Bound in Darkness

Ghosts of Yesterday

This wasn't their first time meeting. Even before Jump City, Slade Wilson existed in Robin's world. Robin had encountered the villain multiple times, but these encounters took place in Gotham City—on the exact opposite side of the country.
His fights with Slade were marked by intense battles of not only skill but wit, with Wilson always managing to slip away, leaving Robin frustrated and further determined to bring him to justice. Little did he know that Gotham City wouldn't be the last place he would ever see the man.

The Titans had made snide remarks and comments of Robin's paranoia in the past. While it didn't bother him that his friends said those things, he still couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched. Rightfully so. Slade's obsession with the young hero had grown to insurmountable proportions with each passing day. Knowing that Slade had followed him to the new city stuck with him more than any other villain's previous plans. Besides Tony Zucco, of course. It was as if Slade's malevolent gaze was always upon him, a constant reminder of some unfinished business between them. What business that would be, Richard was clueless. As far as he was concerned, Wilson was supposed to be Bruce's problem.

With each and every confrontation, Slade's methods became more insidious—his plans more calculated. It was as if he knew Robin's every move, anticipating his strategies before Dick had even acted. The sense of vulnerability always gnawed deep at his soul. How could someone know so much about him or be so obsessed with him? Why would someone be so obsessed with him? Batman had always been the larger concern of the Gotham criminals. Richard often found himself questioning whether or not he would be able to escape from the grasp of his past. It often left him with crippling feelings of guilt, wondering if he was wholly responsible for bringing this darkness to his new home.

Oftentimes, it felt as if Slade and Richard were to be forever entangled. As if their destinies were inexorably linked, and, no matter how far Dick ran, he could never escape his past. No matter where he chose to go, whom he found to be close to him, there would always be a terrible reminder of the person he once was and the place he grew up in. Robin recalled their first meeting from time to time, wondering if something he had said or done had encouraged Slade to follow him to his new life.

It was a stormy night in Gotham City—rain belted down like tears from the heavens. Batman and his still quite young apprentice, Robin, had received reports of a dangerous criminal operating in the shadows. Little did Dick know, this would mark his first encounter with his most formidable adversary to date—Slade.
They had been ambushed by him on that fateful night as he seemed to materialize out of thin air. His calculating eyes gleamed with a chilling intensity Robin hadn't felt since meeting with the man who murdered his entirely family a few years prior. The battle began in a flurry of fists and kicks, though Slade's combat skills were unmatched, and, like present-day, he had seemingly anticipated their every move. As if he had been studying the two heroes. With every strike, he left Batman and Robin bruised and battered. It was a relentless night, and they found themselves struggling to keep up with their adversary. Despite their valiant efforts, Slade's assault proved too much for the two of them to handle. He exploited Bruce's weakness to protect the young bird, and the fact that Richard was still new to the game, and before long, both Batman and Robin were forced to retreat.

He never forgot that encounter. It was just the beginning of a dangerous game, and Slade would continue to haunt the young man for years. His enigmatic and elusive nature made him a nemesis like no other Richard had ever experienced.

Robin, lost in thought, was slapped back into reality as the back of Wilson's hand met with his face yet again. The tear in his lip split just a little further, a crimson liquid oozing down the side of his chin. Dick took his own hand, using just his thumb to wipe the blood from his mouth.