Disclaimer: see first chapter.
Summary: see first chapter.
In this chapter: Richard establishes a connection to the hero community unknowingly.
Time line (for those who know cannon ^^) : Slade traveled back in time before he tried to get Rose to join him, therefore he doesn't care about her. Also he has no knowledge of Damian.
Chapter 3
Age 16
Richard looked around the city with interested eyes. The circus had just arrived in Gotham and their ringleader wanted to attract attention the cheap way, so the performers gathered and made a small yet colorful and loud parade as they wandered through the streets. It was truly the most inexpensive and successful way to draw in a big crowd; flyers were usually disregarded and therefore a waste of money and any other form of media was way out of their budget range. Richard was ripped out of his thoughts as a small boy crashed into him. The younger of the two, who was dressed in a tuxedo that looked ridiculous on a child in Richard's own opinion, looked up angrily and started cursing.
The boy must have noticed how Richard failed to pay attention to his raving, so he demanded furiously to know if the stranger was aware of just who his father was. A sudden wave of dislike flooded the circus performer; he couldn't bring himself to respect anyone who didn't earn it. In response Richard kneeled down and plainly told the kid that he didn't care before he got up and moved on with his day, ignoring the child.
Damien stared in disbelief at the retreating back of the circus artist.
Can't say I care...
The words were foreign to him; everyone he knew cared about his father. They only cared about his father.
Can't say I care...
The only reason why Damien had been conceived in the first place was to create a second and even better Bruce Wayne; his grandfather had told him so at age five.
Can't say I care...
The only reason why his mother even looked at him was to see if he had retained the features and skills of his father.
Can't say I care...
The only reason why Damien's father had taking him in was because of their shared DNA.
Can't say I care...
The only reason why Pennyworth spent time with him was because he was the Wayne heir.
Can't say I care...
The only reason why others tried to befriend Damien was to get part of his inheritance.
Can't say I care... The words repeated themselves again and again. As much as the boy tried to dismiss the oddity, he simply couldn't. The phrase sparked something deep within him, something he often tried to ignore. Those words weren't supposed to make him feel hope or happiness, were they?
Richard smiled at the cheering crowd. His master wasn't there since he had some business to attend to. This only happened occasionally and truthfully he enjoyed it when his master was away, it was the only form of holiday he had. Pausing the scan, Richard looked closer as he recognized a face. Surprisingly, the little child in the tuxedo was there...
After the show he went to his trailer. It was customary in the circus for kids to get their own "home" away from their parents at the age of 15. The action was considered helpful in encouraging a sense of responsibility and an acknowledgment that they were not a child any more but an adult in training. To Richard's astonishment, the well-dressed kid was waiting at his door. Looking down on the the smaller of the two, he found the kid staring straight back with a very serious expression on his face. Unsure, Richard tried a small smile.
"Hi, kid. Did you enjoy the show?" He asked lightly. The younger one's expression didn't change and it was a little unnerving.
"Everyone cares, you know," stated the kid in a calm voice.
Richard recalled their previous conversation. "You mean about your father?" He asked to be sure. The child nodded, looking sad. "Well I don't," seeing the small hope shine through the younger male's eyes he added, "I promise." Kneeling down Richard saw the tear trailing down the kid's face, so he did the first thing that came to his mind; he hugged him. For a moment the child was frozen until he wrapped his little arms around the older one's neck and sobbed into his shoulder.
"Everyone cares about him, nobody gives a damn about me." Richard just hummed in response,
hoping to get the child to calm down. They remained in that position for some time.
Right then and there Damien made a decision; he would do anything to keep the circus performer. He was the first one to give him positive attention without expectations, ever. The older male was his...
Slade looked down on the sleeping form. It was a great thing, Richard having his own trailer, it made watching him so much easier. The fact that they were in Gotham made the villain slightly uncomfortable, yet Bruce Wayne hadn't had any reason to grow attached to his apprentice so there really shouldn't be any problems. But the Wayne kid should be watched. Slade didn't know anything about the kid from past experience and had only learned here that Ra al Ghul, after failing to get Bruce to join him, used his daughter to create a new, moldable person. Thalia had informed Bruce about the child in a desperate attempt the get the man to love her. Wayne had then claimed the child as his own and taken it away from her.
If Damien started to seek Richard out, Slade would have to kill him without making the action traceable. The title Deathstroke commanded respect and none of the villains were stupid enough to challenge him. Those who could actually pose a threat to Slade valued his services to much to alienate him, especially if they didn't have a reason to consider him an enemy.
A soft movement stopped Slade's thoughts. Richard was awakening. Looking over at his alarm clock and seeing that the glowing stick read 2:25 am the teen decided that he had enough time to get up and shower. Such a pretty and hygienic bird he was... At 16 he was becoming more and more tempting to the older male, yet Richard remained sexually inactive; preferring to work off the extra energy with more training.
Being in Gotham led for a good segue into the conversation on the topic of heroes. It was time the boy learned some fundamental truths...