Teen Titans: Be Gentle With Me

DISCLAIMER! Stuff is going to get graphic. Reader discretion is advised

Chapter 15: Under Someone's Thumb

Robin slumped forward to the ground, his forehead pressing to its cold concrete surface. His body shook violently. Tears and sweat clung to his face. He tried to push himself up, but he couldn't. His energy was gone. His ears rang. His mind felt full of cotton.

Footsteps rebounded through the room. Robin slowly lifted his head. Slade strolled forward, dropping Wally on the concrete floor yards from him like a used towel along the way. The Boy Wonder scrambled to his feet, snatching up his bo staff and backing away.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" he gasped. "And let Wally go!"

"But I'm not touching him."

"You know what I mean! Let him go!"

"Now why would I do that?"

"Because you told me you would if I came here."

"Wrong, Robin." Slade was clearly smiling behind that mask, his eye twinkling. "I merely said I would not kill him. Although…" he turned casually, looking at the limp, injured teenager. "He may not survive his injuries. Well, I suppose that is what he gets for being so weak."

"You fucking piece of-" Robin was charging before he realized what he was doing, raising his bo staff over his head with a battle cry. Slade didn't move to block him. He merely lifted a hand.

Robin skidded to a halt, a gasp seizing his lungs. His bo staff clattered to the floor as his face paled.

In his fist, Slade clutched what appeared to be a joystick, with a little red button at the top. Robin recognized it immediately, and Slade chuckled, knowing he did.

"That's right, Robin. Nanobots. I can't do anything fun to you if I have to constantly be holding a knife to his throat."

Robin swallowed hard, his face growing hot with anger and disgust. "Why don't you just let him go and take me by force like you always do?!"

"A lovely invitation, but I'd like to see what it's like for you to volunteer yourself to me instead…."

Robin shook his head. Slade stepped forward, causing him to stagger backwards. Slade's thumb caressed the button, and he glanced down at it admiringly. "I've made some modifications, you know. These nanobots are faster. They can kill a full grown elephant in less than 60 seconds. No telling how quickly they'll kill your weak little friend."

"When will enough be enough for you?" Robin's voice was wavering now, as his back hit the side of a giant spinning cog. It's metal surface tugged at his cape as it turned in time with the rest of the metronomic contraptions.

Slade didn't speak. He glanced down. "Your belt. Lose it."

Robin didn't move. Slade's thumb fluttered, pressing the button quickly on and off again. Wally gave a frail, gurgling howl of pain from across the room and Robin gasped. Slade's look was vicious.

"Don't push your luck, little bird."

Robin swallowed back the bile in his throat. His face burned, eyes prickling with shameful tears as he threw his bo staff aside. His fingers fumbled at the front latch of his belt, slowly unclasping it. Slade gestured for Robin to toss it aside, so Robin did. As the golden plates settled on the dusty floor, and Slade began to close in, Robin felt his vulnerability settle in, washing away his anger and replacing it with cold dread.

"Please… don't do this…" Robin found himself whispering as Slade's large fingers caressed his jawline, forcing his gaze up at that golden mask.

"Tell me, Robin… what does he mean to you?"

The question took Robin off-guard. His masked gaze widened at that lone eye, which stared back with a strange intensity. Robin swallowed hard, forcing his face into a stern scowl.

"What do you think, Slade?"

That answer didn't seem good enough. With a swiftness Robin hadn't anticipated, Slade snatched him by the wrist, yanking him off-balance. The next thing he knew, Slade had him pinned around the neck in a choking hold, pressed with his back to the villain's chest plate, forced to stare down at Wally's bleeding form. "This weak, pathetic creature!? Admit it, Robin! He means very little to you."

Robin choked against Slade's arm. "That's not-"

"What is the difference between you risking your neck to save this sorry excuse for a Titan, and risking your neck to save anyone else? It has nothing to do with him, and everything to do with you. Your constant need to be the hero. Your never-ending desire to prove your worth. This martyrdom complex. It's always about you."

"Shut up!" Robin managed to gasp through Slade's tightening hold. His eyes were starting to sparkle as oxygen grew harder and harder to come by.

"You don't love him. You don't truly love any of them. You only care about yourself. Ridding yourself of guilt. Playing the hero."

