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Take your Medicine	By : Imaginary Category: DC Verse Cartoons - Teen Titans > Slash - Male/Male > Robin/Slade Views: 8215 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans, nor the characters of the series, nor do I make any money or profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 9
- 10
- 11
Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, just this story. I'm not making any money from it

SladinForever's AN: A new chapter edited already? How do you like dem apples! Tis a bit short, but Kach and I decided that shortening them would be easier on me to edit and updates could get posted faster. Chapter 11 IS longer though and full of some good stuff, yup yup. Also, since Kach first started this, my style of writing/editing has changed, so I'll be going back and fixing the older chapters, so they can stay consistent. So that's that. I'll try to keep my editing speed the same for you guys, so you don't have to wait so damn long again :U Also, this will probably be the last author note you see from me. Kachiru has the spotlight, not me. I tend to talk too much anyway ;p

The morning came like a pile of bricks: heavy, difficult, hard, and not alone. Even if the night hadn't been as bad as Robin had been afraid of, it still managed to be a pain. He woke up feeling tired, almost as if he had not had a single eyeful of sleep the whole night. He felt as if he was almost freezing cold, but he was sweating. He had been afraid that he'd be damned to have nightmares for the whole night; nightmares of him murdering people, him getting killed by an angry mob, and weird enough, being scolded by Slade. But that hadn't been the case. For the entire night, he hadn't been dreaming at all. Well, he did, but most of the time people didn't remember them. But he did remember something. But, for the love of God, he couldn't remember what. The only thing he could recall was a silhouette of a dream that was seen just moments before he woke up. He kind of thought it had something to do with Slade. Not that he had been able to form anything from the dark blur…

If it hadn't been the dream he remembered, Robin remembered that he had been tossing and turning in his sleep, probably once lying on Slade's arm. But he had been too tired to care. The night had been hot and he had been trapped in the sheets as he rolled so much, waking up only to unleash himself from his self-inflicted trap. Soon, though, he was cold and hogging all the comforters. If Slade hadn't been an insomniac before he decided to have a "good night's sleep" in the same bed with a still recovering Robin, he sure would be now. If anyone could gather from the night's experiences, the morning after wasn't that bright. Robin's feet were cold, his head ached, and his eyes were sore for some weird reason—probably from his pitiful sleep.

Robin was tired. Even more so than he was before he went to sleep, if that was possible. Oh how he hoped Slade wouldn't have a super-challenging mission for him today or Robin was sure he'd fail by falling asleep. Speaking of the devil, where was Slade? The other side of the bed, which he had occupied for the night, was now empty. There wasn't an imprint on the mattress to confirm his past presence. As Robin reached over to lay a hand on the bed, he noticed that that side no longer held any of Slade's body heat, so that meant he had woken up long ago. Not because of Robin, he hoped. That would lead him into trouble, that was for sure. He couldn't help but feel slightly loose for not noticing a man, who was big enough to kill a bear, to sneak out of the bed without him even noticing. Robin was probably losing his touch. Well he couldn't let that happen! He couldn't let that happen at all!

Trying to remember as well as he could, Robin tried to recall his wake ups every twenty minutes. Slade had been there for the first four and, when Robin had started mumbling in his sleep, waking up, and hitting his hand on the nightstand by accident, he probably left. Robin probably dreamt about trying to shoo something off his body for him to do such a thing. Which meant he probably only had a maximum of two hours sleep, maybe one and a half, and was now nowhere to be seen. Just his luck.

Now it was time for Robin to try and get his body up from the comfy bed and to get on with his morning routines. He didn't know if Slade was expecting him to be somewhere this morning or if he was to stay in the room. Not that he cared anyway. Slade shouldn't get let off so easily. At times it made Robin really baffled as he thought about the whole deal. How come he hadn't put up more of a fight? Not that he was happy with this. He should be looking for a means of escape! But honestly, he didn't have the time, and that small, more than annoying voice was telling him to stay and see what would happen. He couldn't help but feel curious. Besides, this would be the perfect time to learn something new about Slade! Maybe something of use to blackmail him with later! Besides, all those training programs here… No, not a single thought along that path! His friends and his own freedom and will were a lot more important than some kick-ass simulator program that he so had to make Cyborg build back at Titans Tower…

'No! Get rid of those thoughts!' Robin mentally scolded himself. 'This isn't a joyride! This is serious business!'

