Blah blah blah I'm a lazy writer who gets sidetracked with other stories very easily, it's been like 90 days almost exactly, whatever just get to the chapter, nothing to read here move along.
"Something else happened," Raven announced, walking into the main room. Adeline was at the computer, preparing for the final stages of her plan, while Robin and Cyborg watched from a distance. It was very hard to work with the woman, given that she wasn't used to being on a team with teenagers, and liked to do things her way. The boys turned to Raven, eager to hear anything new, while Adeline stood up, turning the computer monitor off.
"Don't tell me anything," she said sternly, causing the teens to look at her with confusion.
"Don't you want to know? If it's about Jericho…" Robin said, looking at her intently. Between Adeline Kane and Slade Wilson, he really wasn't sure how someone like Jericho could have been born and raised to turn out like he had. It felt a bit weird for him to see her turning down information on the whereabouts of her kidnapped son. He'd seen countless parents over the years of missing or hurt or killed children, and this was the first time he'd seen a mother act so cold and clinical throughout the search.
She looked right back at him, very serious. "I would like to know, but keep in mind that while I'm working within the HIVE, everything I know, Psimon will know. Any information on where Joseph is or what's happening to him is critical, and we can't allow them to track him down before we do. With that in mind, please refrain from telling Kole and Herald. At least, for the next two days."
"Why two days?" Cyborg asked, raising an eyebrow, watching the woman as she walked out of the room.
"I'm calling in my Searchers agents to shut down the HIVE. We don't have time to be covert anymore," she answered simply. "Right now I'm going to contact your teammates and let them know it's time to pull out, or they might get caught up in the crowd when the students are gathered up. I'm only hoping it won't be too suspicious."
Robin didn't particularly like this plan, it seemed too risky. "But won't Psimon know what's coming?"
"He will, but that's why I'm acting quickly. If I can avoid him, he won't know, but he might pick something up from your friends all the same. Still, unless you have something better, or faster, I think it's best that we just end it all at once."
With that, she left, though the Titans weren't really satisfied with the answer. Two of their friends had gone undercover, but in vain. All Adeline had needed to do was join the HIVE and use her resources. They didn't dwell on it, however, because there was something more important to discuss. Raven started preparing herself a cup of tea, while Cyborg and Robin watched, waiting.
"What happened, Rae?" Cyborg broke the silence. "Was it something bad?"
"Yes- No…" Raven shook her head, touching her temple. "I don't know. When he was taken, for a while I could still feel a static presence, like a whisper, that told me he was alive. The last big spike was what lead us to that bunker."
"Then you know where he is now? If this was another spike?" Robin straightened up, snapping to attention and seeming ready to run all the way there. Raven shook her head quickly.
"No, it wasn't big enough this time," she said, apologetically. "Let me explain. For a while, after the last spike of emotion, it was just like a flat, grey feeling. He was out there, but there wasn't anything to read off of him. Then, a short second of bitterness and despair, and he completely fell off the grid. I knew he hadn't died, it wasn't like that, but he was… empty. Gone."
Robin and Cyborg briefly glanced at each other, before nodding for her to continue. She kept making her tea, looking very troubled, and focused.
"I thought...maybe he fell into a coma, but after what I saw today it seems less likely." This got a few raised eyebrows.
"You saw something?" Cy said with surprise. Robin leaned forward.
"What did you see?"
"It's like a dream… I know what it was, but I didn't exactly see it very clearly, or I don't remember what it looked like," Raven creased her eyebrows, looking for words. "As if I saw it, consciously knew what I was looking at, but then forgot what it looked like, only remembering that I had seen it."
Her words were unfocused, her mind elsewhere. She was trying to explain what had happened, mostly to herself, and she hadn't answered the question.
"Raven, what was it?" Robin asked again.
"It was a girl," the empath's voice dropped slightly. "Her eyes are still very vivid in my mind, and even though I can't see it anymore, I remember exactly what was happening to her. She was trapped, in a vulnerable way. Someone was over her, and he was trying to…" Raven didn't want to say it, mostly because it was so awful to experience second-hand, let alone in person. "He was saying terrible things. He said he was going to fix her. To… F- her straight."
Raven's voice caught slightly in her throat, and she felt sick to repeat something so terrible. She didn't look up, but she could feel her friends' reactions, and they didn't like it either. It resonated with her. She'd never been in such a terrible situation, but there had been plenty of people in her life who'd threatened her, wanting to harm her as punishment for her lineage. She saw the girl's eyes, and felt as though they could have been her very own at some point. She recognized the look, the silent plea for help, which helped her understand where Jericho fit into the situation.
"Oh my god…" Cyborg muttered, speechless. "I don't understand…. I just don't understand how someone-" he cut himself short, shaking his head. Robin looked disgusted, and even mad, but it was clear who his anger was meant for.
"Then where was Jericho? He witnessed this?"
Raven nodded, swallowing hard and pouring hot water into a cup, watching the tea start to diffuse into the water. "Yes. It was either an extremely vivid dream, or he hasn't been in a coma at all. This is just the first thing he's felt any real emotion about in a really long time."
"I can see why," Cyborg said, voice raising slightly in his own displeasure. "What happened next?"
"For a little while, all I could read was the anger he felt," Raven said. "I got a few more glimpses, I saw blood and the same person who was in the bathroom. Flashing lights, like from a cop car."
"Sounds like he might have done something to help that girl," Robin speculated, crossing his arms. "Was it his blood?"
