his head, spreading the migraine towards the front of his forehead from the back of his neck.

"To think that you haven't had a family..." Slade commented.

Then Slade's eye met Robin's, "I can give you that, Robin."

Robin's mouth opened slightly as Slade continued, "I can give you what your parents wanted for you. I can help you succeed, be a teacher to you."

"No," Robin said, "They wouldn't want me to..."

"Be happy?" Slade asked.

Robin stopped, before Slade threw him back towards the fireplace. He hit the other sofa.

"I can give you a life again," Slade said, the sinister edge back in his voice.

"I don't want that kind of life!" Robin yelled, crawling away.

Slade ignored him, "Something Batman never did."

"No!" Robin felt his eyes becoming wet.

He loved his life before. He wanted to keep it. He wanted to laugh and joke with his friends and he wanted to drive through the streets of Gotham, flying past skyscrapers... Even if Bruce was dead. Even if... He had to keep his promise, become his successor... What kind of life would it be to live in terror? The kind of terror he was feeling now. He instinctively felt Slade reaching down to grab him by the collar again. He leapt out of the way to one of the wall hangings again, but this time, he didn't stop there and leapt up to the ceiling chandelier above the dinner table, holding on for dear life, hoping that it would hold him.

"Think of yourself for once," Slade said, "Live so that you can be happy!"

"I won't be happy!" Robin yelled, "I'm not going to follow you! I'm not! And I never will!"

Slade walked over to the table and picked up the bloody steak knife. Robin looked down and was able to duck the spinning blade...

But it hit the chandelier's hold instead.

It came crashing down and somehow, by the skin of his teeth, Robin forced himself over to the sofa next to the table, falling to the floor with his momentum. He felt his right foot twist awkwardly and he cried out, his nerves all sending the same painful messages to his brain. He shook his head and slowly forced his way up, standing blearily, before he heard it, from behind. The Boy Wonder spun around to see Slade coming straight at him. Slade caught hold of his two wrists and slammed the boy into the coffee table, and Robin heard it cracking beneath him. He struggled to get free, to get out as Slade hovered over him from the side.

"Stop," Slade ordered.

Robin looked up at him instantly, their eyes never moving, "Just accept it."

Robin couldn't move, like his brain wasn't functioning. Slade was mere inches away from him.

"I did this for your benefit Robin," Slade told him, "Just look at you."

Robin shook his head; strands of hair held together by sweat fell from to the sides of his head or clung to his neck. As Slade's grip on his left arm loosened, he tried to free himself, only to feel Slade grab him harder and within a second's notice, pull his arm out of the shoulder socket. Robin gasped several times, the pain reaching down his arm, parallelizing him for the moment and making it difficult to remember to breathe.

"Look at what you can become," Slade said, gesturing down to Robin's toned arm and then to his chest, which was exposed in places where his shirt had torn, bringing Robin's focus to just how much he had trained himself already.

But he hated Slade being in his face. He hated Slade even pointing at him. It made him struggle further and it became harder to think straight as he frantically, desperately wanted...

Make it stop...

"They never let you," Slade whispered, "And never would..."

"Please..." Robin begged.

He had to get out. He had to keep his promise, to Bruce. The banging and the faint yells from the door wouldn't stop and it only mad his headache worse...

"How very sad... That you were in a position like that for so long..."

"Stop!"

Slade smacked Robin in the face and brought his hand up to grab Robin's chin again, a few of his fingers grasping at the boy's neck as well, forcing the boy to look at him. Robin struggled to free himself, an ever fading fight as Slade held his wrist while his fingers and palm twisted frantically... though that too began to die.

"You do not give me orders," Slade whispered sinisterly.

Robin felt mute, unable to say anything, any words to defend himself, his eyes wetter than they had ever been in the last few weeks.

Slade laughed amused, "Has it finally gotten through to you?"

Robin remained frozen as Slade continued, "What am I to you?"

Robin gasped and swallowed, trying desperately in his mind to not answer... He just wanted it to stop.

"I'm waiting," Slade whispered, to the torn and bleeding boy looking up at him.

"...master..." Robin's lips finally muttered, trembling.

"What was that?" Slade edged on.

"Master!" Robin yelled, terror taking over his will to remain silent.

Slade smiled, "That's right, Robin... But what else?"

What else?

Robin's mind rewound everything. Everything that Slade had ever said, done. Wasn't 'Master' good enough... Slade saw Robin's masked eyes freeze. He had found 'what else'. Robin looked up at him like he was crazy. He couldn't say that. He could never say that. How could... He couldn't do that! The constant banging on the door didn't even register anymore.

"I said 'what else'?" Slade repeated, leaning forward so that Robin could feel Slade's hot breath tickling his neck and cheek, causing him to shiver because... he really was afraid.

"No... no, no... please, don't make me..."

Slade lifted Robin up briefly and slammed him back into the table, making Robin feel as though he had cracked his skull, the rest of his body, losing any form of sense. The boy yelped.

"What else!?" Slade demanded.

Robin gasped, the tears finally recognizing their place, purpose, as he felt like he was dieing inside.

I'm sorry.

Robin muttered something that barely qualified as a word, not even able to look at Slade

"What was that?" Slade asked him.

Robin looked up at him, submissively, "... father..."

"I couldn't quite hear that," He egged.

"FATHER!" Robin screamed, "Father! You're, you're a father... to me... a father..."

And with that, Robin felt the tears, flowing past his eyes, the mask and he felt his chest heave up and down as he sobbed. What kind of person was he...

I'm sorry.

Slade leaned back, to his own surprise, finally satisfied. The boy kept sobbing even after he let him go, all the while, the boy's lips moved back and forth as though repeating the same inaudible line. Robin cried on the table, unable to take it. His head was killing him; his body was numb except for pin points where the pain was overwhelming. And all the while, the worst thing about it was the absolute hate for himself, which washed over him, like he couldn't feel it, however much he wanted to. Slade patted Robin's cheek twice, before holding it which, each time to Robin felt like he was being stung with a venomous poison.

"That's my boy."

Just outside, Adeline continued to bang on the door, her throat beginning to become horse and sore from yelling so much, "Slade! Slade! Let me in! Slade, come on! Slade!"

She was cut short as the door pulled open and the sight in front of her made her stomach heave. His pants had a few holes in them as though they had been caught on a corner. His shirt held the same lackluster, though parts also looked as though the fabric had been severely stretched and he was missing a shoe... She stepped back as Slade walked past her, carrying a boy in his arms. A bruised, bloody, tear stained, crying boy, who didn't even seem to care what was going on around him. She only caught a few words coming from Dick that both startled and alarmed her.

