The Apprentice

Last Hope

"What did you make me do? What did you make me do?!" Robin roars, storming towards Slade in their new headquarters.

"What you've always—"

"No!" Robin snaps, "Don't spin this into one of your stupid mind games! I just shot a man at point-blank range! You have no idea how I'm feeling!"

Slade's eye narrows, and he remains almost too still. Robin doesn't notice, his blood boiling in his ears. The apprentice reaches his master and stands on his toes to get in his face.

"But I do! I know how I feel!" He spits, then attempts to strike Slade unsuccessfully. "I hate you, and I hate this!"

All Slade does is back away from each attempted hit, keeping his body facing Robin, his full attention on the boy.

"I hate that you turn everything into a game!"

Miss.

"And I hate that you drag everyone I care about into it!"

Miss.

"Alfred is a good man, he was giving us what we wanted! And I shot him!"

Miss. Miss. Miss.

Robin heaves, his mask damp with tears. He presses the palms of his hands to his eyes and backs off, trying not to sniffle.

"What if he— What if I— What if he doesn't make it?!" He gasps, voice cracking. Robin stands there, shaking, humiliated by his show of weakness. All he can do to fight back the tears is breathe, and try to hide his red face. Slade observes him silently, then walks slowly towards his supercomputer. He sighs.

"What you need now... is distance."

Robin looks up, his expression shifting from exasperation to annoyance. 

"You've successfully severed ties with all of those nearest to you. Now, it is time for you to sever the link between your new identity, and your past."

"What are you—"

"Five days in the H.I.V.E, Robin." Slade finishes, his gaze shifting to his apprentice. "You can take that time to calm yourself, and identify future allies for cooperative missions."

Robin takes a step back to balance himself. His shoulders slack. "You can't be serious...?"

"I am. You leave this evening."

Robin takes a deep rattling breath, in a final attempt to compose himself.

Five more days... he thinks to himself reassuringly. Just five more days.

Slade approaches his apprentice, his body language neutral.

"Now, the kryptonite." He states simply, surprising Robin.

What was I expecting? Another pat on the shoulder?

The thought makes him sick, because he doesn't have a definitive answer. The boy wonder unclips a pocket in his belt and pulls out the three remaining gems. They dance in Slade's hand as he falls into his usual lecturing stride.

"Your strategy is improving, Robin." He praises, pushing a button on his wrist-guard to bring up his new and growing bank account onto one of the monitors. "There are some necessary corrections, such as acquiring more, more effectively, and better securing the area of the heist. You were caught by surprise a number of times: the H.I.V.E students, the alarm, the Man of Steel, the Batman, and... Alfred, was it? Hm. You need to observe your surroundings, disable everything to avoid any mistakes, and secure a perimeter."

Robin avoids eye contact, his worry for Alfred threatening to surface once more. Slade is right that he needs to do better. He put his and Bruce's secret identities at risk for no reason— he'd already given his message to Batman, and he didn't have to go back to the cave: Titan's tower also has a can of the spray. Going to the tower would have given away his previous lie, but he'd take the consequences of that over his fight with Alfred any day.

He smooths out the tension in his muscles, and tries to stay positive. Batman can save Alfred, as well as his friends, and put an end to Slade once and for all. He flexes his right fist, feeling Superman's earpiece safely stashed in his glove next to his chip to the Batcave. Robin smiles despite it all, ignoring the rest of his master's lesson, because Slade was right about another thing.

His strategy has improved.