Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dick couldn’t do it.

“Robin, I do not wish to hurt you,” Starfire said. Her eyes were genuine, her words pure. Of course they were, Star never tried to lie to him. Ever. It was only him to had to lie to her.

He bit his lip, barely daring to make eye contact. He didn’t deserve to. He shouldn’t deserve to. Not when he went and got himself in this whole mess in the first place. If he had never become so obsessed with Slade, then he never would have had to make this deal. He never would be forced away from his dear friends.

Shoot her Robin, before I make you regret it.

Slade’s voice rang in Dick’s ears. It was loud, and resonant in his skull. He wanted to shut him out. He wanted to yell at Starfire to get the probes out of her body. He wanted them to be safe, and with him.

Final warning, Robin.

He had to. When Slade had first cornered him into this deal, he showed Dick just what the probes would do. It was an innocent woman. A mother of two, and a nurse at the local hospital. She was at the wrong place at the wrong time and got snatched up by Slade for his “demonstration.” She had died a violent death, just so Dick would fear that fate for his friends.

“I’m sorry, Star,” Dick said. He wished he could’ve called her Kori. It was dear name to him, but with Slade listening to his every word and watching his every action, it was too risky. He didn’t dare put her life on the line any more than he already had.

He pulled the trigger of the thermal blaster. A plasmatic red light shot out, hitting Starfire square in the chest. She let out a cry and promptly fell to the ground. Her eyes were shut. She was hurt. It was Dick’s fault.

Guards have arrived below. You failed your mission. Retreat.

Dick bit his lip. Who knew what failing a mission could possibly mean? Slade was insane, he could have a million different punishments set up in the case of failure. Just hopefully it was one where only Dick had to pay the price. He hoped nobody else would be harmed from his mistakes. His stupid, stupid, mistakes.

The other Titans had crowded around Starfire, to make sure that she was alright and alive.

Good, Dick thought. They’ll look after her, and she’ll be good as new soon.

He pulled his grappling hook out and was about to swing away. That’s when he locked eyes with Cyborg. His mouth was slightly open, as if he was about to say something. Maybe he was going to try to convince Dick to stay. To come home. Dick couldn’t. He considered mouthing something to Cyborg but ultimately decided against it. Slade had eyes everywhere. Even the smallest movement risked the Titans’ lives.

The grappling hook landed, and Dick swung away. He couldn’t even wish them farewell. He couldn’t tell Cyborg that he believed in him. He couldn’t tell Beast Boy that he was capable of great things, or that Raven was not nearly as evil as she thought she was. And most of all, he couldn’t tell Star that he loved her. Maybe now he would never.

She was his star-crossed soulmate. And now they were being torn apart. It wasn’t even a tragedy, or a cruel act of fate. It was simply Dick’s fault. All his.

He should have done more to help the Titans and taken a moment to listen to their advice. He shouldn’t have gotten so obsessed. Maybe he should’ve stayed home from that last mission. They were right. Slade made him act rashly, and poorly. Slade brought out the worst in him. How long until Dick became Slade?

---

Victor had run every test imaginable. That blaster hurt like crazy, but Kori had come out of it relatively unscathed. Maybe it was her healing factor. Injuries had never taken too long to get better.

If only it could heal her mental scars, as well. One of the very first people she had met when she first came to Earth was Dick. Dick had been the first of them to show her kindness. He tried to help her, to free her. She hadn’t quite understood then. She wasn’t used to be treated that way.

Over the time they’d spent together since, Kori had found herself growing quite close to Dick. She thought she knew him better than she knew herself. She thought they had a bond that went deeper than teammates, maybe even deeper than friendship. Obviously, the other Titans were upset too, but none of them had ever gotten nearly as close as Kori had to him. None of them relied on him as much as she.

Kori bit her lip. There was no point in ruminating on the personal issues of his betrayal. They needed to discuss it as a group and try to ignore that it was Dick who did all this. No, he was Dick no longer. Simply Robin. Civilian names amongst heroes were reserved for friends, and friends alone. Robin was clearly no longer a friend.