Though, he could enjoy it while it lasted. Besides, the most certain way to get out of here was to stick to Slade's plan and then waltz out the building and never come back. But the thought that this time Slade didn't need any probes to get Robin to stay was a way of mocking him. How could he have gone that soft? He should be screaming murder by now! Thank God he hadn't started calling Slade 'master' already. Maybe that was his plan? To lull him into a false sense of security and take him as offered on a silver platter? Huh, that tricky bastard. But the one thing that made Robin stay, and was probably the most influential influence, was curiosity. Who could blame him. He had been born curious. That's what kept him going.

So to the point, Robin was curious about Slade's new tactic. So far he hadn't threatened him or his friends, at least not that bad that it counted, nor had he hurt him that bad. Yeah, he got his bruises, but he had said that it was well deserved. It wasn't like he tried to simply beat the sense into him, which didn't seem like Slade at all. When he was Slade's apprentice, he had almost dislocated his arm, broken his ribs, had threatened him and his friends, and tried to make Robin do things that he normally wouldn't do in any circumstance. But what made him change his tactics this time around? Had Slade changed since he came back from his one month-long hiatus? Had he just realized that breaking the hero would be no good? Or, wait, maybe this wasn't Slade to begin with. Maybe he was a robot! Okay, no, he had seen him eat. Though, that couldn't prove anything. Well, maybe one could rule out the robot theory. That was way too childish. All kinds of 'maybe' possibilities were jumping in and out of Robin's mind. But, to be honest, after so little, good night's rest and this early in the morning, no matter how much of a morning bird he usually was, today, thinking just didn't work for him.

Maybe he should just rest off the case, get ready, and then meet Slade. He could think more on it later. Perhaps at a better time when he was awake? Yeah, good plan. For now: shower. He stank of dry sweat from rolling on the bed and his hair was stuck in the weirdest position ever.

Robin carefully stepped onto the floor, leaving the warm comforters behind. The floor of Slade's room was cold but luckily free of dirt. The room was dimly lit, so he had to search the walls for an on/off switch to light it up. He remembered that there was one near the bathroom door. So he slowly made his way there, taking small steps to avoid any objects that he could potentially fall over on his way. It must have seemed amusing if someone had entered the room at that exact moment. The fearless leader of the Teen Titans, in a dark room, taking baby steps, and having his arms firmly against his sides to avoid colliding with anything.

Pushing the stupid and senseless thoughts to the furthest back of his mind, Robin searched for the light switch once he was at the bathroom door. When he flipped the switch, the light spread into the dark room, brightening the whole space with a white light, expelling the shadows under Slade's desk where the light didn't reach. It hurt his eyes only for the slightest moment, after he blinked twice and rubbed them. He then took a quick glance around the room for any hint of Slade's presence. Not finding any, he whirled around and sneaked inside.

The shower woke him up from his drowsy state. Or at least it made him feel more alert to his surroundings. He was still tired and felt as if he'd fall back to sleep the moment he closed his eyes. But he couldn't have that now could he? Who knew if it was midday or maybe even midnight? Robin sure couldn't tell. This suddenly made him realize how much he missed being outside. Seeing the sun and enjoying the warmth and the cool wind was like heaven to him. Well, at least he still had his showers if he so wished. He enjoyed the warm water that flowed on his skin, making small rivers on his back and gluing his hair against his scalp. He had his eyes set on the floor, where he could see the water flow to the drain. He also saw the water drops form on the tips of his hair and then slowly drip to join the rest. The water always made his mind cool down and let him concentrate better on the task at hand.