Slade released his grip, sending the hero skipping across the ground as easily as a stone upon water. Robin slid to a stop and fought to regain composure, to get back to his feet. Harsh, hacking coughs ripped through his chest as his lungs pulled oxygen in again. Slade's footsteps were closing in. Robin forced himself to his feet, and charged forward with a battle cry, fist poised to strike. But Slade was faster. Robin hit the ground shoulder first, sending fire through his arm and back. Slade dropped a knee into the teen's back, grabbing his arm and twisting it violently backward. He leaned in close, wedging the arm between them. Robin could feel his breath on his ear through the slits in his mask.

"And admit it, Robin… you're beginning to enjoy the pain… you enjoy the things I do to you…" He pulled his arm in a direction it wasn't meant to go, threatening to break it. "Deep down, I don't think you want to share me. You want all of my attention."

"Fuck you," Robin spat.

"That's not a 'no,'" Slade chuckled venomously. Slade's free hand was roaming, tracing the healing wounds on Robin's back. The giant S that he had sliced there. The touch was gentle, almost tickled. It was somehow a worse sensation than his arm being slowly dislocated. Robin cried out and squirmed, trying to knock Slade off of him, or to roll over and punch him in the face, but the man was too large, too strong. Slade's gloved fingers slipped past his waistband and Robin screamed in desperation, panic seizing him.

"No! Stop! Get the fuck off of me!" It was all becoming too real. The fingernails of his free hand could only scrape at the ground in front of him uselessly, grappling for something, anything, to hold on to.

"It's true, Robin. Admit that it's true," Slade murmured softly, his hand gripping the boy tightly. "Don't think I've forgotten, Little Bird. The surprise in your eyes when I came back from the depths of hell. When I said that I came back for Raven, not you. I remember the look of betrayal in your eyes."

"Stop…" Slade was pulling his waistband down now, exposing flesh. Robin stared wildly out at the room, at Wally's unmoving form. He stretched his fingers out toward the injured speedster, wanting nothing more than to clutch him, to grab him and run.

But the button… the nanobots…

Slade pressing down on him, grasping him violently in places he dared not think about, threatening to do damage.

He was trapped. He couldn't do anything…

He screamed in pain as a rough, gloved finger shoved its way into him. He tried to kick, tried to force Slade off of him.

"Stop squirming, Robin…" His voice had an edge to it that indicated he was ready to hit the button if Robin didn't comply. Robin forced himself still, until a scream tore through his throat as Slade forced another finger in.

"Isn't it easier when you cooperate?"

Tears streamed down his face. It felt wrong to just lie there and take it. Before, when this happened, he'd fought the entire time. Letting Slade do whatever he wanted, without fighting it, made him feel truly helpless.

Slade removed his fingers, giving Robin momentary relief. He lifted them to look at the blood and filth coating them, before grasping reaching out and grabbing the boy's hair, forcing Robin off the ground and onto his knees. Robin prepared to strike out and try and get away, when that familiar button appeared before his face, causing him to freeze in fear.

"You will do everything I ask you to. You will cooperate. Or else."

Slade held the button in sight, stepping forward, putting himself before Robin's face. Robin's stomach lurched as he caught Wally's scent on him. Slade yanked on his hair, forcing him forward.

"Now, take care of it."

Robin resisted without even thinking, shaking his head. Slade just gave a low chuckle. "Have it your way." He pressed the button.

Robin cried out, expecting the worst. Expecting Wally's awful screams. He leapt forward, grabbing Slade, putting his mouth around him. Prepared to do as he'd asked. Prepared to do whatever it took to protect Wally.

But no screams ever happened. Robin didn't move. Fear clutched him tightly as he knelt there with Slade in his mouth, unable to breathe.

Wally wasn't screaming…

Slade was quiet a long moment, also still in the silence, just looking over his shoulder at the fallen boy. He looked down at the button, clicked it a few more times. Nothing happened. "Guess I went a little overboard," he murmured passively. "Oh well."

It all slammed on Robin at once, seizing his heart, ripping it in two.

He's dead…. good God, he's dead!

Every moment, every memory, of his past with Wally played out through his head at once. Hanging out as sidekicks… that first kiss… those wonderful nights… the crushing heartache… his voice screaming his name as death tried to take him.

No… no, god no!

It couldn't be.