“You feeling okay, Kori?” Victor checked, after the final test finished. “You’re fine based off of these tests, but you look horrible.”

Kori met his eye briefly, before looking away. “All the hurt is inside. I am all right, physically.”

Victor nodded, knowingly. “Yeah… it’s going to be rough. Come on. We better go talk with the team. Gar and Raven are in the kitchen waiting for us.”

Kori stood slowly and made her way to the door with Victor. They walked in silence together to the kitchen, where sure enough, Garfield and Raven were waiting. They all stood in a circle, together. But all were looking down at their feet, not daring to begin the conversation or dive into what they inevitably would have to face.

Kori finally took initiative, and said, “We must discuss Robin.”

“I don’t want to believe Dick’s evil, man,” Gar replied. “But I think we might have to.”

“I just don’t get it,” Raven started. “Dick was so desperate to catch Slade, to bring him to justice. And he was raised by Batman. How could he just… turn evil?”

“You’re right, Rae, it makes no sense,” Gar definitively said.

“But he shot Kori,” Victor countered. “Obviously his loyalties have been severed.”

“Or tested,” Raven offered.

“I do not think he wanted to shoot me,” Kori added. “Before he did so, he apologised. And he hesitated for a very long time.”

Kori didn’t want to think the worst of Robin. Not when their history ran so deep. And she desperately wanted to make sure that the other Titans didn’t jump to the worst either. Raven, too, seemed to be trying to find the good in him. But Victor seemed to have already given up on Robin. And Victor was their new leader, without Robin around. So how long would it be until the rest of them followed?

“I see,” Victor said. “Well, until we have figured everything out… I hate to say this. But we need to think of Dick as a criminal. He is allied with Slade, he should be treated as such. Maybe we can try bring him home… but if we run into him again… don’t try talk him out of everything. Don’t go easy on him because he’s our friend. Okay?”

Everyone nodded. But the words were left unsaid. Was Robin truly evil?

---

Dick tried to slink back into Slade’s base as quietly as possible, hoping that if he went unnoticed, he may escape persecution. It was a foolish thought, and he knew that at some point he was going to have to face Slade regardless. But maybe he’d get a few moments to himself, where he could figure out where to go next. What to do next.

Unfortunately, Slade always seemed to be one step ahead of him, no matter what he did.

“Robin.”

Dick cursed under his breath, realising that his attempt had failed miserably. He turned to face Slade.

“You failed your mission.”

“I’m sorry,” Dick said before he could help himself.

Slade began circling him, like a predator preparing to pounce on their prey. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought you were better than that, Robin. I thought you were stronger.”

“I’m sorry.”

It’s all he could say. There was no justification. Not one that Slade would find acceptable, at least. He hadn’t been with Slade long, only a day so far. But he already knew just how cruel and unforgiving Slade could be. And while he had full knowledge of what would happen if he ever disobeyed Slade, Dick had no clue what could happen if he failed a task. Even if he tried to comply. Guess he’d find out now.

Slade’s eyes narrowed – a small action almost completely hidden by his mask. A chill went down Dick’s spine.

“You will not eat tonight,” Slade sentenced.

Dick couldn’t help but feel relieved. At least he was the only one who would be punished for his actions – this time. Dick had never gone without food for long, but he figured that as long as he tried harder tomorrow, it should be easy enough to overcome.

Slade began to walk away.

“Oh, and Robin,” he said, as an afterthought. “Remember. I hear every word. And when I say, do not talk to your friends, I mean it.”

Slade then melted into the shadows. Dick narrowed his eyes, trying to see where he went. But the man was almost as stealthy as Batman himself, and Dick could not find him.

Dick was left alone. He found himself in solitude most of the time in this place. And there was no proper space to rest – no beds, or seats, or anything comfortable. Last night, had had just found a quiet corner, where he leant with his back against the wall. It was the worst sleep of his life. He had hoped that he may not have to do it again that night, but it seemed like he would.