"I'm sorry... I'm, I'm sorry, please... I'm sorry..." He continued, barely uttering the words from his mouth as he rested against Slade's chest as Slade held him up by his back and the backs of his knees, the boy's feet and arms dangling limply down towards the ground.

"...Slade?" Adeline finally managed, "What... what happened?"

Slade could hear the scared tone in her voice, but as he was prone to do, solemnly answered, "He'll be alright."

And he walked off without so much as stopping, leaving her to stand in shock in the empty hallway. The whole way there, Slade continued to hear Robin apologizing. To who or for what, he really didn't feel like it mattered. He opened the door to Robin's room and carefully, placed the boy on the bed.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

He walked over to a small chest in the corner and opened it up to reveal a small syringe. Robin didn't even seem to notice. This would help him, for now, to calm down. Slade cleaned a patch of skin on Robin's arm and carefully slipped the needle underneath it. Gently, he pushed it in allowing it to take hold of Robin's conscious.

"... i'm sorry... i'm sorry..."

"Shhh..." Slade whispered, "There's nothing to be sorry for."

Robin gasped weakly and shook his head barely... "... i'm... sorry..."

...Bruce.

Slade watched as Robin fell asleep and the tears begin to cake on his face and under his mask as the last thing Robin saw was a faint green glow from a fading memory... It was amazing really. After months of planning, a month of working with the boy, weakening his mental walls guarding whatever the Bat had told him were worthy of such protection... He had done it. Robin knew who he was now. Robin was his Apprentice and he was Robin's Master. He looked away, the last piece of what he had done finally catching up to him.

How extraordinary it was... the thing that he had created. From a successor, he had somehow managed to gain a son as well. It was a feeling that he hadn't felt in ages. The pride one haves from being... a father. While perhaps, he realized that he had never been fully adept to recognizing or acknowledging that desire of being a father, the feeling, to have it fulfilled... It really was extraordinary...

He glanced back at the sleeping boy, who now knew how fully dependent he was on him. Slade got up and left, knowing that the boy would need medical attention far beyond that of a simple anesthesia. He moved past the door and before he closed it, he looked back at Robin. The teen, no matter how old he had gotten, he still held that youthful face, almost like a child's. Slade slowly, passively shut the door and walked off, his work, his goal, finally done.

Adeline Kane

Overview

Born from a well off family, Adeline joined the US Army at a young age and quickly grew in the ranks. With marriage and motherhood, Adeline resigned from the military as her husband provided for their family. Together, they had two sons. After a bitter divorce, Adeline began her own Private Security Company that is currently expanding into the world of Private Intelligence. 

Despite her resignation from the Army, she is still a highly capable and formidable combatant. When Project Firewall comes under attack, Bruce Wayne hires Adeline and her company's forces to guard Wayne Tower and its outlying facilities from both technical, viral, and physical attacks. However, Adeline's involvement with the case may in fact be a crucial turning point to revealing Deathstroke's true intentions. 

Adaptation

Adeline, as she was never shown in the TV Show, retains much of her comic book counter part's qualities from the early 1980's comics. In "Custody" she works as the head of a private security company, in a sense, just a step away from what would be her private enterprise in the comics as a private intelligence agency. Additionally, though a bit younger and a bit less hardened then she was in the comics, Adeline retains her history with Deathstroke. 

The biggest difference is that Adeline from the point of the beginning of the story has never once interacted with the Titans, who are based on the West coast of the United States while she has primarily operated on the East. Though aware of Slade's antics, she has been content to not get involved as long as they have not threatened her family. All of that comes under threat however in "Custody", forcing Adeline out of avoiding the man that ruined her life into confronting him full head on.

Personality and Relationships

Adeline was a "army brat", growing up in a variety of different locations through out her childhood and teenage life. Following in the footsteps of her father, Adeline also joined the army and quickly became renowned as a top soldier. This led her to teaching many new recruits, including her future husband. During her military career, Adeline took no excuses, no nonsense, and no cowardliness. Fearless, brave, and determined, Adeline trusted her gut instincts, which led to many of her victories in battle and training. 

After her bitter divorce, much of Adeline's confidence in her instincts became a stitched up mess, filled with self doubt and double guessing of herself. While confident in tactical matters, when it comes to dealing with other people, Adeline falters when it comes to trusting people and what she believes to be their motives. With many of her own regrets surrounding her family, particularly her sons' lives, Adeline has a particularly strong maternal instinct, though she doesn't always trust herself to fill  a 'mother' role. 

She is one of the few people with whom Deathstroke shows respect to, albeit in his own twisted sense. While their past is murky to say the least, they do seem to be familiar with one another, much to Adeline's dismay. His nickname to her ,"Addie", can trigger flashes of anger in her. Another man in her life, Bruce Wayne, though distant, relies on her with a variety of important matters regarding his company. While she is unaware of his true identity, their companies' partnership has served for the benefit of both enterprises ever since the establishment of Adeline's agency. However, the true nature of how they came to meet is unknown.

Personal Thoughts

Adeline was one of my favorite characters from the comics while growing up. I loved her strong willed nature and ability to stand on even ground with Deathstroke. While I know why she never appeared in the TV Show, I still think it would have been way cool to see her in some way show up. But hey, at least we got Jericho though. 

I tried to write Adeline from a bit of a younger perspective as I felt that the TV show dealt with a younger Slade as well. So here, she's experienced, but still learning a bit and not quite as hardened of a character yet.  In any case, Adeline ends up playing a key role in "Custody" and her character is one of the primary reasons why I was able to come up with the storyline. I won't spoil much, but let's just say that little coincidences in canon material allowed for this to come about.

Also, just btw, I'm still waiting to find a Deathstroke and Adeline Kane cosplaying duo. That would provide so much win. Just saying. ;)

Chapter Thirty-Two: To Assign Fault

Chapter Thirty-Two: To Assign Fault

Adeline wrapped her hands with tape, something that had become a daily thing. Not that she liked it that way. After tearing off the piece she was working on and flexing her hand, Adeline allowed herself one of the brief opportunities to slump her posture. There are always days where one is full of energy or on the other side of the scale, entirely depleted of energy. This was one of the days where Adeline wished that she could be depleted. The daily routine of fighting Slade, it was starting to almost depress her. And worse yet, she recognized it.

There had been a point in time where she had always been able to beat him. Within a minute or less, too. True, she had taught him to do better, to improve, to actually hold his own to her, but often times, she had still won... unless, she let him win... It would always boost his confidence. Confidence that at one point would make her smile; at one point make her...

The door opened and Slade walked in. Automatically, his confidence made her feel sick. She half wondered if the corners of her mouth were falling off her face due to the frown they were shaped in. He said nothing, but walked over to the closet chest in the room. Adeline leaned against one of the old couches and waited.

