Work Text:
The uniform feels like a second skin. It always does.
This time, when he puts it on he has to leave himself behind. He can't be Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne's young ward, or Robin, his parents' son and Batman's partner or Robin, the leader of the Titans. No, he is no one now.
A blank slate.
He takes the mask into his hands and runs his fingers over the face of it. He dreads what he has to do. His friends might not be able to forgive this, but he hopes that someone will understand his actions. He's doing this for them.
And the desire that burns within him.
He runs along the shadows, keeping himself hidden in the creeping abyss. He flies across rooftops until he reaches his destination. Wayne Enterprises. The building is devoid of light as though it knew what treacheries he came to commit and wanted no part in it.
He slips through a vent on the rooftop and makes his way inside the building. He doesn't scale the walls, instead focusing on getting to his destination as quick as he can.
He knows the building intimately.
Bruce had visited Jump City once and he had waited inside while Bruce finished up his work before meeting him. Nevertheless, he still took to studying the building's blueprints and plans many times before today and now he's putting that knowledge to use.
He never thought he would go against his mentor, but the situation calls for it. He has to prove his allegiance for this to work.
He activates his wrist computer and plugs it into the door's lock. He runs a program to unlock the door despite already having the code. This is all an act.
And he has to make it believable.
He slips into the room and spies the hidden lazers as it catches the light. If he trips one, an alarm will sound. He pulls out a smoke bomb and removes the pin, he holds it out and lets the room fill with smoke.
The lasers become visible and he maps out a plan in his head. A course of action to take. He rolls first and then flips up from a crouch. He jumps forward, throwing himself into a handspring and turning his body to stand back on his feet.
He spins around and eyes the chip.
Bruce said it would be used for furthering medicine. Nanotech that can help rebuild cells and destroy those the body doesn't need, like cancer.
He dreads to think what he will do with it, but when it comes down to it he knows Bruce will be able to recreate it and destroy any copies made from nefarious purposes.
He removes a small case from his utility belt and places the chip inside before making his way out. He trips the alarm, knowing what will come. He clips the case back onto his utility belt as he runs down the hall and climbs back into the vent he entered from.
When he reaches the rooftop he freezes.
"Stop there, villain."
"Stealing is wrong. Please return what you stole," Star says as her hands begin to glow. She's never quick to anger, too sweet for such violence.
He doesn't speak.
He simply throws another smoke bomb. Utilising the distraction, he uses his other tricks. A modifiable tape over Raven's mouth. A hard drive to disable Cybrog. A dart to sedate Garfield. And for Star, a modified net to trap her.
"Well done," Slade's voice is silky, causing his neck to prickle as he comes up behind him. "Robin."
His team gasps, eyes wide with shock as they gape at him. He knows he's unrecognisable. The red X plastered on his chest where his R symbol should be; the face mask covering his face to obscure his identity instead of a domino; the dark suit contrasting the bright colours he always wears.
"Do I have your attention now, Slade?" He asks as he turns on his heels. His team becomes hidden out of sight.
Raven shouts out a muffled protest, but she goes unheard.
With his team behind him he can easily keep them safe, and Slade in his sights. He lightly bounces on the ball of his feet, ready for whatever Slade throws at him and ready to jump into the fight.
"You've always held my attention, Robin." Slade chuckles, and the sound sends shivers down Dick's spine. It puts him on edge. He stays on guard. "But if I had known you were so needy I would have come for you sooner."
"I'm not needy, Slade. I only want to put you behind bars." Dick spits out the words with all the venom he can muster. And with Slade being his archenemy it's a lot.
Slade tilts his head at Dick, clearly enjoying their interaction. When does he not? He folds his arms over his chest. Unconcerned. "Is that why you turned on your friends? To catch me. How does that work, Robin?"
"You're here are you not?" Dick counters as he grits his teeth pointedly at his adversary. Slade is playing games with him again and it only enrages him.
"Am I?" Slade asks and Robin falters, his mouth twitching downwards in response. Could the Slade before him be simply another programmed sladebot?
Or is he real?
"Stop with the games!" Dick snaps. He pulls the mask—the face mask with a red X plastered over it, leaving his domino to conceal his civilian identity—off and throws his arms out wildly. "You want me? I'm right here."
"Robin!" Starfire's voice cuts through the tension between them. Dick tenatively glances back at her, unable to fully look away from Slade. "Say this is not true. Say you did not betray your friends for Slade."
"What?" The words slip through Dick's mouth subconsciously. His lips twitch. "I'm not— I have to this to—"
"To what, Robin?" Star's face falls as she sags into the net ensnaring her in place on the rooftop. "Is he more important to you than us? Than me? Are we not the best of friends?"
"No, of course not!" Dick protests, turning to face Star. He addresses her face on. "You don't understand, but you will. I have Slade."
"Do you, Robin?" She asks. Her face begins to crumple and Dick's heart pangs for her. He goes to reach her but the next words out of her mouth hold him in place. "Because from my perspective it looks like he has you."
Dick should have expected the hit.
His attention had wavered and Slade used it to his advantage. Dick grunts as his body hits the gravelled floor of the rooftop. He rolls onto his back and peers up at Slade. He quickly jumps up to his feet and pulls out his bo-staff.
