A Madman's Apprentice

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(Part 6 of The Apprentice Part 1)

Robin was kicked across the floor. His fists were clenched and he hit the ground in anger. Slade walked over and looked down at him. "I understand your frustration, Robin. You hate losing as much as I do. One of the many qualities we have in common." Robin pondered this for only a second. Firstly his dream had made the comparison, then Beastboy, and now Slade himself.

He leapt from the ground and landed a solid uppercut to Slade's chin, then landed a left hook to the side of Slade's face, sending the man flying. Slade quickly recovered to his feet. Robin, however, blew many punches to Slade's chest, and kicked him in the jaw swiftly. While Slade was on the floor, Robin went to pick up the remote.

"It's over, Slade," Robin hissed as he held the remote. "On the contrary, Robin," Slade said as the remote short-circuited and fell to mere pieces in the boy's hand, "This is only the beginning."

"Where's the real trigger?"

"Trigger? There is no trigger," Slade smiled behind his mask watching the confusion and terror on Robin's face, "because there is no detonator."

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The core was beeping and fizzing furiously. Beastboy was biting his nailes through his gloves as they all watched for Cyborg's next move. "Moment of truth, y'all," he lifted the ocy-fule torch finger and looked over at Beastboy, "Everybody ready?" Beastboy covered his eyes. "I can't watch!" He then separated his fingers enough to see.

Cyborg cut another wire, and the core turned blue. It stopped beeping, and was still. They all sighed in relief, but it was short lived, for the core began beeping again in a new, deeper pitch. The core became red once more, and the wires attached started glowing. The machine began flashing. Beastboy screamed. "We blew it! We'll be frozen in time forever!"

The machine short-circuited and self-destructed, leaving everyone confused. "Um, why are we not frozen in time forever?" "Because this wasn't a Khronoton Detonator," Cyborg stood, "It was a fake!" A machine activated and arose from the front of the boat, shooting and hitting each Titan with it's lasers, knocking them off and into the sewage water.

As they all came up for air, Beastboy spit out a mouthful of water. "So aside from the nasty taste of sewer water in my mouth, I think I'm okay," Beastboy said, turning to Cyborg and Raven. Cyborg checked his arm for diagnostics of anything wrong.

"Diagnostic sensors say I'm just fine," Cyborg added. "Whatever that beam was supposed to do, it didn't do it," Raven said, sounding surprised and a tad confused. Starfire smiled. "Then we are victorious?"

Little to their knowledge, the beam had done something. Everything was falling in line for Slade. Everything was going according to plan.

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"Nanoscopic probes." Four screens lit up, each labeled according to the Titan. Video feed of their bloodstreams, and their blood cells. Slade walked over to them. "The Khronoton Detonator was merely the bait," he turned around to face Robin, "for a much larger trap."

He pulled out a trigger, a red button placed at the top. "You see, with the push of a button," his thumb hovered over button, "my probes will destroy your friends from the inside out."

Robin nearly scoffed. "You can't control them. No matter what you threaten, they'll never obey you," he clenched his fists. Slade began to walk around him. "This isn't about your friends, Robin. It's about you. It's always been about you."

"What?"

"Sending trouble your way, leaving cryptic clues for you to unravel." Slade stopped walking. "I was testing you," he turned to face Robin completely.

"For some time now I have been searching for," he came closer, "an apprentice. Someone to follow in my footsteps," he stood directly in front of the boy. "And, Robin, I've chosen you. Congratulations." They narrowed their eyes at each other.

Robin shook his head and put his fist up to fight once more. "No way would I ever work for-" Slade lifted the trigger, his thumb gently atop the button.

"If you join me, if you swear to serve me, if you never speak to your friends again... I will allow them to live, but...if you disobey even the smallest request," he walked in front of the screens, "I will annihilate them, Robin. And I'll make you watch."

There was a moment of silence, besides the steady creaking of the turning gears. Robin was frozen. How could he move? What could he say? He was backed into a corner he couldn't leave. There was nothing he could do. "So, do we have a deal?"

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Cyborg helped Beastboy out of the man hole, while Starfire was desperately trying to get in contact with Robin. "Why does he not answer?"

"His loctator's been deactivated. We have no way to find him," Cyborg said, panick in his voice. "Not good," Beastboy was worried as well. Star continued to try to reach him over the comms, more worried than before.

"Robin, please, you must answer! Robin..."

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Robin's hero uniform was draped over some railing, Star's voice ringing through the lair. "Please respond! Robin, where are you?" It pained Robin. He so badly wanted to answer. He put on the rest of his new uniform and tried to focus on the sound of the gears to drown out Star's voice. Slade walked up behind him.

"I know it seems bad now, but trust me, you'll learn to like it."