"Bo-staffs today?" He asked.

"Whatever," Adeline said, without much of a care.

"You're talkative," He noted.

Adeline glanced over at him as he walked up to her, "Maybe I'd want to talk more if the person I was talking to wasn't wearing some ridiculous mask."

Slade raised his eye, but began to chuckle. He was always in full uniform when he and Adeline fought. She generally favored sports clothes; today's outfit included a light purple tank top with a short sleeved jacket, tennis shoes, and a pair of loose black shorts. But he always wore what had been coined as Deathstroke's uniform. The mask, included.

"Touché," He said, reaching behind his head and releasing the metal mask from its place.

She looked up to see him, but as she did her perceptive eye overtook her. He caught her eye, "What?"

She stopped staring, "Nothing."

He really hadn't changed very much, when she looked at him closely. He still held that young air about him. Just like when she had first met him. Except of course, the eye patch. That was new. She smiled bitterly and laughed as he handed her the bo-staff.

"Forgive me for missing the joke," He said, walking over to his starting position as she did her's.

"Reminiscing, Slade," She told him, truthfully, "That's all."

"I suppose we do have a lot to reminisce about," He said, "Though I would have thought that you would do that at another time."

"Unfortunately," Adeline said, "I only reminisce on the bad things in my life when I'm around you."

"I apologize," Slade said, like a gentleman, but mocking all the same.

"Don't tell me you don't reminisce, Slade," She said, twirling the bo-staff in her hand.

"I never said I didn't," Slade stated, "But then again, I don't suppose you would care."

"Come to think of it, you're right, I probably wouldn't," She stated.

They stood opposite each other, both ready. Adeline had both hands tight on the bo-staff while Slade stood loosely, like this was some form of practice for the real thing. Too bad for her, it was. Her eyes narrowed. It was her move. It always was. Slade had given her that courtesy. A growl escaped her throat and she attacked head on, aiming the bo-staff at the top of his head. Slade side-stepped her and aimed a blow towards the right of her stomach, but she caught it by placing her bo-staff in the way.

She felt her feet slide backwards as they stood facing each other, but she held her ground all the same. She kept her eyes on him while her brain worked with what she remembered of the surroundings. That was one thing that Adeline knew about Slade. He watched the eyes of his opponent to guess what they would do next. But not her. She wouldn't look anywhere but him. Otherwise, he'd figure out her strategy faster than she could actually plan it out.

That's why when she tilted her staff downwards, he almost lost his footing. Almost. He didn't, but that was good enough for her to fight back. She twisted around to kick him in the gut, but she missed as he jumped back and over her. As Adeline turned, Slade used his own staff to attempt to trip her. It worked. But for mere seconds. Upon falling, Adeline rolled over a good ways away from him. Her breathing slowed as she willed it to. They began to circle the room again, this time slower.

Slade sighed and Adeline's eyes narrowed, "What?"

"What has it been, almost a month?" He asked.

"What are you talking about?" She demanded.

Slade shook his head, "The number of times we've done this, fighting."

"Oh you..." She seethed, and attacked, but he blocked with his bo-staff.

"I'm just saying," He said, backing off, "I think we know the outcome of this fight already, Adeline. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Her eyes widened and she spun around, hitting him in the back with the staff, but not hard enough to make a real impact. She did though, cause him to drop his staff, "Are you kidding me?"

"Hm?" Slade asked, side stepping another of her attacks.

"I don't want to do this, Slade," Adeline hissed as she pushed herself away from another of his attacks. He still made a hit and Adeline felt the pain run through her upper arm, "I have to do this."

Slade looked Adeline in the eye as she continued, another attack on the way, "I've always had to do this!"

He backed away as she swiped at his shoulder, "Ever since what happened to Joey... I've had to protect them."

She landed a hit at his chest, but he caught hold of her bo-staff, "I could have helped you there, Adeline, if you had let me."

"You were the threat!" Adeline yelled at him as he wrenched the staff from her grasp and she flipped away, "How could you even..."

Slade kicked out under her legs and Adeline jumped to avoid him, "Adeline..."

"No! No! Can it, Slade," Adeline told him, "I don't want to hear your excuses. I've heard them all."

Slade and Adeline fought. In every instance, something crept back into Slade's memories. Her determination, her sense of justice, her loyalty... She almost landed an uppercut to his jaw, but he turned to his left and was able to pick up his staff. Upon noticing this, she ran for her own and barely managed to grab it before he aimed one end at her hand. He missed and she stood up, knocking him back.

"You know, I did leave them be," Slade said, "As you requested."

"Oh, so responsible of you," She remarked sarcastically, wiping some sweat from her forehead, "When was the last time that happened?"

"We're talking about responsible when you're the one who risked losing custody of them by attempting to murder me?" Slade asked.

"Shut it," Adeline snapped, "It's not like it wouldn't have saved us a whole lot of trouble."

"And yet I know where Grant is and you do not," Slade said, a smile creeping onto his face.

It infuriated her, "And it's responsible of you to know and not tell me? You don't even look after them! You don't care about them!"

"You know that's not true," Slade stated slowly.

Adeline ran into the fight again, "You. Never. Cared."

"Adeline..." He dodged her again.

"No, don't tell me lies like that," Adeline yelled, "I can't believe I trusted you like I did..."

Slade shook his head, "I still believe you to be a good judge of character, though."

"Yeah, well, I don't," Adeline stated firmly, running with her staff at him.

His eye never left her's. They kept fighting, dodging, kicking, and attempting to hurt the other in some manner. After a while, Slade noticed Adeline's movements getting slower and less coordinated. She was tired. He backed off once again. Her hair was clinging to her neck and face, though she still looked like she was ready to go another hour. He almost didn't think that he could last that. Watching her, it reminded him, of everything that she was. The brave, fierce woman that had at one point, been his teacher, his friend...

"Addie..." He began.

Something snapped in her head, "And you know, another thing, I wish, you'd quit calling me that!"

"You're still, so egotistical!" She ran forward and their staffs collided.

"So stubborn!" He pushed her back.

"And sly and..." The staffs clashed again and she was pushed back.

She remembered first meeting him; he was standing in a line of soldiers.

"And annoyingly secretive!" She yelled.

Their first date.

"You couldn't be more..." Another clash and she felt herself losing distance even more.

Meeting him at the airport.

"Detached and hurtful!" Adeline felt her ankle hit the old couch and had no choice but to take a step up.

Watching him playing with the boys...

"And... and..." Adeline felt her back hit the old fireplace's counter.

Their eyes locked and for a moment, time wasn't a factor in their minds. Adeline couldn't tear her eyes away. This man. After everything that he had done to her, everything that he had done to Grant and Joey. After all of those painful nights that she had cried away after he ruined her life...