He assumes a fighting stance and circles Slade. They dance around each other and time seems to slow. It is just the two of them on that rooftop. His team may be behind him, but his focus has fixated solely on Slade—where it has been for the past couple of weeks.
"Today's the day I put you away for good," Dick announces as he sprints towards the man. He swings down with his staff and Slade easily sidesteps away.
He strikes again, following Slade's movements, but the man is too good. Dick has previously assumed the man was enhanced and perhaps meta. He's just a little too fast. A little too strong.
Always just out of reach.
"Are you sure about that, Robin? How long is it you've been after me. Days? Weeks? It feels like months. Maybe even years."
"Don't delude yourself, Slade." Dick snarks. He roars as he throws a small smoke bomb and advances with his staff in hand. "You started this."
"Me?" Slade stops and breaks out into a laugh. "I didn't tell you to chase after me in the dead of night. Or to betray your little friends."
"I haven't betrayed them," Dick grits his teeth and yells at the villain. He throws a small birdarang at Slade and it simply bounces off. He can't tell if the man is truly here or if it really is just another sladebot.
"Oh really? What was it Starfire so kindly pointed out?" Slade makes a show of thinking. He faux gasps, "that's right. I am more important to you than your friends."
"No you're not!" Dick cries, anger taking ahold of him. He throws punches wildly but Slade avoids every one of them.
He pauses, panting deeply. His arms tremble with anger and exhaustion. Overcome with emotion. Slade folds his hands behind his back, exuding confidence. His single eye gleams beneath the moonlight.
"You're actually here," Dick breathes out the realisation. He wipes the sweat off his head with his gloved hand. He fishes for something in his utility belt to disable Slade.
"Do you dream about me, Robin? Do I plague your waking thoughts and nightmarish dreams? Am I all you think about?" Slade circles him like feline or any other carnivorous predator would.
Dick doesn't answer, but Slade takes it as what it is.
A confirmation.
"I dream about you," Slade tells him. He now steps closer, not around. "I dream of what you could be. Of what we could be."
Dick flinches away.
Slade reaches out for him, but Dick is too slow. He's not like Slade. His collar is grabbed and Slade pulls him closer. In the paws of the great beast he struggles. He throws out punches and kicks but it gets him nowhere.
"Dear Robin, you could be so magnificent. I see now how willing you are to hand yourself over to me."
"What?" Dick asks incredulously. He can't hide the shock and dread Slade brings him.
"Defeating your team and stealing from your mentor all to prove yourself to me."
"No, that's not—" Dick fumbles for a solution. He glances over to his team but they can't help. He incapacitated them.
To protect them, he reminds himself. To play Slade and put him behind bars once and for all.
"You don't have to lie to me," Slade tells him. Dick's feet continue to dangle. He tries to kick out again, but he fails. Again. "I know you, Robin. We're alike. More than you'd want to admit."
He's too focused on his escape rather than Slade's words that he doesn't process them. He digs around until his fingers find the spare dart he packed. He pulls it out of the pouch and hides it in his palm. Slade doesn't seemed to have noticed. He looks to be studying Dick and it creeps him out.
"What?" He snaps. The man's eye shines and his head tilts to one side.
"I'll offer this to you once, Robin. Consider it a blessing." He drops Dick. He falls to his knees and glances up at Slade. "Become my weapon—my apprentice. You have proven yourself worthy."
Knelt at Slade feet, Dick fiddles with the dart and decides to take the shot. His heart beats rapidly so he makes an attempt to clear his mind and calm himself. He jumps up and swings his hand, jabbing the needle into Slade's neck.
The man stumbles back. He discards of dart and frees his handcuffs from his utility belt. "As I said, Slade. Today is the day I put you away for good."
"Well played, Robin." Slade praises him, even in defeat. Robin's chest puffs out with pride as Slade stumbles, collapsing to the floor. Dick steps closer, with the cuffs in hand, and moves to restrain him.
Something snaps.
Dick grunts as his face grazes across gravel. His cheek stings. His arms are pinned behind his back and his chest pressed against the rooftop. His legs are useless in his current position.
"Oh, Robin, you didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" Slade's voice is beside his ear and if it weren't for the mask he would be shivering from the man's breath. "No matter. I can teach you how to defeat me. As my apprentice, you'll learn it all."
"I don't want to learn," Dick struggles under Slade's strong hold.
He's lifted off the floor but kept against Slade's chest. A hand wraps around his neck. He kicks back with his feet but Slade doesn't falter. He never does. Dick won't give up. He can't.
"Let me go, Slade."
"No."
"He'll come for me," Dick informs Slade, reminding the man of his mentor. "My team will come for me."
"I don't think they will, Robin. Look at them," Slade directs Dick face over to his team, his attention is forcefully redirected. "Look at what you did to them."
He closes his eyes, unable to bear the sight of them. He betrayed them. For Slade.
Slade pulls back.
Dick tries to reach out but his arms are restrained with the cuffs he had. He lets out a small shout as Slade walks him backwards. His friends are going out of sight. He's running out of time.
But this could be his chance.
If he goes with Slade he can figure out the man's identity and destroy him from within. He can escape, or his friends will rescue him in time.
"Star!" He shouts to her. For her. She's helpless. They all are.
"You did this, Robin." She sounds defeated. "No one is coming for you."