Title: Stockholm Interlude II
Author: Katarik
Fandom: Animated Teen Titans
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Slade/Robin

Summary: What if, during Robin's time as Slade's apprentice, Robin had developed Stockholm's Syndrome?
Disclaimers: DC Comics owns the original characters.
Warnings: DARK. I cannot emphasize that enough. DARK DARK DARK.
Notes: Beginning from the scene in Chapter 2 where Robin begs Slade to stop hurting him in the infirmary.

*---*---*---*---*

Slade�s breath catches in his throat; Robin�s words--*tears*, *pleas*, Slade is *never* going to get used to that. He should have done this the *second* the boy caught his eye--shoot past his anger. *Christ*.

"Please, please, I'm sorry, please stop... Slade, *please*!"

He's been holding harder. He hadn't even noticed, too focused on the boy to notice his own actions. "And what will you do for me if I stop, Robin?"

"Anything, God, please, anything you *want*," Robin�s voice breaks halfway through. The boy's still weeping, salt crusting on his mask and tears seeping through the adhesive holding it to his face. Blood drips from his chin to the couch. Slade wants to lick it off and run his tongue over Robin's teeth, take the boy *now*, as he begs and pleads and whimpers Slade's name.

"You should never offer 'anything', my bird. Not to me." His voice goes low and soft and knife-edged tender; Robin shakes and whimpers again. Ah, *God*, the *sounds* he makes and the way he says Slade's name... It takes more control than Slade had thought he had to let go, pick up two syringes, and drug the boy into unconsciousness.

He's going to hold Robin to this. And if by chance the boy denies that he said it? Slade has cameras with full audio and visual in every room, including this one.

Picks Robin up, holding his limp form to Slade's chest and tucking his head into Slade's shoulder. Robin should eat more, he's far too thin. And his hair smells like cheap hair gel; that will need to be remedied. *Decent* product, if the boy *insists* on using the stuff.

Slade carries Robin through the compound and back to the boy's room. Puts him down gently on the bed and deliberates: there is no need to strap down an unconscious boy. And Robin can't leave in this condition anyway; with the damage he's just done to himself, the boy will be lucky to be able to get out of bed tomorrow. But... Robin's pretty when he's bound. And it will contribute to the development of Stockholm's if he associates freedom with Slade's presence.

So he buckles the straps, tying the boy to his bed again. When he's done, he stands there and strokes Robin's hair.

Wonders what Robin's hair would feel like on his bare hand: sticky with the gel he uses? Soft?

Trails a finger over the mask the child wears: he *could* remove it. But he doesn't need to; he knows everything that matters. Except the color of Robin's eyes and Robin will tell him that himself. Once he's broken.

Slade makes himself step back. He leaves the door open a crack, so that when Robin wakes he won�t panic in the dark.

That�s a later step in the plan, after all.

--Fin Interlude II.

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