"Addie?" He asked, and she felt all of her anger subside.

Instantly, Adeline pushed her head passed the two staffs and their lips met. She dropped the staff and her hands fell to his chest, then around his neck. He dropped his own and very gently, brought his hands up to her waist. She paused momentarily, her lips still mere millimeters away from him.

"And vexing..."

Their lips met again. She leaned into him from her spot on the small couch and he carefully pulled them both back until he held her in mid-air. Her fingers toyed with his blond hair. As she needed to breathe, she felt him letting out his own as it ran down her neck.

"And smart..." She whispered.

The third kiss occurred. Almost as a way to politely excuse himself from holding her up, Slade had carefully made his way with her back to the couch in the middle of the room and fell back onto it. She landed on his chest, her brown hair covering most of his face. Just like she had before...

"And patient..."

She gave herself a minute to actually get air and collapsed her head onto his chest, taking in his scent. The same as it had always been. It was like the world and it's problems had melted away and had left them behind...

"What else?" He whispered, a hint of ironic amusement at their current situation hidden in those two words.

Adeline remembered wearing white and what had been the happiest day of her life...

"And..." Her eyes locked with his, "Too... persistent..."

Their lips met for the final time and they hugged each other. She clung like she had been forbidden to her entire life, while he held her like he would a fragile object. He pushed some of her hair out of the way, so that he could have some light when they opened their eyes. But that was when the sound of a door opening found its way to his ear. Slade opened his eye, but could only see Adeline as the door was to the right of him. He ended the kiss and Adeline opened her eyes. He turned his head to the door and so did she, only to see Robin standing in the door way, his masked eyes and mouth, wide open.

Instantly, the look on Adeline's face turned into one of panic as she realized what she was doing. But she didn't get a chance to say anything before Robin turned tail and ran off. Getting up and running without looking back, Adeline chased after him.

"Dick! Dick wait!" She yelled.

Up ahead, Robin could hear her, but he wasn't about to stop. What had... He thought that... How... It was like his brain wasn't working. Like it had been hit out of the ballpark and hadn't been found yet... Slade and... Ms. Kane?

"Dick wait!" Adeline caught up with him and reached out for his wrist.

"No!" Robin turned around and backed away from her.

"Dick, let me explain..." Addie said, though she wasn't sure if she could.

"No! Stop! Don't..." Robin stuttered, "You... you were with him all along! You never cared about what happens to me! You lied and I believed you!"

Adeline shook her head, "No, no, Dick, that's not... Slade and I were..."

"What Ms. Kane and I were doing is none of your concern."

Adeline spun around to see Slade standing behind her. But instead of hesitancy, she saw instead only anger in Robin's face.

"Shut up! Just, shut it! I don't have to listen to you Slade!" Robin yelled, "Why should I? It's not like anyone actually cares about my well-being! It's not like I'm not surrounded by liars!"

"Watch your tongue," Slade warned.

"Make me," Robin said simply, fury seething from his tone.

That's when Adeline saw Slade move forward, but before she could do anything, Slade had caught hold of Robin's arm and a good portion of the boy's hair. The teen screamed.

"Slade, don't!" She yelled, but he shoved her off.

"Let go!" Robin yelled.

"He deserves an explanation!" Adeline yelled.

"He'll get what he deserves," Slade told her, their eyes met and he read everything, saw everything.

But then he turned, dragging a struggling Robin with him. She shook her head and while a hand reached out, hoping to stop them, it did nothing but hang in the air as she heard another boy's cries fade away. At some point, she fell to her knees, shaking. What had she... What had she done?

Down the hall, Robin made every effort to free himself, "Let go of me!"

He thrashed about, but he could feel Slade's grip begin to bruise his arm while a headache seeped through to his skull. Slade said nothing as he dragged the boy wonder down the hall. He could tell that the boy was visibly shaken from seeing him and Adeline... well, from finding out about the nature of their relationship. At some point, Robin quit struggling in favor of yelling.

"You had Ms. Kane working for you all along!" He yelled, "She left willingly! I'm right, aren't I? That's what really happened! Right!"

Slade twisted Robin's hair, who let out a yelp, "You are quick to assume the worse."

Robin shut his eyes as he stumbled forward, "Why shouldn't I? You both lied! You and her! You, she...!"

"We what?" Slade turned to look Robin in the eye, and suddenly Robin felt his breath caught in his throat. Slade chuckled, "It doesn't even matter to you does it? I told you long ago that you didn't have a say in this. You were never in control and you still are not. I am."

They continued walking. Robin somehow managed. He could feel himself grind his teeth as he tried to make sense of it all. Slade and Ms. Kane were... something, an item, he'd go with that terminology. How had he not seen that? And if they were... didn't that mean that... Slade had been right? Ms. Kane had lied. She had lied to him, to Alfred, to the GCPD, to everyone...

"You both deserve each other!" He finally yelled, "You're both as evil and as putrid and as vial as..."

Smack!

Robin felt blood trickle down from his nose as his vision blurred in and out of alignment. Slade pulled him back from the wall. If there was something he wouldn't tolerate, it was Robin insulting Adeline.

"I was going to be lenient..." Slade trailed off, "But you've earned yourself a little more than that..."

As the words reached his ears, Robin felt a new anger burn inside of him. They turned to the right and suddenly, they were in a cold room. It almost felt like it was... outside. But it was totally... he didn't get a chance to take in his surroundings before he felt Slade release his hair to open something. That something was what, he assumed, he was then thrown into. He rubbed his head where it had been hit. That was when he realized that he was in a metal cage of some sort. The door slammed shut right as he got to his knees. He shook the door hard and glared at Slade when it wouldn't open.

"Let me out!" Robin yelled.

"I'm not going to do that, Robin," Slade told him, "You brought this upon yourself."

"For what? For seeing you two making out?!" Robin reached for anything he could in his defense, though he didn't really care about skirting around the issue anymore.

Slade shook his head once, "How long are you trying to stay in there for, Robin?"

"Oh yeah, I'm trying to stay in here because I love being in this type of circumstance!" Robin yelled.

Slade let out a small chuckle, "You wouldn't be in such a great situation if it wasn't for me, Robin. Where would you have been? Who would have taken you in? I think I've proved my point before. Adeline didn't care. None of your friends cared, otherwise they would have stuck around."

Robin was about to say something in their defense, when Slade continued, "But then again, you were the one alienated them. They never really wanted to be around you in the first place; you are always so prone to problems. Your current predicament is proof of that."

For a long moment, Robin sat on his feet while on his knees, speechless. Somehow, throughout all of the chaos in his head, what Slade had just said... was true. He had left his team. He was always causing problems. He...

