The Apprentice

While the Apprentice Thinks

Robin takes the hour Slade gave him to think. Hard.

How can he shut down the nano bugs?

I could try and access them from Slade's supercomputer, but to do that I'd have to get Slade out of the way, through the firewalls and through every puzzle. The challenge just might be too great.

Would an EMP work? Only temporarily. I'll set that idea aside to possibly compliment another plan.

Better think of the situation more than the solution.

Anything I do will be seen and heard by Slade. I'll constantly be tracked by GPS. How can I do anything when my plans will end before they've even begun?

Robin takes a deep breath to calm himself. One thing at a time.

Cameras. Start with the cameras. They are the ultimate restraint. How can I take out the cameras without Slade getting suspicious?

He can still hear Batman's exasperated voice. "Robin!"

I'm sorry, Bruce. He thinks to himself. Suddenly, he has an idea. His body almost betrays it, but he manages at the last second to stay still. The one place Robin can't be seen is in the...

Batcave. No one, not even Slade, can hack into the Batcave's cameras. That's where I'll go. I can't just leave whenever I want, but I'll let myself get captured more easily the next time Batman shows up. It's my best chance.

He checks the time. 1 am. Is the hour gone already? He gets up and rushes out of his room to train.

The training goes on until 6 am, then Robin feasts on surprisingly good food. He wonders where Slade got it, and continues to train alone until 9 am. Little does Slade know, every punching bag has his face on it — scratch that, Slade probably does know.

At 9 am, Robin's punches miss their target. The weights he lifts come crashing down on him. He's forced to call it a day. He showers (carefully, clothed, because odds are there are cameras in there too), and falls asleep as soon as he hits the pillow.