Robin wasn't very proud of himself today. How long had he even been there with Slade? Which day of their deal was it? Okay, it was the third day, he remembered, but the total amount of time was unknown. He had been near unconscious for the first few days. He wondered if his friends were worried. What would they say if they heard that he had been with Slade this whole time and that he'd been killing imaginary people in a simulator? Would they say, "these things happen, there's no need to worry over it too much"? Would they take him back and give him a huge hug after being so long apart or would they freak out? He hoped it was nothing too serious. Starfire was likely to be confused but would welcome him back with open arms. Raven would probably be suspicious. Beast Boy and Cyborg would probably just deal with it. They weren't the type to let worries bother them that much. Maybe he shouldn't either, for now. He had four more days, plus tomorrow, until he saw his friends again. It was probably for the best to not worry about it for too long. If what Slade said was true, he could walk back to them with no real threat. Maybe he could say that he decided to go stay over at Bruce's until he got better. Raven probably wouldn't buy that, but wouldn't object to it either.

Robin now turned off the shower before the water ran cold. Slade probably wouldn't appreciate it if he used all the hot water and be late from wherever he was supposed to be today. What was Slade up to? Darn, all these questions made him go nuts. He had been there for more than two days and he still didn't have any new answers since the start. Maybe he could finally just relax. Slade hadn't tried anything too bad yet. He was not being chased down nor had he been made to hurt any real people. Maybe Robin just needed to keep a low profile, bite his tongue for the next five days, and then act like nothing ever happened. He could pull that off he was sure. That way, he wouldn't need to make himself even more confused. Maybe he would even learn something from all this. Hell, he had already learned something. He had made it out of the ventilation system alive, hadn't he?

That's it. From now on, Robin wouldn't pay any mind to Slade's motives. He had been thinking his head off and now he was finally ready to give it up. From now on, he'd focus on the moment and keep looking at his surroundings. He'd study Slade and this place.

Finally done with the shower, Robin searched for a towel. He dried his hair roughly, almost as if he was trying to rub in his change of plans. As he dried his whole body of water, he did a quick glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. His hair was once again pointing in all directions known to man, his skin was slightly paler that normal, he had a couple of bruises here and there—most from small accidents, like the one when he almost fell into the trap—but otherwise he was fine. And, once again, he had to remind himself, that it could have been worse. Slade had treated him fairly well, seeing as he normally didn't care about strays and believed in the real meaning of living to kill. Robin knew that he would have his way if he really wanted to; he had been with Slade before. But back then his condition wasn't great.

Shaking his head, Robin stepped out of the bathroom, entering the main area with his towel hanging comfortably on his hips. He knew that his clothes were taken to be washed by bots, so he went to look for another set from the closet. As he dressed, he wondered where Slade was, but as his stomach grumbled, he decided that he could go looking for him. Starting in the kitchen. Now that he thought about it, when was the last time he ate? Way too long ago that was for sure.

As Robin stepped out of Slade's room, he was pulling his gloves on. He wasn't completely sure about the kitchen's location and his mind scolded him for not paying enough attention. It was high time he finally stopped whining about "poor me, being stuck here with Slade. Oh whatever will I do?" and actually do something about it. From today on, he'd turn the tables around. He wasn't going to be on the losing side anymore.

With newly found determination, Robin started to search for the kitchen, with hunger rising every passing minute. He had already found and memorized the way to the gym, training hall, and one random computer room, but the kitchen still wasn't in sight. He would have taken a sneak peek on the computers if the door wasn't jammed shut. The only thing he could do was stare through the bulletproof window. He didn't get distracted for long as he tried to smell the air for food. When someone was cooking in Titans Tower, one could even smell it from the garage. Starfire's cooking were especially hard to miss. It took him a while, but after he finally found it, Robin went straight for the fridge and dug out some food. He pulled out bread, butter, some cheese and sausage to go with it, and a carton of milk to praise himself for a job well done. He piled all the ingredients in his arms and then headed to the table. He almost dropped all of them on the floor as he saw the sight before him. He just barely managed to catch them.

