Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long, I had a lot of things piling up and I didn't have any time to write (gasp). I put "A Buried Bird" on hiatus right now. I really just wanted to get this out of my head and onto paper. Well read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'm not going to repeat this over and over, so throughout the story everything belongs to their rightful owners but I own the plot. Did you hear that, I don't own them. If I did... well, we would be on our 8th season now.

First it had been hours. The Titans didn't want to leave him, Starfire especially. She would stay by his side until the Titans had to drag her away so she wouldn't collapse from exhaustion. He hated those moments. The ones without the Titans were the hardest to bear. He could hear his voice; whispering, murmuring how he was going to torture him. How his friends were pathetic fools. How he didn't need them. How he could become so much greater. He would wake up screaming, having seen the demon rise out of the lava on the day Terra died. The Titans tried to comfort him. They brought him gifts. Books he used to enjoy with Raven, a comic book from Beast Boy, a game console from Cyborg. Starfire's gift was the one he enjoyed the most. She brought him her home world cooking. They sat down and talked for hours, her smile never faltering. Yet he was always there, making it difficult for him to enjoy.

After a week, Bruce Wayne finally made it to his ward's aid. Bruce, the mighty Batman, made him tell him everything. The apprenticeship. The traitor. Red-X. That confession led to Batman spending every night looking for evidence that Slade was alive. Yet, he came up with the same answer. He tried to convince him that he was just a hallucination, a figment of his imagination. When he was alone he heard the nurses talk about how he was a lost cause. How Bruce Wayne still believed that Richard Grayson wasn't lying. One night he heard Bruce talk to the doctor. After that he cried himself to sleep, hearing the dark chuckle of the sadist in his room. The doctor said he was going insane.

It had been weeks, months even. The Titans stopped coming one by one. Raven, the idealist in the group, felt him slip into insanity by using her telepathic powers. After that, she convinced Cyborg he was a lost cause. It was difficult to watch one of his best friends gleam at the chance to be leader, to betray him so easily. Slade told him that night that his "friends" were the villains in disguise. He couldn't disagree.

BB, his loyal fan boy, left shortly after. Slade told him that his mutt found a new master. That Cyborg and Raven were out to get him. They were power hungry traitors. She was just as bad as that pile of bolts, doing whatever it took to become second in command. Starfire still visited him, but started spending less and less time with him. Their conversation became strained, talking only to fill the increasing periods of awkwardness. He could see she was confused, no disgusted, that the teenage wonder could become like this. Instead of her smiles, he could see frowns. She didn't want to be there, and finally she ceased to come. She had found a new toy, Roy Harper.

Bruce had stopped coming too. He read the headline "Robin Returns!" and that had peaked his interest. Maybe Bruce thought he was well! Slade said that thought was a joke. After he skimmed it, Slade smirked. Why did his "savoir" adopt a poor little orphaned boy from Crime Alley? Slade clued him in. Bruce had outdone himself this time, his image getting a big boost. He clapped slowly and mockingly. He could only imagine what the nurses were thinking right now. He was shocked that Robin could be replaced so easily, how Dick could be replaced so easily. Slade had always told him never to trust a cape.

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After a long hard year, Dr. Jones called in his last hope to save the poor boy. He had been the only doctor to stick it out with Dick this past year. To think the used to be heir to Gotham city's richest man could become an insane, shell of what he used to. didn't blame him, though. He would have given up too if all of his friends and adopted family called him insane. He couldn't stand to see Dick this way. He knew the hallucinations had stopped a long time ago but no one wanted him back. He was still too guarded and quiet for the public's taste. Everyone had forgotten about the last Flying Grayson. As the intercom buzzed he got out of his chair and opened the door. The man who faced him was stunningly handsome. A black eye patch covered his eye, a symbol of the cost of war. His hair was white, yet he looked only about thirty years old. He wore a black suit with a dark orange tie. Under that you could see his finely tuned body only made with years of practice, work, and sweat. That man was the boy's last hope.

"And here is his room, Mr. Wilson" Dr. Jones stated, "Will you be able to help him?"

"All in good time Doctor… all in good time."