He wondered where Slade went. Surely, he did not sleep here. Slade could treat Dick awfully, and keep him in terrible conditions, but why would he trap himself in them, too? No, Slade must have someplace with a warm, snug bed, and food fit for the king he thought himself to be.

Dick wondered if he would ever be treated to that.

It was these moments alone where he felt the most regret. If he were home, he’d be playing games with Gar and Vic, or attempting to chat with Kori. Raven was usually around, observing quietly. She’d pipe up sometimes, but she preferred to read and just enjoy the Titans’ presence. And when they were all tired, Dick would have a soft bed to sleep in. Surrounded by all his things and pictures. There were family photos, that had him and Bruce and Alfred. There were photos of him with his birth parents, those were some of the ones he valued most. The phone that Alfred left him with, so he could call home each week. Oh, shit, the weekly phone call. That would alert Alfred right away that something wasn’t right. Dick didn’t want Alfred panicking. His poor soul…

There were so many people effected by Dick’s series of bad decisions. All his loved ones… how long before they all resented him? How long until they only saw him as Slade?

Chapter Text

Victor was in the basement of the Tower, where all the Titans’ old gear and souvenirs from fights were. He was doing what he thought Dick would have done – search for any clues.

Victor wouldn’t lie, a small part of him had always wanted to be the Titans’ leader. But not like this. Never like this. He wanted to prove his skill, and become leader through hard work and effort – preferably when Dick had stepped down on his own, and moved on to return to Gotham. Not by de facto when Dick suddenly switched sides to join a merciless assassin. One that he claimed he hated. Something wasn’t right.

The Dick that Victor knew would never in a million years just suddenly switch sides. Sure, he wasn’t perfect. But he wasn’t evil. He wasn’t a criminal. He wasn’t… he wasn’t someone’s lackey.

But as the leader, he couldn’t voice any of that. He needed to be firm, and he needed to be as unbiased as possible. Dreaming was for people without responsibility. It was now his job to face the cold, hard truth. He never realised it was so hard. He had a newfound respect for Dick, who did the job for so long.

Oh, crap. He was thinking about Dick again.

But he guessed he always was. After all, he was currently sifting through all the things to hopefully find clues regarding his former friend. He hadn’t uncovered anything yet, but he’d also just barely scratched the surface of what they had hidden away down there.

Victor was glad for the dark and the quiet. He needed some alone time, just a few moments where he could be by himself. Alone with his thoughts, as he tried to work through this mess they were all currently in.

So he kept searching. Hoping for something that will tell him why Dick changed. If he changed at all. Maybe he was always on Slade’s side…

---

Dick’s hunger was the only thing on his mind. How could it not be, when his stomach was constantly gurgling, begging for its empty void to be filled?

He had almost gone thirty-six hours with no food. Slade may have said that he wasn’t eating for a night, but what he really meant was that Dick was not going to eat anything until he proved himself worthy of being fed.

Dick had been training, under the orders of Slade and the supervision of cameras. He’d been practising his moves against wooden dummies tucked away in a side room of the strange mechanical warehouse. He’d been going for six hours, and his knuckles were sore and likely bleeding under his gloves. Dick was hesitant to stop without being told to, fearing the consequences of what may happen.

But he just kept on going. Punching and punching. Usually, he liked to do acrobatics and flip around the joint. But the costume Slade had made for him, didn’t fit him right. It was too tight, and too loose, and altogether uncomfortable. Not the kind of outfit Dick wanted to be an acrobat in.

You may stop now.

Slade’s voice startled him. With the earpieces in, Dick almost mistook it for his own thoughts, which made him shudder. He feared the day he could no longer tell the difference between his thoughts and Slade’s voice.

Dick turned, facing his back to the dummy. He didn’t know what to do now. He was worried he was about to be sent off to hurt people. But Slade’s voice remained quiet, and he began to think he may have just imagined it all.

But it returned.

Come to the control room.