"Honestly, Robin," Slade said, "How can you save a city, when you can't save yourself?"

How could he...? Robin had heard Slade tell him that before, but something about that caused him to panic. All of the truth, all of the revelations kept hitting him and hurting his head.

Robin stopped his trail of thoughts. It all stemmed from... He glared up at Slade, who smiled, "I'll be back to get you when you've learned your lesson for back-talking."

"Hey! Hey!" Robin yelled, but Slade had left the room.

The door slammed shut and Robin immediately felt a draft. He panicked, "SLADE!"

He shook the cage doors when he heard something above him shift and fall back down on top of him. He fell to his back in order to avoid the barred wire that create a roof above him. The Boy Wonder had even shut his eyes in case of contact. Fortunately, it had caught onto something and stopped inches from his face. Slowly, Robin opened his eyes, his head twisted to the side, when something dripped onto his face. He looked up and screamed.

The head, the head of the dead dear from earlier that week was over him, lying on what had been a shelf. Its eyes were still wide open. Robin turned his head around to look around him. It was only then that he realized where he was. Against other walls were other similar cages with other dead animals within them. Worse yet, the walls were only made of one layer of nailed wood. Was this... an old meat house?

A drop of blood dripped from the deer's mouth onto his cheek.

It was.

And he screamed. He screamed and held his head, rolling onto his side hoping to shut everything out, but he still felt the metal scratching him and the cold burning the scratches further. If only... He couldn't take it. What had he gotten himself into? Where was he? Why was Slade after him? And why... He opened his eyes and shivered as the wind hit his back. He was worthless. A pathetic excuse for a successor. He couldn't save himself. He never could. Not when it really mattered. A deep sense of shame overwhelmed him. He couldn't even tell who was on his side. He hadn't figured out that Wilson had been Slade and he hadn't been able to tell that Ms. Kane had been helping Slade...

What had he been able to figure out anyway? What was he good for? How could he even still... He hated this. He hated all of it. He hated Slade for capturing him. He hated Ms. Kane for betraying him. But most of all, he hated himself for driving people away and for not being strong enough. It was like everything he ever tried to make himself was always going to be out of his reach. He was always failing everyone. Why couldn't he do anything right?

Another drop fell by his ear and Robin shuddered. When was Slade going to let him out of this place?
Sadly, it would not be for a few long hours.

Slade made his way casually back towards the gym. He found Adeline still on her knees when he rounded the corner of the hallway that he had left her in. Her hands were on her thighs, keeping her up, while her thick brown hair covered her facial expression. But he could see she was biting her lip in the way that told him she was trying to contain herself.

He walked over to her and knelt down next to her, "Addie..."

He brought up a hand to her face, but she slapped him away, wordlessly. He looked at the ground as he heard her stifle a sob or two.

"It's not as bad as you're making it," He said calmly.

That earned him another slap to the face. Her hand landed on the wall and Adeline pushed herself up... barely. She bit her hand, choking on her tears.

"I hate you," She whispered.

Slade stood up, "Addie..."

"I HATE YOU!" She yelled, spinning around to face him, "You ruined my life! You hurt our boys! You lied to me! And you can't just leave me alone! You have to involve me and them and now Dick and even..."

Adeline sobbed. She continued, "And you... You..."

She finally brought her eyes into the light to stare into his lone one. Like she could tell him. As though she could. What kind of woman was she for it... What would... How could she...

He brought his hands up to her arms, offering to support her, hold her while she cried... "Addie, come on..."

She shuffled herself away and turned her back on him, "No, just... leave me alone... please... Please Slade..."

He stood there and didn't move while she brought a hand up to her mouth. Why did he always call her Addie? The way it reminded her of their past. Of all of those happier times when things were simpler. All of the moments that he had ruined for their family, for her, for them... What killed her the most though, the thing that made her despise herself, yes herself, from the very bottom of her heart, was that... that... she knew.

She knew that she was still in love with him.

She couldn't hate him. Even after what he had done to Grant and Joey. Even after what he had done to countless others. Even after what he was doing to Dick... She was still weak and still loved him. Loved the man that had at one point in time captured her heart. Whether or not that same man was who he was now, it didn't really seem to matter. He was the only place she could think to look for him anymore. She choked, a cry escaping, strangled from her throat.

Why was she so weak?

Why was she still so hopelessly in love with a man that had hurt her so much? It just wasn't fair. It wasn't fair…

Slade watched Adeline for a good number of minutes. Strangely, he felt that he should leave, but he wanted to stay. He had not planned on what had happened in the gym and he knew that she hadn't either. But the more important fact of the matter was that she was severely affected by it. And yet, he knew that Adeline wouldn't accept his help, his comfort. That's the way things were. The only way she could cope, would cope. Shutting herself off like that... It was the only way for her...

And he did, as astonishing as it may be to some, regretted it. He regretted that he couldn't help her. He was only doing the best that he could at what he was carrying out. Heartache was not something he knew how to avoid, as evidently, it was something he kept running into and kept seeing often. Slade turned around and walked off.

She would be okay. He knew that much. He knew her. He knew that she could make it through this, even when she wasn't sure she could.

Chapter Thirty-One: Mud and Rain

Chapter Thirty-One: Mud and Rain

The bowl smashed into pieces as it hit the floor. Robin jumped, a natural reaction. Wintergreen looked over and nodded for Robin to clean it up – just as he had been expecting. He got down on his knees and began to collect what he would have used for his breakfast bowl. Surprisingly, he had received an awful lot of freedom, though at the same time, he never got to go outside in the three weeks that he had been there. At least, he thought it had been three weeks. For some reason, he thought that Slade might have been messing with his concept of time, as he was positive that none of the clocks held the same time.

No matter. He had stayed long enough and he didn't care if there was nothing around for miles. He would run as long as he had to. The only thing that made him feel slightly bad about this, the whole escape plan, was that Ms. Kane wouldn't be going with him. But at the same time, he knew that he would have a better chance at helping her get that information when he was back in Gotham or Jump. Robin would take the chance that he had.

"So where's Slade?" He asked casually, as he hid a particularly large shard in his pocket.

"He left early this morning," Wintergreen told him, without looking up.

"Huh?" Robin asked, he hadn't been expecting that.

"He does this often," the butler answered, "It isn't unusual."

"Oh..." Robin said.

This was going to be better than he had expected, though he wasn't going to bet that Wintergreen was telling the truth. He picked up the remaining shards and threw them in the trash before getting a new bowl and pouring himself some cereal. Grabbing the milk from the fridge, Robin sat down and pushed his cereal around until he reached what had already been drenched in milk. Wintergreen finished the dishes and pulled out the bag of trash that had been filled by the recent broken bowl fragments.