"Morning, Robin. Aren't you an early bird today?" Slade asked with a smile, sitting at the table while drinking coffee with a newspaper spread open.

How come Robin hadn't seen him when he entered the room? He didn't want to present himself to Slade as anything other than the fearless leader of the Teen Titans, but that was probably too late now.

"What time is it exactly?"

"It is almost six o'clock. Not that early perse, but lately you have been sleeping like a sack of potatoes; heavy and almost completely out of it."

Slade took a sip of his morning coffee, which Robin didn't see because he had his eyes on the food in front of him. But when he heard the sipping sound, he instantly looked up, but he had been too slow to witness the event.

'Worry not Slade. Some day, I promise you, I will find out what you look like under that darn mask.'

Mumbling something under his breath that might have sounded something similar to, "didn't sleep that well, who's fault you think it was, and it's none of your business anyway", Robin took his seat next to Slade. As he started to munch on the corner of his bread, he noticed how he was still slightly tired. However, he was way more hungry, so he willed his jaw to work more efficiently. His eyes started to droop slightly as the tiredness was coming back to him now that he was sitting still. He hoped that he wouldn't actually fall asleep. He wouldn't hear the end of it. And he didn't want to show weakness in front of Slade. Suddenly smirking, Robin tried to hide it by taking a sip of milk from his glass. If he did fall asleep and hit his head on the table, he'd hopefully spill some of the milk on Slade. He deserved it anyway.

Slade, on the other hand, felt something between being amused and mesmerized. He was amused by how grumpy Robin seemed this exact morning. He had always known him to be an early bird, hence the name, but now he seemed to be almost as activate in the mornings as a snake in winter. And he thought he had been going easy on him. Besides, he had plans for today. He wasn't going to change his agenda for some kind of post-illness weariness. At this point Slade took another sip of his coffee and was surprised how Robin didn't even seem to notice and try to have a glimpse under. Not that he could anyways. Slade had made sure that if anything was to go unplanned, there was nothing to reveal of himself. Besides, he had made an oath to not let Robin see his face. Not before he was a willing and obedient apprentice anyway. He would make a darn good apprentice someday. Who knows, maybe Slade would succeed on what Batman failed at, namely getting some discipline in that thick skull of Robin's.

Batman had taken a harsh approach on Robin, trying to push him aside but still beat the daylights out of him with endless hours of practice. One should know by now that the stubborn teen wasn't one to be held back. As far as Slade knew, that was the exact reason Robin left Gotham and Batman behind. What he needed was free range and no boundaries. What Slade wanted from him was a good partner. He'd learn to cope someday. That's why he took a new tactic on trying to bend Robin over. Since brute force and having harsh, overprotective father-like behavior and the utmost urge to keep him in the dark no matter what didn't work—which he noticed during the apprentice arc—he decided to take the casual approach. He'd be a solid ground for Robin and, if he'd get used to his presence, maybe he'd come crawling back like a dog that had been accustomed to its master's house.

Slade had fallen from his reverie and came back to earth, seeing Robin munching on his second slice of bread. To be honest, he was sure that Robin would get accommodated rather quickly. To state his point, he had willingly entered the kitchen and started preparing food for himself with no questions asked. He was already acting as if this was his own home. He had already gotten more familiar with Slade and his quarters had he not? Who knows, maybe one week is all it took for Robin to endorse this place as his very own home. Maybe one day he'd start to doubt which was actually better: the tower and his friends or here with Slade. The chances were pretty slim, but it wasn't impossible. Everyone knew, that at some point, teenagers started to doubt themselves and their place and run away from home to the streets or the circus, just because their parents rubbed them the wrong way. All it would take for Robin to return back to Slade was to notice that there was something here that he didn't have anywhere else. Like a dog, he'd return to his master.