He couldn't be…

Slowly, his surroundings returned to him. Slade, covered in Wally's scent, just resting inside Robin's mouth, as though he'd forgotten.

...there's nothing holding me back now...

Slade seemed to realize what this meant around the same time Robin did. He yanked Robin away before the boy could sink his teeth into Slade's length, then kneed him hard in the face, sending him falling with stars behind his eyes. As Robin fought to stay conscious, Slade was grabbing his legs.

"No, no!" Robin screamed as Slade violently yanked his leggings past his knees. He scrambled at the floor with flailing arms, eyes watering as he stared at Wally's fallen form. "Wally! Wally!"

Wally didn't move. Robin thrashed even more desperately as Slade pulled his legs around him, tears flowing freely now as he screamed. "Wally! No! NO! WALLY!"

Everything was crashing down at once. He had failed. He had failed Wally. He'd been too late. He'd allowed this to happen. If he hadn't been so selfish. If he hadn't been so stupid….

His mind was slipping into shock as Slade wrestled him into submission. He barely fought him anymore, the despair taking hold. Slade rolled him over, capturing his arms over his head, and poised himself over the boy, ready to take him.

"Well… Guess that just means you're all mine now," Slade murmured hungrily. He pressed down on Robin's shoulders, trapping him against the floor, preparing to thrust, when something caught both their attention.

A small sound. Weak, pained.

Robin's eyes widened.

Wally….?

"What-" Slade began, when something slammed into him, hard, causing Robin to slip out of his grasp. Robin leapt out of the way, panic driving his actions, staggering and hitting the ground, eyes wide as he rolled over to survey the scene before him. Slade crying out as a dark figure threw him across the room. Cries of anguish as a torrent of powers all leapt to life at once. The force of a dinosaur's tail hit. Orbs of green light. A beam of brilliant blue energy. A swell of dark magic. Slade disappeared behind a plume of smoke, the barrage continuing unabated for what seemed like ages.

Robin could only stare, as his friends landed in front of him. The attack ceased, each of them falling into a defensive stance, a wall of heroes between him and danger. Between them and the plume of smoke, the familiar silhouette of Batman, holding a hand out to indicate they should stop.

The dust cleared. Slade came into view, fallen to one knee, glaring at all of them with a strange, almost bemused glint to his eye

"Huh…" Slade said simply, eye narrowing. "Guess I should have known…"

They watched from an orb of magic shadow deep in the corner of the room. They didn't trip any alarms. They didn't give Slade any indication they were there. They waited. They had to, as Raven focused, trying to destroy the nanobots that infected Wally's bloodstream, while also maintaining their protective bubble.

They were forced to watch everything. Forced to watch Slade overpower the Boy Wonder. Forced to listen to every word, every scream. Forced to sit back and allow it to happen.

They had to follow the plan.

"I will stall him. I will do everything I can to keep him away from Wally. He'll have done something to him, to force me to cooperate. Figure out what he did and stop it. Stay hidden. He'll kill Wally if you don't stay hidden."

It was more than any of them could bear. It was torture to watch all of it happen and knowing they couldn't do anything without compromising Wally's life.

The moment Raven gave an affirmative nod, they were each beyond the point of reason, shaking with disgust and hatred.

They were going to make him pay.

Everything fell still. No one moved. Robin just stared with mouth hanging agape, his mind blank from the aftermath of Slade's touch.

Slade stared up at them all. "Should have figured you would all turn up." He slowly rose to his feet. He was still fully exposed, and didn't seem to mind. "And stopped my nanobots too. Impressive." His eyes fell on Raven, a dangerous, lustful gaze, that made the girl take a step back, eyes narrowing.

"You're a fucking psychopath…" Cyborg whispered dangerously, arm cannon locked on Slade.

"You will pay for what you have done…" Starfire muttered in a tone none of them had ever heard from her before.

Slade didn't even seem to notice their words. His eyes had moved to Batman, who stood several paces ahead of the rest of them.

"Well, well, Batman. It is truly an honor."

Batman didn't respond. Robin just watched, breathlessly, from behind the line of Titans protecting him. He had seen Bruce fight so many times. The Dark Knight always remained in control of his emotions, stayed collected. Robin had never seen him lose that control.

His shaking shoulders told Robin that this time, he had.

Slade seemed to recognize it too. He gave a small breath of a laugh, tucking himself back into his pants.