Dick’s feet began to shuffle. He started moving towards the control room, as his throat tightened and his brain started going into overdrive. He had to be prepared for anything.

When he saw the four large monitors, he knew he was in the right place. They all showed similar things: a blood stream with strange objects in them. Each was labelled. STARFIRE. RAVEN. BEAST BOY. CYBORG. He hated being in the control room. It was just a constant reminder of what he had lost. But also, why he was doing all this.

He saw Slade, facing the monitors, back away from Dick.

“I’m here,” Dick crudely said. “What do you want?”

Slade tutted. “Is that any way to talk to your master? Ah, that gives me an idea. Robin, I would like you to call me Master from here on out.”

Dick kept his mouth shut. Slade turned to face him, the light from the monitors shining on his back concealed his face.

“Well?”

“Yes… Master.”

Under his helmet, Slade smiled with satisfaction.

“I have a task for you. I need a… machine. There’s only one currently in existence. It’s in one of the STAR Labs facilities – specifically the one in Central City.”

Dick’s heart skipped a beat. Central City was where the Flash was based, and with him came his sidekick, Kid Flash. Wally West. Dick’s best friend. Did Slade know this, or was it just coincidence?

“A robbery in Central City is a suicide mission,” Dick protested.

“Do not fear the Flash,” Slade cryptically said. “He won’t be an issue for you. Not if my plan goes accordingly.”

Dick should warn Wally. Something was out to get him – or at the very least, his mentor. But that would result in the Titans’ deaths, and Dick wasn’t ready to be the cause of that yet. Maybe Slade was just messing with him, and there wasn’t even a plan anyway. No, Dick couldn’t risk it. He had to convince Slade that a Central City robbery was a death wish.

“Flash is fast,” Dick pressed. “He has many allies.”

“I’ve always believed in quality over quantity, Robin.”

“He’s a member of the Justice League.”

“And I am the best assassin in the world.”

Dick opened his mouth again, but Slade raised a hand.

“I have already been lenient about your protests, but I can only be so forgiving. Remember, at the end of the day, it is not you who will pay the price for disobedience.”

Dick was silent.

“Get your gear ready. You should leave sooner rather than later.”

“Yes, Master.”

---

Calm your mind. Quiet your thoughts. Soothe your soul.

Raven was trying to focus. There was a spell – a mind-reading one – that she was trying to cast. It required an absolute still of emotion, one that she had not yet quite accomplished. She was hoping that she could use it to figure out what was going on with Dick. But it wasn’t working. Nothing was working.

She sighed, resigning for the day.

Dick had been gone for a few days. And the only thing that he’d said to any of them was an apology. Yet, he continued to commit crimes and do horrible things to people. Nothing added up, and Raven was desperate for answers.

She heard a soft knock on her door.

“Come in,” Raven said. She was having no luck with her spell anyway.

Kori popped her head around the door before stepping in and explaining. “I did not wish to be alone any longer.”

“You can hang out with me,” Raven offered.

Kori smiled weakly and sat on Raven’s bed, crossing her legs and twisting her fingers around one another.

“Everything alright, Kori?” Raven asked. Spell or not, she knew the answer.

“I am worried about Robin.”

Raven had noticed that Kori had begun referring to Dick exclusively with his codename. Nobody else had adopted that habit yet, and Raven would’ve thought Kori would have been last, if at all. Raven didn’t bring it up or draw attention to it. Kori likely had her reasons, and she would share with her if she saw fit.

“We all are,” Raven said, moving to sit herself next to Kori. She took her hand. “We’ll get through it together. Like Vic said, we’ll find a way to bring him home.”

Kori nodded. Her eyes were lifeless.

Raven placed a hand on Kori’s shoulder, trying to make her feel any slight bit better. And at the very least, trying to get Kori’s sparkle to return to her eyes.

“We’re still a team, Kori,” she assured her. “Whether Dick’s here or not.”

Kori once again only nodded, before standing and gliding out of the room. Raven usually enjoyed being alone, but currently she just felt isolated and wanted nothing more than human connection. But at that time, it didn’t seem like any of the Titans were up for a chat.