As the Doctor opened the door, couldn't help but smirk. After all it was his arch nemesis in this mental hospital. "Dick? You have a very special visitor today. Isn't that great? Dick?" the doctor was given no response.

"I'll take it from here, Doctor." The Doctor gave Slade a questioning look but turned around and left.

"Robin, I'm here my little bird." Slade whispered in a calm, comforting voice.

"You." A voice in the darkness spat out in pure venom.

Slade turned on the lights, and almost broke his calm demeanor. There sat in the pile of messy, white sheets was Robin, or should he say Richard Grayson. He was thinner, if that was even possible. Slade could see on the table the tray of untouched food. Had he been starving himself? Richard was also incredibly pale, the result only obtained by a combination of lack of sunlight, stress, and sickness. He reeked of death and decay. For Pete's sake he had only just turned seventeen. The effort it took for him to sit up was visible. He was shaking. Didn't these people take care of him? "Richard,"

"How did you know my name?"

It was pitiful, how defeated he sounded. Slade could only imagine the toll of being caged. His little bird had not spread his wings for a long time. Slade wanted to kill the psychotic people that did this to Robin, but in all fair time. The boy had asked a question and he would answer it. "Robin, or should I say Richard, it was all too simple. During our… arrangement, I saw the mental pain you were suffering stealing from Bruce Wayne. I thought it was just because it was your first time actually stealing for me." He could see Richard frown, "And no, Red-X did not count, but that was ingenious, I have to say."

"Only when the Titans faced me again did I notice you weren't with them. I looked at the newspaper and saw that the famous Bruce Wayne had adopted a little boy named Jason. Did he ever adopt you Richard? No? I didn't think so. I already had my suspicions that the playboy billionaire was the Dark Knight but I did some digging and these thoughts were confirmed. I visited the new little Robin and he was nothing like you. Originals are always the best in my opinion." Slade leaned in and whispered the last part in Robin's ear, seeing Robin cringe at the last statement.

Robin wanted this to stop. He was sick and tired of Slade ruining his life. He had just gotten rid of the masked villain. Yet, he couldn't contradict what Slade was implying, that Robin was replaceable. He felt like he was at a dead end in his mind. He would try to give them a reasonable excuse for forgetting him, but he couldn't find anything. Slade knew he was at his point of revelation. "Richard, they forgot you, but I never did. I spent every moment trying to find you, to help you. You are not replaceable in my life. I looked at Todd, and he is pathetic compared to you. They are fools for forgetting about you." Slade's words were growing with more and more passion.

"Why did you choose Terra then?"

Slade paused. That was a completely reasonable question. Here he had been telling Richard he wasn't replaceable, but he had replaced the Teen Wonder with a wandering, lost soul. He had to play this correctly. Slade sighed, "Richard, I never saw any potential in that girl. It was all just a ruse to make you jealous. When I saw her kill you, Richard, I almost killed her."

Robin gave a quiet gasp. He was trying to deny every aspect of what Slade was saying with every fiber of his being but however hard he tried, he couldn't. Slade was right. He hated to admit it, but Slade was right. There was so much gray in the world, barely any black and white in the world. The villains were actually the heroes in this cruel world. Why didn't he realize this sooner? Why was he such an idiot when Slade gave him the chance to realize this? He knew Slade was probably manipulating him, but Slade's comforting sounded so real. He needed someone that cared. "I would prefer if you called me Dick, it's what my friends used to call me."

It was Slade's turn to gasp. He looked at the poor little boy, lost and broken in this cruel world. All due to the Bat's brainwashing. He would give Richard, no Dick, the pleasure of snapping his neck. As Slade glanced at his watch he saw it was time for him to go. As he turned to go he heard a mumble of words from Dick. "What was that Dick?"

"Why did they do this to me?"

