Robin's Diary - Part 50

By Haruka

Slade was true to his word and gave me time to myself after he spanked me, but he also came back to check on me later, like he promised. He asked if I was all right, and I told him the truth, that I was sore and embarrassed, but I'd live. Then he asked the strangest thing. He wanted to know if I was angry with him. I asked if it would matter if I was.

"It wouldn't change the fact that you deserved the punishment," he said, "but it would make a difference in how _I_ feel."

I couldn't believe that Slade was feeling insecure for punishing me. That he actually cared that much about whether or not I was mad at him. I had the power to ruin his day, but for some reason, I didn't do it.

"I'm not angry," I told him. "You're right, I disobeyed when I had been fairly warned. I didn't like getting spanked, but I had it coming."

Slade rubbed my head affectionately, and I let him. Maybe I was mellowing, I don't know, but he hadn't done anything out of line the whole time I'd been with him, and he had ample opportunity. I still didn't like him and never would trust him, but so long as he was playing straight with me, I should be playing straight with him.

I've been thinking about it ever since, and I've decided I've been unfair. Maybe I _did_ move in with Slade in order to find out his plans and hopefully his identity, but I'd been with him for a week, and I'd seen no sign of continued criminal activity. Just a concentrated effort to make me feel at home and cared for.

He wants me for a son, and I can't give him that. So there's no point in prolonging this. If he's reformed, then great, but I miss Batman so much I feel like crying every time I think about him. I want to go home.

And I'm going to go tell Slade that right now.

Here is the conversation and subsequent events that took place after I found Slade reading in his room:

Me: (in the doorway) Excuse me, Slade. I need to talk to you.

Slade: (puts book down and sits up) Yes, Robin, what is it?

Me: (squaring my shoulders, taking a deep breath) I want to go home.

Slade: Why, you _are_ home, Robin. Haven't I been a good father to you?

Me: Yes, you've surprised me, I'll admit that. And I think if you've truly reformed, that you should think about settling down with a family of your own. But as I've told you before, I already have a father. I miss him, and I want to go home.

Slade: (standing up and walking over to me) But you haven't found out anything that you came here to learn. What about your investigation?

Me: Maybe it's not the responsible crimefighter thing to do, but a week away from my father is long enough. And if you've really reformed, there shouldn't be anything here for me to find, anyway.

Slade: If you stay a little longer, perhaps you'll decide you prefer to have me as your father, rather than Batman.

Me: (shaking my head) He adopted me, Slade - I _am_ his son, and I love him. Please don't make this harder on yourself.

Slade: (pausing) Perhaps I'll make it harder on you, instead. Come here, I want to show you something.

He walked over to the desk with the pull-down lid that I couldn't break into the other day, and unlocked it. When he opened the lid, dozens of newspaper clippings fell out. I started sifting through them and found they're all about Batman.

Me: I ... I don't get it. What are you doing with all these ...?

Then I stopped as it hit me. At Titan Tower I have a room plastered with Slade clippings, information, maps with sightings - all designed to help me try and figure out who he is and what his next move might be so I can catch him.

Me: (turning to him in horror) You're after Batman!

Slade: Clever boy. (Strolls away from the desk) I know you'd never leave the Dark Knight, but that doesn't make me want you for my son and apprentice any less. And you've proved to me that you can adjust to having me for a father if you have to. (Turns around to look at me) So I eliminate the competition, and the field is clear. You'll be mine.

Me: NO! You haven't changed at all! First you threaten my friends' lives and now you threaten my father! I'm OUT of here!

(Slade's foot connects with my chest and I'm slammed back against the desk.)

Slade: Tsk, tsk. _Slow_, Robin. I'm disappointed.

Me: (glaring as I straighten up) You'd better hope you've got some speed yourself.

I ran toward him, leaving an exploding birdarang behind me on the desk. He saw the flashing light on it and was distracted long enough for me to jump into the air and leapfrog right over his head. I was out the door before the explosion went off, shaking the entire building.

As fast as I could, I ran for my room to grab my stuff, including my cape, which I'd moved there before going to talk to Slade. I was already wearing the rest of my Robin costume under the Slade one.

I ran out of the room, charging right into a hard, unyielding body. I pulled back to fight, thinking it was Slade, but found myself eye-to-chest with a black Bat insignia.

"Robin!" Batman grabbed my arms and stared intently down at me. "Are you all right?!"

"Yes!" I cried. "Let's just get out of here, NOW!"

Batman always takes me seriously and thank goodness this was no exception. Slade wanted him dead, and we were on Slade's turf, which meant I wanted him as far away as he could get.

We left and didn't look back.

It felt SO good to ride home in the Batmobile. I asked Batman how he found me, and he admitted that he'd planted a tracking device on the collar of my cape days earlier. He'd respected my Teen Titan mission enough to stay away UNTIL the tracker remained stationary for an entire day (because I went to the Teen Titan meeting in my Slade uniform.) He decided he couldn't take any chances after that.

I noticed that while we talked, Batman kept casting me sideways looks, one of which took in my new costume completely.

"What does the 'S' stand for?" he asked, referring to the letter on the left side of my chest.

"'Sucker'," I said in self-disgust. "I fell for it, Batman. Slade convinced me to give him a chance to prove that he could be a father to me, maybe even reform completely and give up crime. I never intended to stay with him - I thought I could find out what his real plan was - and it turned out that while he was sincere in wanting me, he planned to kill YOU to ensure it." I shook my head. "How could I have thought he'd reform, even a little?"

"Because you wanted to believe it. That doesn't make you a sucker, Robin. That youthful optimism is part of you." He reached out and stroked my hair with his gloved hand. "I've missed my partner who gives people the benefit of the doubt. But I've missed my son even more."

I moved across the seat and rode home tucked under his arm while he drove one-handed.

I'm going to tell Batman everything. As far as I'm concerned, the Slade case is still open (there's no guarantee that he died in that explosion.) However, it's not a Teen Titan case anymore, nor will it be a Batman case. It's a Robin case, and it's personal.

Robin

End of Part 50

Since this is chapter 50 (and that's a lot of chapters in one story) I'm going to make another whole story page to post the next 50 chapters then another to post the last 46! READ THIS OR YOU WON'T FIND THE REST! Go to my Secret52 home page and find the second batch! Thanks