Okay so I got this idea when I was watching Teen Titans episode 11. This person commented and their comment got me thinking, so of course I had to write it down. Song is “From the Inside” by Linkin Park. Oh PS there’s a teensy bit of implied slash...>:D
I don't know who to trust, no surprise
Everyone feels so far away from me
Happy thoughts sift through dust and the lies...
He opened one eye in the darkness. One sapphire blue eye. He stared at his reflection in fear. His body was thin, his ribs were jutting out, his dark hair hung limply framing his face. But that wasn’t what scared him. My eyes? he thought, panicking. What happened to my mask?
He groaned. Had I actually trusted him? he thought. Or was that part of the dream? Is this even real? It was like those nights, when you lay there, half asleep; you cough or sneeze, then five minutes later you can’t remember if that actually happened. Everything is a blur.
He might have actually started to trust the man, but now...where was his mask? He groped around in the darkness; when he stepped away from the mirror, the eerie glow surrounding it faded; but he couldn’t find it. Crap. What else has he been hiding?
Trying not to break but I'm so tired of this deceit
Every time I try to make myself get back up on my feet
All I ever think about is this
All the tiring time between
And how trying to put my trust in you just takes so much out of me...
Footsteps. He nearly fainted as the cold, eerily calm voice, echoed throughout the room. “Robin...”
Robin jumped to his feet, trying to get in a fighting stance despite the screaming protest from his aching limbs. The footsteps were getting louder, echoing. The man stepped into the room, the mirror had lit up again as Robin unwillingly backed into it, his armor glinting, that one gray eye narrowing.
“What did you do with my mask?” Robin growled. Slade chuckled.
“Oh, Robin. You honestly think that mask was protecting you? On the contrary, I knew all along.”
He dragged out those last words, and the cold purr echoed ominously, bouncing off the walls and sending chills up Robin’s spine. He narrowed his eyes, fuming with anger.
“I was starting to trust you! But now, that’s all gone!”
Slade laughed again. “My naïve little bird. So a piece of fabric--” He held up an object that Robin immediately recognized as his mask. “Was the only reason that you trusted me? My, my. You’re in denial. After all those nights, the only reason you trusted me was because I couldn’t see your pretty little eyes?”
Robin’s eyes narrowed. Some nerve Slade had.
Take everything from the inside and throw it all away
'cause I swear for the last time I won't trust myself with you!
Robin’s anger bubbled and spread through his body like a wildfire, until at last it boiled over. “I’m done! Done with you! Done with being your apprentice, your pet, your...” He stopped himself, unable to say the words, as he stomped towards the door. He fell short as he crashed into something metal. A Slade-bot.
“Oh, no,” Slade purred. “You’re not getting out that easy. Besides, do you really want to?”
Robin had no choice but to attack. Grunting, he leapt into the air and aimed his landing towards Slade’s head. Slade knocked him aside like a pebble, chuckling.
“Oh, Robin. You and I really are alike.” Slade chuckled again, smiling all-knowingly behind his mask. “In more ways than you think.”
Robin growled. “What’s that supposed to mean? And who really are you, anyway?”
Slade grinned. He had been expecting this. “You really want to know? Ah yes, it’s only fair.”
Robin’s heart was racing. He would finally see what was under that mask! Time seemed to stand still as Slade’s hands started sliding the mask off his head. Finally, what felt like hours later, it came off.
Robin’s blood froze cold. It was all too familiar. That dark hair, narrowed blue eyes, chisled jawline...Robin was staring at the face of Bruce Wayne.
I don't know who to trust, no surprise
Everyone feels so far away from me
Happy thoughts sift through dust and the lies...
He opened one eye in the darkness. One sapphire blue eye. He stared at his reflection in fear. His body was thin, his ribs were jutting out, his dark hair hung limply framing his face. But that wasn’t what scared him. My eyes? he thought, panicking. What happened to my mask?
He groaned. Had I actually trusted him? he thought. Or was that part of the dream? Is this even real? It was like those nights, when you lay there, half asleep; you cough or sneeze, then five minutes later you can’t remember if that actually happened. Everything is a blur.
He might have actually started to trust the man, but now...where was his mask? He groped around in the darkness; when he stepped away from the mirror, the eerie glow surrounding it faded; but he couldn’t find it. Crap. What else has he been hiding?
Trying not to break but I'm so tired of this deceit
Every time I try to make myself get back up on my feet
All I ever think about is this
All the tiring time between
And how trying to put my trust in you just takes so much out of me...
Footsteps. He nearly fainted as the cold, eerily calm voice, echoed throughout the room. “Robin...”
Robin jumped to his feet, trying to get in a fighting stance despite the screaming protest from his aching limbs. The footsteps were getting louder, echoing. The man stepped into the room, the mirror had lit up again as Robin unwillingly backed into it, his armor glinting, that one gray eye narrowing.
“What did you do with my mask?” Robin growled. Slade chuckled.
“Oh, Robin. You honestly think that mask was protecting you? On the contrary, I knew all along.”
He dragged out those last words, and the cold purr echoed ominously, bouncing off the walls and sending chills up Robin’s spine. He narrowed his eyes, fuming with anger.
“I was starting to trust you! But now, that’s all gone!”
Slade laughed again. “My naïve little bird. So a piece of fabric--” He held up an object that Robin immediately recognized as his mask. “Was the only reason that you trusted me? My, my. You’re in denial. After all those nights, the only reason you trusted me was because I couldn’t see your pretty little eyes?”
Robin’s eyes narrowed. Some nerve Slade had.
Take everything from the inside and throw it all away
'cause I swear for the last time I won't trust myself with you!
Robin’s anger bubbled and spread through his body like a wildfire, until at last it boiled over. “I’m done! Done with you! Done with being your apprentice, your pet, your...” He stopped himself, unable to say the words, as he stomped towards the door. He fell short as he crashed into something metal. A Slade-bot.
“Oh, no,” Slade purred. “You’re not getting out that easy. Besides, do you really want to?”
Robin had no choice but to attack. Grunting, he leapt into the air and aimed his landing towards Slade’s head. Slade knocked him aside like a pebble, chuckling.
“Oh, Robin. You and I really are alike.” Slade chuckled again, smiling all-knowingly behind his mask. “In more ways than you think.”
Robin growled. “What’s that supposed to mean? And who really are you, anyway?”
Slade grinned. He had been expecting this. “You really want to know? Ah yes, it’s only fair.”
Robin’s heart was racing. He would finally see what was under that mask! Time seemed to stand still as Slade’s hands started sliding the mask off his head. Finally, what felt like hours later, it came off.
Robin’s blood froze cold. It was all too familiar. That dark hair, narrowed blue eyes, chisled jawline...Robin was staring at the face of Bruce Wayne.