"Take this out to the garage when you're done," Wintergreen said and with that, he left the room.

Robin swallowed what was in his mouth and looked at the bag. It was his ticket out of here, so to speak. Though the only reason that he'd need to take a shower after this little escape was, he hoped, going to come from his own sweat. He picked up the bowl and drank the remnants of the milk before wiping his mouth and grabbing the thin coat on the side of the door. He tied up the bag and opened the door to the garage.

Normal enough, except for the four cars placed in the garage, though the cool temperature that penetrated the room was more distracting than the vehicles. It was a surprisingly neat garage. Slade hadn't let him actually go outside and this meant that when Slade or Wintergreen said 'take out the trash', they meant put it in the garage and someone else would take care of it later. Robin though, on his many trips into the garage figured out one thing. The security here was perhaps the most vulnerable in comparison to the rest of the house. There were two cameras and four large doors to allow the cars in and out. The doors themselves had dual-protection: one was that they were massively heavy and the other was that they had extremely acute sensors.

So his issues? Lifting the doors and getting rid of the sensors. It hadn't been until this morning that he had figured out how to solve these problems. The fact that Slade wasn't here (or rather shouldn't be; Robin would still be acting as though he was) was even better. Robin walked over to where he normally placed the trash, though not before he tore a large piece of the plastic off of the bag's end. That's when he jumped.

Catching the camera above him, he stretched the plastic over it until it stayed without having to be held both because of pressure and because of how he shaped it. He dropped to the ground and ran over to the other camera and preceded to do the same. Then he ran back to the corner and proceeded to kick the door of the driver's seat open. He slipped inside and underneath to where the wires connected. He wasn't Cyborg, but he knew a thing or two about how to start a car without a key.

The engine revved and Robin smiled. Abruptly, he sat in the driver's seat and proceeded to move the car so that the exhaust pipe was angled as close as possible to the sensor box, near the right wheel. As soon as it was close enough, Robin turned off the car - otherwise he risked being killed by carbon dioxide. Jumping out, Robin slid to the back of the car and saw that there was but a few centimeters difference between the exhaust pipe and sensor. Once again grateful for the long hours of working out, Robin slid the car over carefully. Now was the time that he slipped out the shards of the bowl from his sleeve. As soon as he was done shoving them into the pipe, Robin went back into driver's seat and ignited the engine.

He heard the flying glass spit out of the pipe and instantly, the dying sound of electricity was heard. Robin looked up and saw the sensor- destroyed. He smiled. Popping the trunk of the car, he searched for anything that he could use for a lever for the door. A hammer... he grabbed it and began to hit the trunk door as hard as he could. It came off within thirty seconds. Pulling it off, he slid it under the garage door. He pulled a spare tire from the side, picked it up and dropped it hard. Just as he had thought, the door inched up, but was still too small to squeeze through. One more thing... Robin grabbed the trash and dropped it on top of the tire. Just enough if he took off the jacket. So he did.

Robin slid his way under the garage door, pulled his coat under, and was off. He didn't know what sort of defenses he'd run into now that he was out, but he didn't care. He was this close. He was out of the Estate. He was going home... wherever home was now. Wayne Manor, Titans Tower, anywhere. Just not the Estate or anywhere that Slade had easy access to.

Immediately, he headed east, as he figured by the sun's rays through the trees and thin overcast of clouds. East was probably going to get him to the shore or a road the fastest which would lead to civilization or a public area. The entire forest seemed to be frozen over, though by no means was it a winter wonderland. It was deserted, it was so cold. If he hadn't been running, Robin would have guessed that he wouldn't be feeling his fingers right now. The wind hit the Boy Wonder and he pulled his jacket over him. It wasn't much, but every bit helped. As he climbed over fallen tree trunks and dodged, he wondered how far away he was from Gotham anyway...

His eyes softened. It felt odd to run there, when he had previously run elsewhere. It wasn't even home anymore, now that he thought about it... He took in a deep breath of cold air. So what? It was better than here and from there, he could reach the Titans, who he should have never pushed away. Sad how that had been a mistake that he had constantly repeated. With his friends, Bruce... He had to make it right with his friends. It wasn't like he could do it with Bruce now. It was his job to live up to what he was taught to do... especially after everything... his mind drifted in the cold air...

"You think I don't care about your well being?" Bruce whispered and looked down at him.

And ever defiantly...

Bang!

Robin was shocked back into reality and at the jarring sound, immediately hid behind a tree. What was...?

Bang!

Gun shots? What? That meant someone else was out here. Someone else... Could they help him? Or... Robin gulped back the thought that came to mind. Either way, his methodical mind began to process his situation. Could they even see him? He looked like just another tree practically, he was pretty thin. The boy wonder made a mental note to never tell anyone about that thought. They'd never let him live it down. But onto his primary concern... was he in the line of fire? The chances... He looked around, but saw no signs of movement. It did little to ease his fears as hunters didn't move much intentionally... His best chance was to make himself a hard target and keep moving...

He breathed in quickly and let it out, crystal clear, as the puffs of smoke that had escaped him earlier were long since gone. He set out again, making his way through the woods. He heard nothing, saw nothing, but swerved just in case. It was all he...

BANG!

Robin turned his head towards the echoing sound when suddenly, his foot snagged a tree's exposed root while his forward momentum continued. By the time he reacted and spun his head around, it was too late and he fell face first into the snow. The sensation startled him as his whole front shuddered with cold. His whole face hurt and he couldn't breathe. It was then that he realized that he had fallen into a pit of cold muck He lifted his head up and got to his knees, coughing out as the pieces of mud clung to his face and jacket, even the legs of his pants. His hands were freezing. The boy wonder felt himself unintentionally shiver. He was wet, cold, and had no idea where he was; how long...

He heard the song of metal pieces hit against themselves as they landed in front of him. Robin looked up to see a man towering over him, a large male deer lying dead over his shoulders, the gun by his side. He was covered in winter gear, but his face was exposed. Robin gulped. Slade looked at him oddly, passively, but without much concern. After a moment, Slade broke the silence.

"Well get up," He said.

Robin nodded and began to push himself up as Slade picked up the gun. The boy wonder felt his shoes fill with the sloshing mud as he stood up, but he didn't have much time to dwell on the fact as Slade gripped his upper arm tightly. The numbing sensation was gone as he walked along side Slade back to the Estate. All of the cold seeped in as the long minutes slowly ticked away. He wondered how long he had been running for. His entire focus had been on other things. Had he really been caught that quickly? It felt hopeless...

