Too Little, Too Late (Short Story)

Too Little Too Late Part II

The wall in front of him was a dull gray, and at the moment, was the only thing he was interested in looking at. All of the walls around him were the same as this, but for some reason, the one he looked at seemed more appealing.
    It represented his state of mind in a way. Blank. Empty. Ready to be filled with whatever anyone pleased, whether it was by him or his captor. No matter how much he tried to fill it with anything but the endless gray, he couldn't succeed.
    It was better than thinking about what he had just went through, though. If anything, it was almost more preferred, no matter how much the emptiness may have bothered him.
    Robin couldn't think of a single thing that would make this better. He had officially lost hope, and he knew it. Even if the ebony didn't want to accept it. After all, everyday he was trapped he would still be hopeful that his friends would somehow save him from this hell he lived in. It was what kept him going, what kept him fighting.
    Now that they were gone, he knew no one would help him.
    Soon the world would know him as just another criminal. Or more accurately, the Apprentice to a very lethal one.
When that happens, there was also a very likely chance that the Justice League may pursue him. He could practically see all of the awe-stricken faces when they saw the first ever hero companion turn villain.
The one face he had the hardest time imagining was Batman's. Robin could see him being dissapointed, but also angry, sad, and suprised. Seeing as how they had left things, it was no wonder the boy did not know how his ex-mentor would react.
Then, after almost three days of doing nothing but training, eating, and looking at a wall, his thoughts lingered on his previous mentor and father figure.
He got so lost in thought, as he had the mental strength to only think of very little, he almost missed the announcement from his ear piece.
"Meet me in the Mission room in twenty minutes. Do not be late." Slade's voice was curt, and Robin knew that he had something planned for him. The only time he ever used his ear piece was when he had to train, after all. He could only assume the madman would use the same type of communication to tell Robin of other things as well.
Begrudgingly, he torn his gaze away from the wall and turned toward the place where his uniforms were stored. Trudging over, he opened the small compartment and looked at what he was supposed to wear.
The suit he had been given looked strikingly like Slade's, and it sent shivers down his spine just thinking about it. The man already said that they were alike, why did they have to have simmiliar uniforms?
'Because I'm just Slade's little pet', Robin thought remorsfully.
With a sigh, he slipped the suit onto him with unease. Putting it on always made him shiver. It felt so unnatural and foreign. His Robin uniform felt comfortable and warm, while this one was cold and dark. He hated it with all his heart, and wished that he could wear his old suit just one more time before he committed any terrible acts.
Robin knew that would probably never happen, but he still wanted it to.
The only upside to wearing it was that he could sport an upgraded version of his old mask, instead of the metal slab Slade wore on his face.
    After slipping on the godforsaken uniform, he made his way to the door to his room while checking the clock, making sure he would be right on time. Figuring he had about a two minute walk to the Mission room, he twisted the doorknob until it opened with a satisfying 'click',  then stepped out into a hallway that was just as plain as his room. But instead of the gray walls, these were a voidless black, with only occasional lights to lead the way through the winding maze.
    Striding down the halls, with many twists and turns along the way, he made it to the room he was ordered to just as his deadline passed.
    Walking in, he saw Slade standing in front of his many large screens, both hands clasped behind his back as he observed the images. Robin paid little attention the the pictures that rotated between the screens, and instead opted to walk closer to his 'Master'.
    The Boy Wonder had learned to despise that word. 'Master'. Slade had wanted him to start calling him that, and when he first refused, he was severely punished. And everytime he spoke the simple word, a sense of anger and uselessness came over him. Anger at what he had been reduced to, and uselessness at how he didn't rebel harder.
    "Robin, look at these photos." Slade suddenly said, and Robin came to a halt next to him, now forced to notice the images.
    What he saw made his blood run cold.
    All of the pictures were related to the billionaire Bruce Wayne. Whether it was his buildings, him at a press conference, a paparazzi photo, or simply him posing for a picture with someone important, it all came back to him.
    Robin looked over to Slade in shock and nervousness, but tried hard to not let it show through. If there was one thing he refused to do, it was reveal to his captor that he knew Bruce. That would warrant questions, and the madman might start piecing things together.
