Trust... [A Robin Love Story]

Chapter 24: The Blood...

Author's P.O.V

Weeks have passed.

Terra had been training with Slade while Krystal was still recovering from her last injury. Slade's brainwashing had finally taken affect on her and began to act cold. She had learned to control her powers and suppress her emotions. With a new powerful opponent helping Slade, the city became desolate. Terra aided with Slade's plans to take over Jump City and they succeeded. The city was crawling with Slade's minions with Terra as their leader but little did they know that the Titans were prepared and had a plan of attack. Things were peaceful for once, but not the kind of peaceful that felt tranquil. It felt like a thin sheet of paper over a boiling pot of water, ready to give away at any moment. It was that classic calm before the storm moment. Meanwhile, Krystal had been ordered to stay within the hide out and recover her energy. She was suspicious of his generosity towards her and was expecting that he was preparing her for probably another beating.

"Krystal," Slade called out to her. Her heart trembled in fear as she made her way to him.

"Yes, sir?" She asked. He lifted his hand which caused her to close her eyes shut in anticipation of the blow. To her surprise, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder and lead her into another room. Her anxiety started to bark away at her and she couldn't do anything about it. Slade led her into a dark room with strangely familiar markings on the floor and walls.

"You're familiar with these encryptions, right?" he asked her.

"Yes, these are Azarathian symbols, right?" She asked.

"That is correct." Slade said before taking her hand then taking out a small knife. He made a diagonal slit on her hand.

"What color is your blood?" He asked her as he watched the blood overflow and drip from her hands.

"It's red." She said blankly. He closed his eyes and whispered a small chant. She started to feel strange. She was light headed, she had a had trouble breathing, her wound started to burn and the symbols in the room started to glow a deep red. The symbols moved towards her and landed on her body, absorbing into her skin. Shortly after that, she was that her blood had started to turn black.

"This will protect you." He said as the room lost it's glow. When she came back to her senses, she saw him on one knee with her hand still in his.

"I have to go away for a while. I'm leaving you in charge." He said. She felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach.

"What do you mean?", was all she managed to word out. He let out a sigh and just held her hand as his thumb drew circles on the other side of her palm.

"I need to know that I can trust you with this." he said. Without even her noticing, her tears were already streaming down her face. She didn't understand. She didn't know why she was crying for a man that didn't to anything but cause her pain and suffering. Although Slade didn't do things that normal fathers would do, she knew that he still had the love for her that only a father can have. She nodded her head furiously and continued to keep herself together. He stood up then grabbed her arms.

"I want you to move out to the eastern hideout. When the smoke clears, make sure to look for Trigon. He'll help us." He said, turning his back towards her. Her body did the first move and wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. He hesitated a bit before removing her arms from his waist.

"If I don't send a transmission by tonight, I want to let you know that I am very proud to call you my daughter." He said before leaving her in the room, crying. What did he mean by leaving her in charge? Is he going somewhere? Is he really going to sacrifice himself for the mission?? A bunch of questions just kept coming one after the other.

After she calmed down, she started preparing to move out and go to the eastern hideout as he had instructed her. The city was desolate and smothered with Slade's minions. she had trouble figuring out why he thought he wasn't going to succeed. Meanwhile, the Teen Titans where scrambling to get out of Slade's lair because of the lava leak that began to drown the place. Terra had sacrificed herself to stop it from destroying the foundations of the city but just before that happened, the delicate machinery that controlled Krystal's subdermal chip which short circuited the wireless technology. She felt pain in her head and passed out before she was able to cross the boarder. In the clean up of the city, the people found her and turned her over to the Titans in fear of her being one of Slade's minions. After stripping her of her weapons and possessions, they held her captive in her old room chained to her bed post with both arms tied at her back.

Krystal, still unconscious, was running in her dark subconscious not knowing where she was going or how far she's traveled. Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her and picked her up off the ground to see that it was a giant version of Slade.

"You won't be able to run from me, child." He said in a low and menacing tone. With a laugh, he let her go and she fell into a pit of darkness.

"Run, run, run, my little mouse. Soon, things will fall into place."