It was heartbreaking, yet so perfect. Slade walked calmly over to Dick and sat down on his bed. "This world is cruel, Dick. You have realized that the mindset of a child's is not the truth. Your friends didn't like this, so they threw you out to make room for a new child they could manipulate. The Justice League is cruel; Batman is cruel, manipulating innocent children to become mindless fighter of their so-called "justice"." He paused, seeing Dick try to find any piece of evidence that Bruce didn't do this, but he couldn't, "Yes in the past I have manipulated you, but only to let you find out the true colors of your friends. If only it had worked, you wouldn't have ended up so hurt. Even if I don't show it, Dick, I want you to be happy and have the best possible life. I was hurt too once, and I never wanted it to happen to you."

Dick pondered this. Slade didn't intentionally try to hurt him during the apprenticeship. He only did so when he disobeyed a direct order or tried to grab the controller that could end the fragile lives of the Titans. Why did he try to save those pathetic Titans? How could they not have known that the ray gun put probes in them? They were complete Neanderthals. He should have stayed with Slade. Now he would never be taken back. Maybe it was the insanity talking but he didn't care. Slade started his lecture again, "Your friends think you are insane, but in reality you have only been enlightened. I care about your wellbeing. I hate to see you caged."

Slade didn't think he was insane! No, he wasn't insane! It was those stupid heroes, trying to brainwash him, to manipulate him! The Titans, the Batman, the Justice League, all of them would pay. As he raised his head looking straight into the face he had been trying to unmask for the past two years, he uttered the two words he swore never to say to this man. "You were right."

Slade was gleaming. He didn't hide it, he didn't need to. Dick Grayson was his, not Batman's, his. 'Mine' was the only word he heard in his mind. "Dick, you don't know how long I have waited to hear those words. You are always accepted in my house. It is your job to learn from your mistakes."

What came next surprised them both. Dick almost jumped at Slade, giving him a hug, a gesture both of them had not had in a long time. "I am so sorry, Master." Dick sobbed out, "You were right, I had no authority to question your words. The Titans did hold me back, Bruce didn't love me, and the League did brainwash me. You were so right. I am forever grateful of your forgiveness. Thank you, Master. Thank you…"

Dick's voice wandered off, unable to continue talking, due to sobbing so hard. Slade was astonished, and it took him some time to return the hug. He hadn't done this since his sons were living with him. Slade rubbed Dick's back, comforting him. "Dick, you have nothing to be sorry about. Your parents would be grateful that you have finally seen the Light. You are no longer Bruce Wayne's ward or the leader of the Titans. You are now apprentice to the most feared mercenary in the world." (A little full of yourself Slade, aren't you?) Slade wondered if he should push it, but he decided to take the chance. "I would even adopt you if you wanted. You wouldn't have the pressure of being the former ward of Wayne."

Dick could only give a nod of acceptance. He couldn't even express his emotions. Slade was the opposite of the demon he imagined him to be. He was nice, forgiving, and most of all trustworthy. As Slade smiled, Dick smiled back, his first in a long time. He finally had a reason to smile. As Slade talked to the person in charge, Dick was given his final checkup by . The Doctor could not believe after one extended session could cure the patient known as the millionaire nutjob. As led Dick outside (after changing into street worthy clothes) Dick turned around and gave the hugest smile had seen in a long time. He was going to miss that kid.

As Dick looked over the papers, Slade couldn't help but smile. Dick looked up and saw Slade staring at him, and smiled back. The worker at the child affairs building started to explain to both of them the details of this document and where to sign. "You could keep your last name, I wouldn't mind." Slade stated.

Dick Grayson thought about it. Would his parents want him to change his name? He still honored them by discovering the truth, didn't he? Slade had given him so much for free. The least he could do was this. He looked down at the paper and said, "No, this is the least I can do to pay you back."

As his pen touched the paper, it flowed elegantly leaving a trail of crisp, black ink behind it. As he looked over his handiwork, he smiled. This was the start of a new beginning. "Personally, I like it." And Dick couldn't help but agree. It flowed smoothly on his tongue.

Richard Wilson.

Wow. That was probably the longest chapter I've done so far. I'm really getting into this. I put a lot more thought into this story and it took me 2 days to write! 2 days! I just couldn't give this the correct tone. I just need your advice on something. I don't want to make this a one-shot, but I don't know if I should make it a two-shot or multi-chapter story? I'll consider the answers of you guys, but if I get into this I might just decide it on my own.