So Raven stayed alone.

Chapter Text

This was by far one of the dumbest things Dick had ever done. He was going to rob STAR Labs in Central City. And hope his best friend didn’t show up. What else? Oh, yeah. He was doing all of it for a blackmailing assassin. And Dick was meant to be smart.

Dick had never realised how long it took to get from Jump City to Central. Usually, whenever he planned to go over Wally would pick him up and run him over, before dropping him off at the end of it all. It helped to have a friendly speedster in your squad. Dick had once tried to get Wally to join the Titans, but declined wanting to spend more time under the Flash’s mentorship.

Oh shit, the Flash. The Flash could outrun time itself. If he showed up, Dick was done for. His friends were done for. And then that created the awful mixture of emotion churning in Dick’s empty stomach – the combination of the desire for Slade’s plan to be real and for the Flash to be incapacitated, but also for everyone to be safe.

Maybe Slade was right. Dick was slowly becoming more and more like him.

Dick had gotten a good vantage point, looking out over the city. He was already near the lab, just trying to figure out his gameplan. His way in. Waiting for Slade’s signal.

---

“You’re improving,” Barry commented, looking at a stopwatch. “0.45 seconds faster.”

“Really? I thought it’d be more,” Wally complained, frustrated at the marginal improvement.

“Something is better than nothing,” Barry assured, resting a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Just be glad you’re getting somewhere.”

Wally shrugged, as he pulled out a snack bar. He could feel his stomach churning. Being a speedster was cool and all, but it came with the massive downside of never-ending hunger. Constantly just needing to shove more and more food in your mouth.

But, luckily for him, his best friend was a billionaire’s son, and got him all the good snacks. Thinking about it… he and Dick were getting close to their monthly meetup. Wally should reach out soon to make a plan. Last time they met up, it was in Jump City, so Wally figured they should go to Central this time around. Or maybe somewhere exotic, like Honolulu, just to switch things up. Perk of being fast, you can go wherever you want whenever you want.

Barry looked at his watch, and cursed under his breath.

“I’m gotta go, Wally,” he said. “Late for a League meeting. Call me immediately if anything happens here.”

“Got it.”

For being the fastest men alive, Barry and Wally had a strange talent for being late to everything.

In a blur, Barry was gone, and Wally found himself lazily lounging on a couch, stuffing his face with as much sugar and carbs as he could find. He always took it to be a blessing that he didn’t need to watch what he ate – so long as he ate.

And he kept thinking to himself… he really should be getting in touch with Dick. See what he’s been up to, hope that he hasn’t amounted too much trauma since the last time they spoke (that boy was a magnet for it).

Wally was reaching for his phone when he heard the alert.

---

In and out, Robin.

Yeah, he didn’t want to be sticking around either. Dick was running through the hallways of STAR Labs, trying to find the room that Slade kept referencing. He was beginning to think it was completely made-up. A trick just to test him.

That’s when he stumbled across the door. It was a large, metal goliath, with the yellow and black hazard lines covering the edges. The words DO NOT ENTER: DANGEROUS were scrawled across a sign plastered right in the middle.

There’s the room.

“What does the device look like?”

You’ll know it when you see it.

Dick swallowed, pulling a few small bombs from his belt and carefully placing them around the door at specific pressure points. He’d learnt all this back in his days with Batman, in order to identify clues and lead them to the culprit – never to actually use the skills himself.

He stepped back and pressed a trigger, miniature explosions bursting out, and the door fell flat on its face. Dick stepped inside and scanned the room. Distantly, he heard an alarm going off. Shit, he was going to have to make this quick.

Everything looked pretty ordinary to him, and Dick had no clue what he was meant to be stealing. Was this another test? Would he be punished for bringing back the wrong item? But then his eyes landed on it. It was small – very small – but it had a strange glow and an electric tingle that left Dick’s eyes lingering on it. There was no affirmation from Slade, but as Dick went and grabbed the machine, a strange cuboid thing, a familiar blur came whizzing by him.