    If he hadn't already figured it out. Slade may have been psycotic, but he was extremely intelligent.
    The man that toward over Robin didn't spare a glance at him as he continued to look at the photos.
    "Now, what did you notice about all of these images?" he asked, now looking at Robin with his one steely eye.
    The boy had to take a nervous gulp before replying, staring at Slade's emotionless mask in unease.
    "They're all related to Bruce Wayne."
    Slade nodded in content before continuing.
    "You are correct. And your next mission pertains to this man in particular." He paused for a moment to let Robin retain that information, then began again.
    "You see, Mr. Wayne has something I want. Something I need, if I want to be precise. And you are to retrieve it for me. If you fail, you know what will happen."
    At this threat, Robin nodded, knowing full well the pain and suffering Slade could bring to him. The man turned back to the screens once more, and looked at one with particular interest.
    Robin held his breath as he watched his eye graze over the picture thoughtfully, soaking in all the information the image had to offer.
    It was one that was not previously there. Bruce was smiling charmingly at the camera while he held a ten year old Dick Graysons hand. Robin looked at his younger self and felt sorry for him. If only he knew what his future held. 
    Then, in an attempt to break the man's gaze next to him, he asked a question, hoping to distract the man from any suspicions.
    "What I am I supposed to retrieve?"
    Slade looked back at him for a moment, and Robin could practically hear the smirk underneath his inhuman mask.
    "You will not be informed of that until you reach your destination."
     At this, the ebony looked at the man looming beside him questioningly, but did not probe him further.
    It still made him slightly nauseous that Slade had his eye on Bruce. Just over three weeks into the forced apprenticeship, and now he his targeting a prominent figure in Robins life?
    Either it was all a huge coincidence, or Slade knew who Robin was, and in turn, also the Dark Knights identity. Seeing as how he was trained not to believe anything happened by chance, the latter was much more likely.
    However, that didn't make it any easier to wrap his head around.
    Just the mere concept of his captor knowing his past, where he had grown up, who he was behind the mask, made his skin crawl.
    The mask, his hero identity, was one of his only life lines in his crazy, messed up world. It gave him a sense of confidence. Without it, he might as well be what the public had pinned him as; a weak circus kid adopted by a billionaire as a charity case.
    Without the mask he wore, he was just a kid. A weak, vulnerable child who still had to learn about the world in which he lived in. Sure, maybe not every kid does his type of work, but it doesn't change the facts. 
    And if the man before him knew who Robin, the Boy Wonder of Gotham, his apprentice, truly was behind his hero facade, the boy did not know what he would do.
    He was pulled out of these thoughts by Slade speaking once more, his voice coated with eagerness and desire, making the hairs on the back of the boys neck go alert.
    "You will leave in no more than an hour. Gather all the items that you might need, and go to the nearest Wayne Enterprise building."
    So far, it sounded as if the mission would be simple. But nothing is ever simple with psychopaths, is it?
    "Then, once inside the building, get to a vantage point and set off an alarm. Once this is completed, do not leave. Wait until I order you to switch locations."
    This slightly suprised him, as he knew Slade to be more fond of stealth. Why on earth would he want to set off an alarm? Did he want Robin to get caught by the police force, or possibly even the Justice League, if anyone was even nearby?
    Questions like these swarmed the Boy Wonder had like pesky mosquito's, and Slade was smirking under his mask at the boys expression of bewilderment.
    His apprentice had so much to learn. And after tonight, he would have Robins full loyalty in order to mentor him.
    Slade plan would not fail. He had calculated it too many times, and only three of those conclusions ended in him losing his apprentice completely. But, if those situations ever arose, he had contingency plans, and even more after those of they turned out to be useless.
    It was full-proof.
    By the end of the night Slade will have ensured himself a completely loyal apprentice to pass his knowledge to.
    Robin would be his, and no one would stand in his way. And if he had to break the boy even more to reach his goal, then so be it.
    Slade refused to fail.
The only thing the man didn't count on was the boys rebellious and teenage spirit, which would later prove fatal in the mercenaries master plan.