I hacked into the system with a huge grin on my face. It had been forever since the team had a mission, and I was with them, not only as a hacker, but as an actual team mate who fights off the bad guys. I was so pumped up that I had almost forgotten my utility belt.

Listen up, team, Aqualad addressed the team over the mind link. This mission is strictly covert. Do not engage in battle unless absolutely necessary.

We all voiced that we understood and Aqualad continued on, leading the way.

We were doing an investigation on a suspected drug trade. It would have been handled by the police, but there had been a mass murder case earlier this week that they hadn't gotten to the bottom of, so it would have been impossible for them to drop it. We were the next best choice. It wasn't a mission to brag about, but it was a mission nonetheless.

Aqualad had told us not to split up, but I decided that I could find out more information about the criminals if I crawled in the air vent. I'd gotten used to being on patrol with Batman and going off on my own, so I assumed my teammates wouldn't mind. Besides, none of them could fit in the air vent. I guess there are advantages to being small, I thought.

I climbed through the ventilation system, careful not to make a sound. If someone found me here, I'd have no chance of escape. I followed the map on my hologlove and avoided openings in the shaft.

After about five minutes, I'd made it above the room with all the drugs stored in it. There were about ten men, all armed, guarding the drugs. I found the drugs, I told the team.

Robin? Came Miss Martian's voice. Where are you? We've been looking for you for the last five minutes.

I decided that searching in the air vents might be easier and safer than searching down below.

Why didn't you tell us? Artemis asked.

I bit my lip. Sorry. I guess I'm just used to working with Batman. I'll be there in a sec. Right now I'm marking the coordinates of the drug room.

So you have found the trade? Aqualad asked.

Yup, I said. I finished marking the room and slowly turned myself around so that I didn't have to maneuver backwards. I was out faster than when I came in since I memorized the layout of the vents. When I exited the vent, the team was waiting for me. I tried for a smile, but none of them returned it.

Now is not the time, Aqualad said. Now that we know the location, the police can take care of it now.

My hologlove will track them if they decide to change base, I said.

Aqualad nodded. Alright. That is all we needed to do here. We started to head back to the Bioship, but I suddenly felt like I was being watched. I stopped and glanced over my shoulder. That's strange, I thought to myself. No one should know we're here...

I shook off the feeling and turned forwards again. My friends had gotten further ahead, and I was about to run after them when someone caught me by the arm. I almost jumped out of my skin. The person who grabbed my suddenly spun my around to face them. My jaw dropped and fear rose up inside of me. I was in the hands of my worst enemy.

I stared up at Deathstroke in shock and total terror. My mouth was open, but my voice wasn't working and was refusing to scream.

"You seem surprised, Robin," he spit my name out as if it were venom. "You knew I was alive, and yet you show your face anyway. I'm not sure if that's bravery or stupidity."

"You...your...not..." I gasped out, my face drained of color and my gut twisted.

"Real?" Slade finished. "Tell me, Robin, is this real?" Without warning, he lashed out and hit me across the face hard enough to send me flying headfirst into the wall. I cried out in surprise and pain, but I stayed down. If I got up, he would just hurt me again. Heck, he was going to kill me anyway. Please, just make it quick and painless...

Slade tangled his fingers in my hair and yanked my head up sharply. I bit my lip as Slade drew closer. I couldn't scream. "Don't be scared, Robin," he said. "I'm not going to kill you. At least, not yet anyways."

Yet? I thought.

"I'll be back soon, Renegade," Slade said. I felt something prick my arm. No! I thought. Please no! "Ah, I can see it in your eyes that you know what I injected you with. Scarecrow doesn't even know I stole it. This will be our secret. Right, apprentice?"

My body was going rigid and my vision was slowly going dark. Scarecrow's fear serum was kicking in. I wanted to run away, but that was impossible. You can't run from the darkness inside your mind.

~

I was in a dark room with weapons of all sorts lining the walls. This was always what I imagined Deathstroke's torture room looked like when I was younger. I had no confirmation that he had one, but there was no evidence against it. Besides, he had to store his weapons somewhere.

Footsteps echoed around the room, sending shivers of panic up my spine. I tried to pinch myself awake, but found that it actually hurt. Maybe my actual self does what my brain self does subconsciously, I thought.

The footsteps grew louder and before I knew it, hands grabbed me, strapping me down to a table. The scientists looked exactly like my friends, I realized with a jolt. Things like, "Useless, weakling, child, murderer, brat" and other things like that spilled out of their mouths. Each one hit my like a punch to the gut. Several syringes were stabbed into me, causing me to scream in pain as the drugs ran through me.

The next thing I knew, I was standing again, using the wall for support. A first hit me again and again. I cried out and got a glimpse of my attacker. It was Wally. He didn't say anything. He just kept beating me. "W-Wally..." A kick to the head sent me reeling. I ran into Bruce, who beat me also. Before I knew it, he had thrown me over his shoulder and was walking towards an old abandoned apartment on the bad side of Gotham. At least, the worst side. This was where Slade lived. I struggled feeble to get free of Bruce's grip, but it was no use. He was stronger than me.

I was brought straight to Slade's apartment and Bruce kicked the door in, throwing me inside. Slade stood over me. He was holding a sword. I was sure he was about to run me through, but he instead thrusted the sword into Bruce's abdomen. I yelled out and tried to help him, but I felt a sudden shock when I got too close to the door. I screamed in pain and Slade let me whither in agony. The edge of my vision was going fuzzy and darkening.

"This is where you meet your end, Richard," Slade's voice said. "Do not underestimate me."

And with that, everything went silent and very, very dark.

...
I've found Robin's phobia: Mastigophobia- Fear of punishment.

Idk, I was looking up phobias and found this, so yeah.