“Robin!” Kid Flash excitedly said. “I was literally just thinking about you.”

Fight.

“Crazy. How’d you get here? Usually I pick you up.”

Robin. Fight.

“I got an alert for here… but I guess you already stopped the robbery. Where’s the perp?”

Robin.

“New outfit? You know you’re meant to run outfit changes by me, first.”

3…2…

Dick didn’t wait to see what would happen when Slade reached three. Slipping the machine into his pocket, he surged forward, brandishing his bo staff. Kid Flash was caught off guard – he wasn’t expecting Dick to suddenly attack him.

Kid Flash zipped out of the way just in time to miss the blow. Dick didn’t waste any time before he pivoted around, ready to strike again.

“Woah, dude, what’s wrong?”

Dick didn’t answer – he knew it would only make Slade angry. He just rushed forward again, ready for attempt two. Robin knew his friend’s fighting patterns to a tee, and if he could get Kid Flash to fall into his regular patterns, Dick knew exactly how to take him down without hurting him… too much.

But a thought kept pressing in the back of his mind – where was the Flash? Wally didn’t seem upset about anything, so as far as he was concerned, Flash wasn’t in any harm or danger. Dick didn’t want the fight to be elongated enough for the Flash to arrive, and being the Flash, too long was just any amount of time, however miniscule.

Dick swung down and Wally caught the staff, trying to hold it still while he talked to Dick.

“Bro, I don’t know what’s wrong you but –”

“Just go Kid!” Dick urged.

Wally began blurring – he was about to do a speed attack. In a mere moment, Wally was by Dick’s side, swinging a punch. But it was exactly as he anticipated, and Dick blocked the strike with ease. Dropping his staff, he gripped Wally’s shoulder and swung him over, bodyslamming him into the ground. Wally was winded, incapacitated. It would take a minute for him to get his breath back, and by then Dick would have melted away into the shadows.

“You…always…knew…me…too…well,” Wally struggled to say through breaths.

Dick didn’t reply, just opting to dash down the halls instead.

Very good, Robin. Very good.

---

Flash had gotten the distress call, but arrived only to see his protégé on the ground, wheezing.

As Wally tried to sit up, he began muttering out words.

“…getting…away…Dick…”

Barry hadn’t quite understood, he was just trying to help his nephew breathe. But Wally seemed upset – he was obviously rattled enough to actually send off the distress signal, mid-battle nonetheless from the way he was talking.

Barry did a quick zip around STAR Labs, but whoever Wally was referring to was already gone.

---

Dick arrived at the warehouse, heart feeling heavier than ever.

He had just severed a lifelong friendship. How stupid was he?

“I have it,” he yelled into the darkness.

Slade stepped out of it.

“Excellent work, Robin,” he said. “You have impressed me.”

Slade took the device from Dick’s hand, and then tossed a sack at his feet.

“You have earnt your food,” Slade announced. “Savour it.”

And then he melted away again.

---

The Titans were sitting around their kitchen table, all with full plates of food sitting in front of them, none of them daring to touch it. They sat in silence, poking at their plates with their forks, daring their meals to attack them.

Then there was a sudden gust of wind, and their long-time ally was standing at the head of their table.

“Who the fuck was going to tell me that my best friend switched sides?”

Chapter Text

Wally West sat himself at the head of the table, where he was able to glare at every Titan at the same time.

“So?” he demanded. “Dick’s my best friend, and I would have liked to know he became a criminal before he freaking robbed me.”

Victor rubbed the bridge of his nose. “He robbed you?”

“He robbed STAR Labs, but still. It’s my territory, so it’s good as.”

“Fuck, I thought it was just contained to Jump City.”

Wally shrugged. “Don’t know what to tell you, dude. I don’t know a single thing except that he stole a billion dollar device.”

