Saving Grace

Restoration

On the Southwest outskirts of town, in the basement of one of many abandoned factories, a boy was being held hostage. He was young, and was the last person to deserve the treatment he was being given. At this point, the boy was letting everything the man said seep into him, like a sponge. The tormentor kept taunting him with threats to his friends.

"Who should I take after you? Beast boy? Force him to run and then hunt him...maybe place him above my mantle? Or maybe Cyborg? I could rewire him to be more useful. Or Raven, I could see what she does after no meditation...what really makes her tick. She is evil after all. I should have started with her as my apprentice.

"Or maybe I'll go after Starfire. I'll get you to a state where all can do is watch...I don't need to explain myself, do I? You probably have had countless nightmares about her being taken. But doing something like that to her won't affect her much. Since the Gordanians did the same thing."

Robin winced, how does he know about that too?

"Because I know everything. Everything about you and your little friends. I know what you treasure most..." He drew closer and leaned over Robin. "And I wish to take it away…even if Mr. Zucco beat me to it."

Robin's eyes grew wide as Slade shocked him, this time for an extended period of time and sent Robin into convulsions.

"You never had any friends, why do you think they have been home every time I called?"

Shock.

"Stopping crime was the only thing that was important to you, and now they've taken it and ran with it, leaving you in the dust!"

Lightning.

"You always lived in the shadow of your mentor, never quite branching out and claiming your own. Too afraid to try."

Sparks.

"You never let anyone touch your heart. Even if you had feelings for that alien girl, your body wouldn't let you love her, that's why you hurt her. You can't do anything right."

Overwhelming pain.

Robin fell into a state of catatonia. Only able to make light noises as his deep blue eyes stared at Slade wide, like a child at a monster.

"And I've only just begun."

Suddenly, Slade was thrown out of the picture with swiftness not humanly possible. There was a fight going on in the room, Robin could hear it. After awhile, it was over.

"Are you alright?" A familiar voice asked.

"Ah....ah..." was all that escaped his throat.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here." The voice's owner made for the restrains, only to find them locked. "Hey, I need your eyes for a minute!" The man called to the darkness.

Someone else approached the table.

"Great Scott! He looks horrible!"

"I know, help me with these restrains would you?"

Robin couldn't see their faces or what they were doing, but soon he felt his arms, legs, and neck become free. But he still could not move.

"Hey, give me two 'ah's if you can hear me."

"...ah...ah...."

"Good." A pair of arms lifted him from the table and held them close to a broad chest. "You're going to be fine."

Robin didn't understand what was going on. He was being saved? By who? Soon he felt the chilling wind of the outdoors and rain hitting his face. Where we’re the Slade bots? It didn’t really matter anyway. The rest of his body was wrapped in a thin blanket. He was still very cold. He heard a car door being opened and he was laid in a back seat, gently, and wrapped up as if his was in a cocoon. The car was warm and the seat was soft. He listened to the conversation the two men were having.