Slade grinned under his mask with attainment as he disposed the newspaper. He took the final sip of his coffee, then placed the mug on the solid surface of the table. Robin was sitting next to him, eyes half shut, while he finished his bread slowly. He looked exhausted, but still kind of mesmerizing. His lips moved slowly as he munched on the bread, at times licking his lips to moisten them. His hair was still slightly damp from his shower, pointing weirdly in places despite combing it before going to the kitchen. Robin didn't move his head much as he ate and it seemed that he had been staring at Slade's coffee cup this whole time. Too bad he couldn't see his eyes from under the mask. One couldn't even know if he had fallen asleep because it hid his eyes. But damn did Robin look absolutely stunning and mesmerizing at the same time. He would have loved to rip that annoying inconvenience of a mask off his face. Why the hell had he approved on him having one in the first place? Slade didn't notice that he had been staring until Robin had already finished his last bite of bread and was now licking the smears of butter off his fingertips. He then reached for the milk carton to fill his glass. Slade couldn't much but be glad that he hadn't noticed anything. Which made him think: what was Robin thinking about? Something seemed to be taking his attention elsewhere. He hadn't even noticed him when he had woken up during the night to brush the locks of hair out of his face. Robin had only tried to swat his hand away out of reflex and hit it on the nightstand in the process. When he woke up, it was already too late to see what had caused it; Slade had already disappeared from the room.

Slade politely coughed to catch Robin's attention and then proceeded to tell him about the day's events. "Robin, today I will take your training to the next level. I see you are already back into shape, so I see no reason to delay this any longer than I have." Slade dug into his pocket, pulling out a small notebook to look at. He checked a couple of dates and ran his eyes through the supplies list in one fast motion. Once done, he nodded, marking an OK on the lower right corner. "I'm not going to go into any details of this case yet, seeing that you have not earned the knowledge. So no questions."

Slade snapped the notebook shut and placed it back in his pocket.

"Hey wait, so what do you need me for?" Robin retorted, noticing that he had just been denied something. "I'm not going to do anything for you if you don't tell me why or for what!"

Slade couldn't help but smirk. "Don't worry Robin, it's nothing that bad. No killing whatsoever. I just have my hands full in this case of mine, so I'll send you over to get what I need for me. That is, if you can prove to me that you can be sent out on a mission as important as that. But don't worry, before any mission, I will give you a small briefing of the case; what you are after, what your rules are, and your deadlines. Easy as that."

"These items you need, what do you need them for?" Robin asked, seemingly digesting and pondering this new information.

"As I told you, no questions. You'll see later if you are worthy."

Robin's mind was going haywire at this point. So Slade was setting him out to do missions? Already? Outside of the base? Could he escape if he tried? Maybe he'd see the Titans out there. Wait, did he even want them to see him? If they'd see him, wearing Slade's colors no less, it might shock them… No, it would shock them. But wait, did that mean Slade trusted him enough to send him out and come back? Or did he rely that badly on the promise they made?

Robin couldn't help but ask, "So, how will these…missions be arranged?"

"That will be seen later, once you go out on your first mission," Slade explained. "But know this: you can't just decide to return to your friends. If you disobey the set rules, you will be punished. If you are successful, you'll be rewarded. And don't you worry, I will be informed of any moves you make. If you cross the boundaries of your mission, I will know."

Slade adjusted his glove. Robin chewed on his bottom lip, seemingly weighing things in his head. "And how will you know?"

Slade didn't lift his eye from his glove. "That, too, will be for you to find out. Who knows, maybe you'll never go on a mission. Maybe you are not worthy."

This made Robin think even harder. What did he mean not worthy? And why couldn't he tell him anything yet? Robin decided not to try his luck at asking that specific question, but another.

"When do these missions take place?"

This time, Slade lifted his eye to meet Robin's. He leaned slightly closer. "Again, whoever said you'll get to go on one? Robin, I need to be sure that you can be sent out there. So you are to face one final test, to prove that you're suitable for these missions. You pass, you get some fresh air and new objectives. You fail, you will remain indoors. It will be seen if you have what it takes. So the question remains: will you pass?"
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