Kori shrunk in her seat, wishing that what she was hearing wasn’t true. She was still stubbornly trying to remain hopeful that none of this was true. But now… Robin was going to other cities. He was spreading his impact of crime – how much longer could she pretend?

“We must tell him,” Kori told the group. “He deserves to know, and he can help us.”

Sighing, Victor agreed and ran Wally through the entire tale. Occasionally, another Titan would butt in with an added detail, or to clarify a point. Wally remained uncharacteristically silent and serious. His eyes were narrow and he looked green in the face.

When they were finished, Wally told them what had happened in Central City. What hurt most of all? None of it sounded shocking to the Titans.

Wally had finished talking, and yet nobody said a word. What was there to say?

Maybe now it was time to face the truth. They needed to deal with Robin the way they would any other villain. They needed to take him down.

---

Dick sat in a corner, quiet and alone, nibbling on the corner of a sandwich. The bread was slightly stale, and the butter warm, but he didn’t the room to be picky. He was scared to blow through his meagre food too fast, as he was unsure when he’d eat again. So he nibbled and sipped from a water bottle to wash it all down.

Dick kept thinking about Wally. He knew that Wally would be okay – he never used any force beyond winding him, and Wally had speed-healing, anyway. But would Wally forgive him? Maybe if he knew the circumstances… but even then, maybe he wouldn’t understand.

Dick had known Wally practically as a long as he’d been Robin, and their friendship was incredibly dear to him. Wally was who he was closest to, even more so than the Titans. The day that Wally turns his back on Dick, is the day that Dick will know there’s no going back. Dick just hoped that that day wasn’t anytime soon.

In the back of his head, he was trying to formulate a plan to tip the Titans off to the probes. The sooner they find them, the sooner they can get rid of them, and the sooner this will all be over. But every plan that Dick could think of was impossible. None of them would work – he knew that. They all had glaring faults that would result in his teammates’ deaths.

Wait… Wally. Wally didn’t have probes. Wally didn’t have probes. He could act through Wally. Yes! That’s it! He just had to be sneaky. Dick was sure that Slade was on lower guard when Dick was with Wally – he didn’t know the extent of their friendship – but that didn’t change the fact he was still watching. However, if he could somehow slyly pass a message along to Wally… then Wally could pass it to the Titans. Wally wasn’t being watched, he could do anything he wanted.

Now all Dick had to do was figure out the how.

---

“If you’re suggesting taking Dick in battle, you’re a lunatic,” Wally said, shutting down Victor’s offer.

“There’s five of us, and one of him,” Victor countered.

“Dick’s the protégé of Batman,” Wally explained. “B has, like, a zillion contingency plans for every single one of us, in case we ever go evil. And I’m sure he passed them onto Dick. Dick can take us all, easy.”

“All of us?” Raven asked.

“Yes, all of us.”

“Even Dick?”

“Oh shit. Yeah,” the cogs were turning in Wally’s mind.

Kori jumped for joy. “This is it! We must call the Batman! Then he will know what to do!”

Garfield cleared his throat. “Do any of us know how to get in touch with him though?”

No, none of the Titans could contact Batman. But Batman was a member of the Justice League, and lucky for them, another person in that room was a protégé of a Leaguer.

“I’ll call the Flash.”

Chapter Text

“Barry?”

Wally had taken the short run to Central City pretty much immediately as the Titans came to their verdict.

“What’s up, Wal?” Barry replied, not even batting an eye as Wally zipped into existence. The pair had grown used to the other just suddenly appearing by their side.

Wally took a deep breath, preparing to let his uncle in on the news. He hadn’t told Barry much when he first found him in STAR Labs, just that he needed to go see the Teen Titans. Barry couldn’t say that he wasn’t confused, but he let his nephew go anyway. He knew that if Wally needed him, he’d come back around, and that Wally was stubborn enough to not let anyone get away.

But now, looking at his nephew’s expression, Barry was growing concerned. Wally’s eyes had never looked so soulless, his lips never quivered that way and he never, ever hunched over.

“Wally. What’s wrong?”

