The Anti-Villain | Robin Love Story

Mad Mod

My eyes flutter open as my consciousness returns to me. I lift my head up, only to see me and the rest of the Titans are strapped to wooden chairs.

"Huh? Am I the only one who has no idea where we are?" Beast Boy asks as, he too, wakes up.

"Why, you're right where you belong, my duckies," a male voice with a cockney accent says. A man with red hair in a Union Jack suit jacket with white pants appears at the top of the large staircase in front of us. "You're in school!" He jumps over the railing and slides down the banister.

He lands right in front of Starfire and twirls his cane. "That's right, lads and loveys. You're the only students at Mad Mod's Institute for Bratty Teenage Do-Gooders. And it's high time someone taught you sprogs a lesson."

"So... does that mean I'm free to leave?" I ask.

"Definitely not, you little traitor." The red jewel on top of Mad Mod's cane glows white as he scowls.

"Uh-oh," Beast Boy says.

"Titans! Move!" Robin shouts as we all struggle in our individualized bonds.

"Easier said than done," I hiss.

"My starbolts are useless!" Starfire exclaims.

"Specially designed chairs, love. Can't have those nasty superpowers disrupting my lecture now, can I?" Mad Mod says.

"I don't really think this is gonna stop us from 'disrupting'," I scoff. Mad Mod growls and leans in close to my face.

"Get away from her!" Robin shouts. The redhead sends a glare his way and holds his glowing staff under the Boy Wonder's chin.

"Now, don't get your knickers in a twist, my little snot. I didn't go to all the trouble of building this school and filling your Tower with knockout gas just to finish you off lickety-split."

"Then what do you want?" Raven asks.

"Just what I said, dearie. To teach you lot a lesson! Yes, I've been watching you children misbehave. And I hate misbehaving children." He points his cane to a series of paintings which flip around to show examples of said 'misbehavior', "Fighting crime. Saving lives. Interfering with the plans of hardworking villains. Why, you lot are nothing but a bunch of troublemakers! You'll learn your place soon enough. You see, I'm older than you, so I'm bigger, badder, and better."

"Say wh-" Cyborg gets knocked on the head with the cane before he can finish his sentence, "OW!"

"You're in my world now. And you won't be getting out 'til you've learned some proper respect."

"We will get out," Robin says, " And when we do-" a bell goes off with a flick of the Brit's cane.

"Oh, dear, there's the bell, my duckies. Off to class!" Suddenly, the tiles under our chairs drop and we all fall through the floor. I drop into a white room with a large easel in front of me. "One of my hypno-screens ought to get your attention and it'll erase everything in your brain as well."

Black and white circles appear on the canvas and begin to spin.

"You might wanna do more research next time. I can't be brainwashed, but I'm flattered you named it after me," I say and roll my eyes. I struggle a little bit and glance around the room. Suddenly Robin rips through a large blank canvas to the right of me and lands on the floor. " 'Bough time, hero." The Boy Wonder stands up and unlocks the binds.

I jump up and wrap my arms around his neck. "I suppose you deserve a reward."

"Later," Robin says. Paint tubes suddenly begin squirting paint and paint brushes come flying at us. A brush flies between us and embeds in the wall. We share a wide-eyed look before ducking under another projectile. Paint splatters on an easel beside me and traps it against the floor.