The Price Of Freedom

Que Cera, Cera....

Red X felt as though his world was being viewed through someone else's sight, he saw the trigger he pulled but as that happened, the once dead corpse of Slade had sprung to life and took the the place of the boys skull.

This sudden move, had left the young boy in a state of confusement as Slade lay bleeding heavily on him. His breath was very weak and he was losing his grasp on life, Robin didn't understand..why....why would he do this...it seemed wrong...but then why were there tears beginning to roll down his cheeks ?

"Why...why did you do that ?"

Asked the boy , feeling the blood seep into his skin and dye his clothes a murky shade of red. Slade just panted heavily, his time in the world was going by fast, faster than he'd ever imagined ...the amount of times he'd visualised his death...from being killed by bounty hunters, to mugged by common teenaged punks....but...this death...he was happy at.

"I...took your life....so...now...you've taken mine...."

He laughed painfully, feeling the warm drips of red fall down his body, the feeling of his own blood was strange...it was...not how he'd imagined it to be. Robin tried so hard not to feel the remorse that was slowly coating his face..but it was no use, drop after drop of tears echoed from his eyes.

"I hate you...I hate you..."

He cried out as he clutched on to the dying man, his once proud face was now coated with blood and with tears that fell for the man below...his...his rapist...why did he feel that sort of sympathy , for some man like this...he didn't understand, but the more he watched the life drain, the more pain his heart had began to feel.

"I fucking hate you...why the fuck...WHY DO I LOVE YOU?!"

Robin all but screamed out at the top of his lungs as snot ran down his nose and more tears cascaded down to the man now laying still. Slade felt the bloodied cheek of the boy that clung to him...for the first time, he'd worn a genuine smile on his face.

"Robin."

Slade said with a solemn voice , listening to the hiccups of sobs that came from the young hero before him. Robin didn't want to listen anymore, he'd murdered a man, he'd killed someone...even...even if he'd wronged, he never deserved to die in this manner. Strong hands cupped his face and forced their eyes to meet.

"Robin..."

The voice whispered, his life was fading fast...if he was going to die, he'd die...the way he'd wanted to . Staring they young boy in the eyes, he crashed his lips on to Robin's. It was not rough, it was not ...forced, it was sweet and gentle..like it was going to be the last thing that Slade ever done....then again, this itself was a lie...he knew he was going to die here. They parted lips.

"Slade, you listen...you're not gonna die this way...I fucked up...I panicked....god...I screwed up so bad..."

Robin was going to start crying again but the look that the older man had gave him, explained that the chapter to his story was at it's curtain call. It was at this point that Jason pulled himself into the scene. Casting an eye to the man on death row...he did feel a slight pang of guilt, slight.

"Jason....you were my first...betrayal and...my first apprentice.. That I consider family..."

Slade wheezed as his blood spurted through his chokes, but his eyes tried not to show any shred of fear, even though as it creeped on him...he was utterly terrified for the first time in his life...

He was utterly petrified of the thought of dying.

"I ..can't think...of..."

The words he tried to make out were becoming slurred as he clung to the thin thread of red rope. This felt like that scene from Hercules where they were racing to save that girl...But the only difference is that he's not going to be saved...