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Wally said, “Robin’s gone evil. The Titans and I need help.”

---

Somewhere along the way, all supervillains decided the best path to riches was to rob banks. Though, Dick didn’t understand why Slade also wanted some of that money. From what he’d seen of the man, Dick had found Slade to be more caring of powerful weapons, rather than cash. Maybe Slade was trying to upgrade his warehouse. Hopefully that would entail Dick getting a bed, rather than continuing to sleep on the cold, hard floor.

He doubted it.

Slade had given him the mission early that morning, just as Dick was finally able to get a wink of sleep. And even though he had food the day before, his stomach still growled and he yearned to eat more.

One thing Dick was grateful for was to be in civilian clothing. The suit that Slade had made for him fit, but not quite right. It was too tight around his chest, and too loose around his waist. The sleeves were just too short but the pants slightly too long. These clothes fit right. They were cottony and comfortable.

Dick was considering slinking into the crowd, ditching his comms, and going undercover forevermore. That way he could escape Slade’s deal. Maybe he’d run home to Gotham and seek help from his dad. Did Slade know his identity? Dick may be wearing civilian clothes, but he still had a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. He’d never told Slade his name or shown him his face.

Dick doubted that Slade would draw the conclusion that Robin was Richard Grayson, son of billionaire Bruce Wayne. It made no logical sense – why would the richest people in Gotham become crimefighters? Plus… their civilian personas were… well, helpless.

But also, Slade seemed to be able to monitor everyone all the time. Maybe he figured it out but just wasn’t telling Dick so that he’d remain hopeful.

Either way, Dick decided it would be a bad idea to disappear. Then he’d have no control at all over his friends’ lives.

Dick entered the bank, staying close to the walls and trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Now was the time to remain hidden.

---

Tara Markov had always been a traveller, wandering around from city to city never really finding a place she could call home. She never felt like she ever truly fit in. She was a meta, after all.

She had finally found herself in Jump City, and she was sitting under a bridge, trying to ignore the sunlight in her eyes. She just wanted more sleep.

But even when she finally managed to convince herself the light wasn’t there, at the last minute it didn’t even matter. Loud, blaring sirens started wailing in the distance. Police cars were rushing over the bridge – there was a crime being committed right under their noses.

Tara quietly came out of under the bridge, trying to get a little spy on the action. She was about to give up – she could barely see anything – but then something happened. A teenage girl with flaming pink hair flew through the air right above Tara’s head. She was followed by a green eagle, and a another cloaked teenager.

There were more metas in Jump City. Maybe she’d finally found her place.

---

Slade had been keeping an eye on Tara Markov for a long while. Somewhere deep in his mind, Slade had retained the worry that his apprentice may one day not see his friends’ lives as reason enough to stay. Or maybe his friends would grow a brain and figure out the probes in their bloodstreams.

He needed… a contingency. He was going to use one of Robin’s biggest weaknesses against him – his need to help people.

There was no way that Robin would ever let anyone else fall into Slade’s apprenticeship, Slade knew that very well. So, Slade went and searched down a possible replacement. If Robin ever showed signs that he was getting close to leaving, to escaping… well, Slade had a plan. He would never let that happen.

He would never lose his apprentice.

And if that fails… well, Tara Markov would just have to make do.

---

The Titans were sick of waiting. Logically, they knew they had nothing to worry about… yet. Kid Flash was very closeknit with his mentor, and Batman would be very quick to help them once he found out about Robin.

But then why was Kori’s heart racing so much? Why were her palms sweaty, and her mind foggy? She could hear the other Titans chatting away, but she wasn’t paying them any attention.

“What do you think, Kori?”

Kori’s head shot up.

“Uh…” she stumbled. “I am sorry. I didn’t quite hear that.”

Victor sighed. “It’s alright.”

Garfield yawned. “I might head off for a nap. Wake me if anything goes wrong.”

Gar had barely stood up before the alarm suddenly started blaring.

“Come on, let’s go,” Victor said.

Kori welcomed the distraction.