The overcast weather remained and deepened in its gray color. He thought that he heard thunder somewhere, but then again, maybe it was just another gun shot. Neither spoke to the other. Slade's pace didn't change. It was smooth, easy. His posture changed only once – to re-adjust the deer on his shoulders. Robin shivered again. It was a slightly creepy thing to see, the deer lying limp like a mere doll. Sooner than he had expected, the Estate came back into view. Back. He closed his eyes and he trudged his way forward to keep up with Slade.

As they reached the Estate's edge, they came up to a spring well, surrounded by rocks, an old style. Slade forced Robin to his knees next to it. The boy refused to look at him, the red color in his cheeks coming from not just the cold. Ever the dignified child... Slade thought.

"Stay here," He told Robin before leaving for the house.

The Boy Wonder didn't even try to escape. It was no use now. He was in no condition to attempt an escape now. He would die of hypothermia before making it to a road, any path to civilization. He couldn't believe it. Of all of the things. He was caught even when Slade wasn't looking for him. Was the world out to get him? The logical side of him reminded him that Slade might have found out and really was looking for him, and he wasn't tempted to believe it. He half wondered what Slade would do to him when he saw the shape of the Mustang...

He heard the crunching of snow and looked over to see Slade walking back towards him, the deer and gun gone. The elder stopped at the well and began winding the handle, bringing up the bucket. They both could hear the water sloshing around inside of it. Robin's face remained tight. He was both furious as well as frustrated. There was even a bit of disbelief in there as well. Slade saw it. It wasn't like he missed these things. You learn those sorts of things as an assassin for hire. Wintergreen had called him and told him that Robin hadn't been seen on the cameras for a while. He hadn't been too worried, though he would keep an eye out for him. Perhaps save time. If he hadn't found him, he could have tracked him with the chip in Robin's coat pocket.

Funny how coincidences worked out for him. He might have normally severely punished the boy, however, he could see the defeat in Robin's face, even through the mask. He might as well make the most out of this. As the bucket reached the top of the well, he took off his gloves (to keep them from getting ruined by the well's water) and pulled the bucket over to sit on the side. Though the air was cold around them, the water was still fairly warm as it came from a silent, secure spring. Scooping some into his hands, Slade brought it over to Robin's head and carefully poured it over the boy's mud ridden hair. He wouldn't let it trail into the Estate.

"I'm impressed," He said, going back to the bucket, "You actually made an attempt."

He repeated the process and Robin tensed, "You must be thinking how unfortunate it is that your skills are only mediocre. Otherwise, you might have had more luck."

"I don't bet on luck," Robin spat.

"Yes, well, none of us do," Slade commented, "A shame that none of your attempts are ever good enough..."

He dumped the rest of the water on top of Robin's head and threw the bucket back down the well, "For yourself or anyone else it seems."

Robin said nothing as Slade pulled the bucket back up, "Or am I making a false assumption again?"

"I was good enough to get your attention, it seems," Robin said bitterly as more muddy water ran down on him.

"Yes you were," Slade admitted, "But you miss the mark in your comparison. The ability to get my attention came from your outstanding potential. Expectations only focus on achievement."

Slade dropped the bucket again as Robin barely looked up at him. Their eyes met briefly and he closed the connection, "I don't do things only to meet people's expectations."

Slade smirked, "Oh, I'm sure..."

He found the bucket again, "Every time you stayed up late losing sleep to work on stopping Jump's criminal element, it wasn't to show that you were a capable leader to the Titans, was it? And every time you went out in Gotham and knocked the bad guys senseless, it wasn't to impress Batman. Or was it?"

Robin turned to look up at Slade, "I did things like that because they're my friends, Slade."

"And because Batman was your mentor, right?" Slade finished, "For a mentor, if he expected so much, he should have taught you how to succeed at such a high mark. Unless of course, he just wanted you to lag, so that he could use you like a pawn, like he did everyone else."

"Batman didn't do that to people," Robin argued... "He didn't do that to me."

"You were always second," Slade said, "Always at the end of 'Batman and...'."

"So why would you believe that he or anyone else wouldn't, Robin?" Slade asked, picking up the bucket.

He dumped the rest of the cold water on Robin's head, most of the mud gone now. Robin felt the cold burning into him and sucking out the heat from him. And with it, went his sense of grounding. Slade dropped the bucket for a final time and faced him.

"Come on," He said.

Robin saw Slade heading inside and got up to follow. However, instead of what he had thought would feel like a defeated return, Robin found himself shrouded by his own thoughts and contemplations. Slade opened the door and let Robin come inside before code locking the door again. It was about time the boy came inside; his lips had been turning almost a dark purple-ish blue. He led Robin to the hallway that connected Robin's room to his bathroom and left him to himself for the rest of the day. He had already given the boy enough to think about as it was.

Robin found himself a clean set of clothes before leaving himself to his room for the rest of the day. He was slightly cheered by the fact that he didn't have to go to dinner with Ms. Kane and Slade as Slade had decided to eat by himself that night. He went to bed early that night as time seemed to pass quickly for him. Taking off the mask, Dick laid down under the covers of his bed and switched off the light, letting the darkness engulf him and lull him to sleep. As his eyes drifted slowly downwards over his eyes, he wondered how likely it was that Slade had actually been correct in his statements.

Yes, he had always wanted to impress Batman. And yes... he had seen Batman use people, though never by saying anything to them... he wondered if that was the same as using them though... But yes, he wanted to seem capable to his friends, who all had superpowers of some sort or another... But Bruce wouldn't have ever used him... No. Because Bruce... The memory from before returned as did his answer to Bruce's question.

"No."

In short, 'no, he didn't think Bruce cared.' Dick shut his eyes and shook his head. He hadn't meant it. He hadn't really believed that... He hadn't... Bruce had cared. That's why he would have never used him... But... Doubt seeped into his mind and Dick recognized it immediately. He shut his eyes tightly, silently in his mind refusing to let it in. It couldn't... It should... never... He suddenly yawned.

He was too tired to be thinking straight; he had to realize that... Dick shut his eyes, hoping that sleep would blissfully take him somewhere else, because he knew that he couldn't deal with anything here.

-T-

The time for snow had long since passed in Gotham. Instead, ice chilling rain had decided to terrorize the city, forcing everyone inside to stay warm. Well... almost everyone. Red X was currently trying to find such a place that could provide him with some shelter as the hotel that he had been staying at had long since kicked him out. He couldn't believe that Robin hadn't contacted him in a month. He wasn't about to do anymore favors for that guy for a while.

Right about then, he hit black ice and found himself lying on the ground after hitting the side of the building's fence. It continued to rain. Tonight was not one of his nights. He watched for a moment as rain drops splattered on his mask when he saw light coming from the distance. Sitting up and spinning around, he saw the Bat-Signal shining into the clouds from a building nearby. It couldn't be...

