Richard took a look at Slade before deciding not to run right away.

No, he had plan this very carefully.

Preferable when Slade was asleep or down for the count.

This had to be perfect.

He only had one chance at escaping. 

If he failed, he'd be under lock and key from Slade.

If he succeeded in getting out, well... 

The future holds many things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slade looked over at Robin who seemed to be in deep thought.

Slade narrowed his eyes.

Robin just looked around for a few moments before walking back near Slade.

"Not going to run then?" Slade asked.

"No." Robin said, looking up, trying to see the sky and sun, but the trees where so dense that it was hard.

Slade hummed.

"Why a forest?" Robin asked suddenly.

"Heavily dense, hard to spot the haunt, nature. Pick one." Slade said.

"Nature is beautiful when it isn't trying to kill you." Robin agreed.

"Poison Ivy I presume." Slade said.

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I love plants. But when they are poisonous and trying to eat you, well...You can guess why I don't like them then." Robin said.

"Yes. However, you're mine now. You'll be working with me and perhaps one day after your training, you'll be working with the villains too." Slade smirked.

"Why are we in civvies if no one is around?" Robin asked.

"Hikers." Slade said.

"Just hikers? No explanation of WHY there are hikers here?" Robin held his hands up.

"Nature." Slade said.

Robin face-palmed.

Trying to get any information from this man was like pulling teeth.

"Do you have a garden?" Robin asked suddenly.

Slade didn't answer.

Robin just stared at Slade.

"I'm...not sure." Slade said.

"Aren't we the only ones here? How can you not know???" Robin yelled.

Slade sighed.

"Perhaps it is time for you to meet someone." Slade said.

"Huh?" Robin was REALLY confused. 

They were the only ones there though....right???

Slade grabbed Robin's forearm in a tight grasp and pulled Robin along with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Richard, Wintergreen. Will, Richard." Slade said once he pulled Robin into the kitchen.

'Will Wintergreen' as Slade introduced him as, was an old man. 

He looked older than Alfred. 

At which point, Robin realized that if Wintergreen was Alfred, then Slade was Batman.

Robin burst out laughing at the thought of Slade wearing spandex and fighting crime. 

"And may I ask what is so funny?" Wintergreen had one eyebrow up.

"I-If you're A-Alfred, then...then...then Slade is B-Batman!" Richard said while trying to catch his breath and laugh at the same time. 

No one said anything while Richard was laughing and clutching his sides.

Wintergreen cleared his throat to get Slade's attention.

"Perhaps an early return to bed would help." Wintergreen said.

Slade just nodded and scooped Richard up.

Wintergreen shook his head and went back to preparing some food.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, after Richard was put into his room, Slade and Wintergreen were cleaning up dinner.

"Slade...Richard is still a boy no matter what he's been through." Wintergreen said.

"Yes, he is. Where are you going with this?" Slade asked.

"I'm just reminding you." Will said.

"Why?" Slade asked.

"Boys need fun. They need to have some fun and not just work all the time." Wintergreen said.

Slade hummed as he put up a stack of plates into the cupboard.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slade sat at his desk, thinking.

Will was right.

Will was normally always correct.

Robin needed a small break.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Robin came into the living room, Slade threw a bag at him.

Richard, having amazing reflexes, caught the bag.

"Breakfast, then we go." was all Slade said.

Robin was officially confused.

So, he looked into the bag.

All he found was a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a few bags of chips, and a couple of bottles of water. 

"Okay, what?" Richard asked as he came into the kitchen.

Breakfast-which was a banana, orange juice, fresh fruit, and a large blueberry muffin-was already on the table. 

"Here, put this in your bag." Slade put three energy bars in front of Richard.

Robin put them in his bag and sat down for breakfast.

"Why did you give me a backpack?" Richard asked.

"We're going hiking. Nothing else today, just enjoying nature." Slade said.

Robin just blinked.

"What?" Richard couldn't wrap his head around it.

Slade, doing something fun?

They HAD to be messing with him!

"I wish I could go with, but atlas, I have work to do." Wintergreen said.

"I-I have work too! Apprentice, remember?" Richard asked.

"Master, remember?" Slade smirked.

Richard knew then that they were NOT messing with him.

Slade and Robin would be hiking all day.

Okay, short? Yes. But, it's a little "filler" before I start doing stuff. :3 

But, I need help. 

H.I.V.E.; Yes or No?