"Thanks for handing me your sloppy seconds, Bats. He was wonderful."

Bruce was moving before his sentence ended. Slade tried to dodge, but somehow, Batman was faster. Robin just watched in dumb awe as Batman seized Slade and hurled him hard into the nearby wall. Slade hit it hard, falling to the ground, but quickly recovered and hurled himself at the Gotham hero. They were a flurry of black and gray, both matched in skill. Their movements seemed more like a rehearsed dance.

"Robin…" a voice whispered in his ear, hands on his shoulders. That pulled Robin from his daze. He turned his head to see Raven kneeling beside him, violet eyes focused with concern.

It was only then that he realized how badly he was trembling, recognized the tears on his face… became aware of his exposed body. He sheepishly tugged on his leggings, pulling them back up around his waist, refusing to look at her as he did so.

"I'm fine…" he murmured. "I'm… I'm fine." He let her help him stand, his knees wobbling under his own weight. He winced at his injuries, grasping onto her to keep from falling. She tensed, prepared to catch him if he fell, but he managed to stay upright. Barely.

"I'm sorry, Robin," she murmured softly, so softly only he could hear. Her eyes looked haunted. "I tried not to take too long."

Robin shook his head. "It's not your fault. I knew the risk. Anything to… to help..."

His eyes trailed away, back towards Wally. The boy was still lying where Slade had dumped him. Motionless. Robin pulled away from Raven, moving toward him. At first, his steps were steady, but then turned to a staggering as panic took hold of him.

Slade hadn't managed to kill him with nanobots, but that didn't mean Wally was out of danger... that he even was still...

It seemed to take a century for Robin to reach him. He threw himself to the ground beside him, looking over his broken body, hands hovering as he struggled to figure out what to do, how to handle him, how to avoid causing him more pain. It seemed as though the lightest of touches would make the redhead's thin, naked body shatter into a million pieces. Robin finally unclasped his cloak, and wrapped it carefully around Wally's figure, gently rolling him over into his arms.

"Wally," he breathed softly. Wally gave a feeble moan, the smallest twinge of pain registering in his face. It was more of a reaction than Robin had expected, causing a rush of relief through his body. But even through the cloak, he could feel Wally's broken ribs. Could almost feel his strength trickling away through his bleeding sores. Oh god, he was in such bad shape… He adjusted the cloak with one hand, ensuring it covered his shivering body before looking back upon the boy's face. He froze, his gaze captured by a familiar pair of blue eyes.

"...Wally…"

Wally fought to speak, his body trembling from the effort. Robin shook his head, leaning in. "Save your strength Wally. Just hang on. You hear me? Hang on…."

Their eyes remained locked. Wally's anguish bubbled to the surface, taking over his facial features, forcing his blue eyes closed and his lips back in a pained grimace. The sight made Robin's breath hitch. He could only imagine what Wally had been through… days worth of torture and rape… Tears threatened him as he leaned in close, pressing Wally's forehead to his own, holding him close, as tight as he dared. Wally's skin felt clammy, cold. Robin rested a hand on his cheek, as though to try and warm it. Next thing he knew, his lips were against Wally's, gently, causing a cascade of emotions through his chest, every emotion he could ever feel, all at once. Relief, happiness, pleasure, pain, anguish, loss. Wally's lips trembled as he kissed him back, his fingers brushing Robin's arm lightly. Robin broke the kiss, leaning in to nuzzle Wally's cheek with his nose.

"You've got to hang on…" he whispered desperately, feeling himself trembling as tears broke loose. "You hear me? For the love of God, please hang on…. don't leave me…."

"Robin!"

Robin lifted his head, pulled out of the moment by Cyborg's voice. He looked around, and fear settled in. The Titans were surrounding the two of them, creating a circle with their backs to them. And beyond them, an army of Sladebots, their glowing red eyes fixed on him and Wally.

"Wipe them out!" Slade ordered, his voice echoing through the chamber as Batman took him into a choke hold.

Robin didn't have time to think, to even try and shield Wally, before the Sladebots charged.

A/N Man, this chapter…. it's the most graphic thing I've ever written, or will likely ever write. So many heebie jeebies…. pleh…

Hope you deranged readers of mine enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you thought, and I'll see you next chapter. :)