Red X got up and jumped across to the next building, careful to make sure that he wasn't about to hit more black ice. Running around the side, he saw a man with an umbrella on the next roof over standing next to the origin of the lighted bat in the sky. The man flicked off the switch and Red X realized that he must be looking at the famous Commissioner James Gordon. As his eyes had long since adjusted to the lack of lighting, he watched as Gordon left the roof and went down a few flights. On a side note, X couldn't believe how many windows the Police Department actually had.

Gordon walked into a room filled with three others, where the window was open just slightly. Intrigued, Red X jumped down the fire escape he had been next to and across to a ledge of the Police Department on the same level Gordon and the others were on. X crept over to the window and held onto a drain line, listening to the conversation, thankful that he had some shelter from the rain from where he was standing.

"A little stuffy in here, isn't it?" Gordon asked.

"Better than it is outside," the other man noted.

"Nice come back, Harvey," a woman stated sarcastically.

"Can we please just get on with this," He saw a dark haired woman say; she sounded tired.

"Very well, Yin," Gordon said, "I assume everyone brought what they found. Sawyer?"

The other woman, Sawyer, spoke up, "Well, out of the... long list that you gave us sir, I can't say that any of these people had any shady backgrounds."

"None of them had a record," Harvey chimed in, "Well, Wreith did for stealing from a candy stand at the age of twelve, but nothing else."

Gordon shook his head, "It would figure."

"Sir, if I might add, I don't think they were all killed for the same reason," Yin stated, "If we look at each case individually instead of collectively..."

As she trailed off, Gordon passed his eyes over each of them, "Let's go over this then. We've got, in order, Max Wreith, Efrem Austin, Bard, Clara Thompson, Edwin Beagle, Bennett, Bruce Wayne, Earle, and Kane."

"Well, Bard probably knew something," Sawyer said, "It's not like he was just anyone in our department. And who knows what Bennett saw..."

"Wayne and Earle might have been funding something," Harvey offered.

"Well,  what about the others? Wreith, Austin, and Beagle were retired," Yin stated, "And who knows what Thompson had to do with anything."

"Beats me," Harvey said, "Though I think Austin might have been a name once. Don't really remember."

"Look into their previous jobs," Gordon said, almost in an off tone like he wasn't really paying any attention.

"Huh?" Harvey asked.

"It might reveal something," Gordon said.

"What about Kane?" Sawyer stated, "She took in Wayne's kid, right?"

"Yes, she did," Yin stated, "Adeline also headed up the security in Wayne Tower after Wayne's murder, too."

Adeline? Wait, Adeline Kane? Red X leaned in to hear better. Wait. Did that mean...?

"After she disappeared, where did the kid go again?" Harvey asked.

"A man named Grant Wilson was granted guardianship of Grayson, through some process of the law," Gordon filled in, remembering the migraine that had been for him and nearly everyone else, "Apparently, he was a good friend of Kane's."

Grant Wilson? What on earth? And what did they mean Adeline Kane had 'disappeared'? His interest was beginning to peak...

"I doubt that following the lead on Wayne's will will actually do anything," Sawyer stated, "Wouldn't this Wilson guy have gotten sniped at by now if that was part of it?"

"She's got a point there," Harvey said.

"Well, you got any other brilliant leads?" Yin asked, negatively.

"Hey, hey, I'm not the Batman," Harvey stated, pulling his hands up defensively.

"Really, I could have sworn you were," Sawyer stated sarcastically.

"Not like you're Sherlock Holmes either," Harvey said.

"Enough!" Gordon yelled, and Red X heard the man turn the rest of them.

"This department has relied on Batman to save our skins, not to mention everyone else's like it was his job to do so, when in reality, he does it out of his own self-sacrifice," Gordon stated, "As much as I appreciate and hope for his assistance and Robin's, he's not here. So let's actually do what we're paid to do. I believe that we can be just as capable..."

The other three looked at Gordon, shocked into silence. Gordon had always endorsed the Bat, though it was a startling reminder to hear it from him that they should be just as reliable.

Gordon sighed and took off his glasses, rubbing them with a tissue before placing them back on his face, "Look into our four unknowns, Austin, Wreith, Thompson, and Beagle. Something tells me that's our best lead for now. I'm willing to bet that Bennett, Bard, and possibly Kane probably found out something they shouldn't have. As for Wayne and Earle, let's count their murders for business reasons most likely..."

Gordon paused again and Red X waited with baited breath... 'Come on, go back to Kane and Wilson...' He thought.

"Dismissed," He said.

And Red X growled silently.

Inside he heard from Harvey, "What was that?"

Gordon looked up automatically and X knew it was time to dash. Just as he made it around the corner of the building, he heard Gordon fling the window open. Somehow, he knew what they had all been hoping, but there wasn't a trace of either of the dynamic duo anywhere. It was like the hope kept dwindling...

Red X waited to move until he heard Gordon shut the window, when he made his way to the rooftop. He walked over to the Bat-Signal. The metal outline of the bat was battered by the cold rain. He felt like kicking it in frustration. They couldn't keep talking about Kane, could they? But as much as he hated the whole thing, somehow, seeing the signal's sad position out in the cold with him, softened his anger.

He traced the outline of the bat with a gloved finger as he thought. So this whole thing was what Robin was working on. And Batman wasn't here to help for whatever reason... But what on... The thing that baffled him the most was Adeline Kane's involvement, including her 'disappearance' which, despite himself, worried him. Not to mention everything with the will and Ravager...

He sneezed and was brought back to his current situation. He had to get inside. Somewhere. Even his back was soaked in spite of the cape covering him. He jumped to the next roof, leaving the Bat-Signal and the Police Department behind. After a few blocks, he found two men talking outside while waiting for a cab. They had already set their briefcases down. A perfect score. Tossing a pebble at one of them, they fell down the steps from the building. As one of them ran down to get them, he snagged the other's wallet out from his back pocket. Four hundred buck – easy cash. He was good at what he did.

It took him just minutes to reach the nearest hotel. Before he went in, he changed the Red X uniform in favor of street clothes. It didn't change the fact that he was still dripping wet. He handed the man at the desk cash for one night and a dinner and got a key. What a scene that must have been. Heading up to the room, he threw the concealed uniform (that he had hidden in a small bag) to the side and looked out the window. Robin had better have figured out something for this case. He threw off the soaking wet shirt, shoes, and socks. Out of everything to get involved in... He shook his head. None of this made any sense...

It was then, as he collapsed on the bed that he determined that he'd make it make sense, as far as he could at least. He wasn't very skilled in that department, but it was worth a shot... And then he realized he'd have to do research. Like... school work. He groaned. It was official:

This night couldn't get any worse.