"No idea, it might have been, but I get the impression that the other boy was worse off," the girl answered again. "It isn't that surprising, if he got in a fight with an average kid our age he'd handle himself."
Robin nodded, remembering very well that Jericho had taken everyone by surprise when he'd finally showed his real skill level. Of course, now that Robin knew about his parents, it was easy to see how he'd become so skilled in the first place. "If anything would make him want to fight, it would be that. Anything else?"
"After the anger faded away, there was a strong feeling of guilt," Raven told them, sounding confused. "I can't figure out why. It lasted for hours; I had to lie down for a while before I could even get up to come out and tell you what happened."
Cyborg frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Why would he feel guilty? It's not like it was his fault or anything- right?"
"It couldn't be…" Robin said, but he just wasn't sure anymore. It'd been a long time since they'd seen Jericho, and even with that in mind, how much did they really know him in the first place?
"No." Raven's voice was firm, and she looked at them both seriously. "He wasn't guilty because he was involved. It was different. Jericho would never do that, I think maybe he's just guilty for reacting so violently. If I know anything about him, it's that he's a kind person who doesn't want to hurt anyone. I can't say for sure why he feels so terrible after what happened, but if I had to guess, that would be the reason."
"Unless he's changed drastically, that makes the most sense," Robin agreed. He went over to the computer, turning it back on and opening new windows. "It's very little to go on, and also very early, but maybe if we keep our eyes peeled for news stories on girls being attacked. If there were flashing lights, those might have been police. If the police were involved then it could be a news story, and there's a slight chance that he may come up."
Cy shrugged. "It's as good a lead as any."
(TT)
Slade leaned heavily against the counter, trying to process everything that he'd been told. He could still hear the murmuring of voices in the other room, discussing the issue at hand. Normally he'd be with them, but he'd decided to excuse himself, to get some water for the guests, but really he just needed a moment to think. It was now obvious why Joseph had been caught fighting- no, it hadn't even been a fight, Joey had naturally dominated in the physical encounter. What was not clear was why Joseph hadn't told him anything at all. Not one word about why he'd done it (he had a good reason, after all), let alone the fact that these kids had been harassing him and Avery for so long beforehand, according to her parents. Slade didn't understand why Joseph would keep that sort of thing to himself. It wasn't as if this was the first time he'd ever been bullied, but the other times, before the divorce, Slade had been told about it. Why was this different?
One obvious answer was that Adeline wasn't here. Joey had been very attached to his mother, and told her anything and everything. If he got hurt, she was the first to hear about it. Grant wasn't here, either, and while Grant hadn't always been nice or gotten along with his baby brother, he'd always made a point to protect him at school. There had been more than one phone call from the school that Grant had gotten in fights with younger kids for picking on his brother. Slade always had been the last one to hear or know anything about any of it, only hearing second hand from his wife or a teacher. Never once had Joseph ever come to him with any problems. And now that Slade was all Joseph had, aside from William, he chose to stay quiet rather than speaking up. Why?
Did he really distrust Slade that much?
The man looked up when he heard footsteps coming from down the hall. It was Avery, with Joseph directly behind, and he seemed to be trying to stop her from doing something, but she had an almost fiery determination in her eyes, which was definitely not how she looked when she came in. Slade straightened up, cocking an eyebrow and wondering what this would be about.
"Mr. Wilson," she said firmly. "I'd like to speak to you."
He looked at her curiously, his attention grabbed. "What would you like to speak to me about?" Her gaze was unwavering, meeting his eye straight on. Her shoulders were straight, her chin was up. She was unafraid, which was somewhat odd to Slade. For one, not many people looked at him in such a way. Even those who weren't outright intimidated still didn't usually look so defiant. Secondly, of course, after what he'd heard she'd been through today, he couldn't imagine what was bringing this attitude on with her, especially directed at him of all people. Joseph, meanwhile, fidgeted, having given up on stopping her, waiting only for the aftermath.
"I know who you are. I know who Joseph was, and I know what you did. All of it, every part."
Slade was startled. He glanced at his son, expecting some sign that this was a joke. The way the blonde squirmed, however, led him to believe otherwise. The man straightened up, to his full height, moving from passive to a more offensive stance. If she was telling the truth, things might just be about to get messy. He would not allow some high schooler to blow their cover and reveal Joseph's location to the HIVE by informing the public of the hoax of his death. Still, the girl didn't even flinch.
"I know that you're trying to do the right thing, but you're doing some really crappy things along the way," Avery said, her eyes actually narrowing slightly. "Just because you're trying to keep him safe, doesn't make it okay to kidnap him like that."
"I wouldn't put it that way," he said in a stiff tone, prepared to argue his case, and annoyed that he had to at all. Still, even though he might normally tell someone off to trying to tell him how to act, what he should or shouldn't do, with the events of today still fresh on his mind, he found himself unable to snap at her. "If you know the whole story like you say you do, then you'll understand why I did it, and know why it was best for me to move with my son to another state."
"I know why you did it, but i think it was a little drastic," Avery said firmly, never breaking eye contact. "You ripped him very suddenly away from his home, away from everyone and everything he cared about. You didn't even try to talk to him about it, you just grabbed him and ran!"
"You needn't raise your voice, young lady," Slade said dangerously, crossing his arms over his chest. "He wouldn't have listened, or come with me without a fight. Let alone with those friends of his around. What would they think? They never knew we were related, and there's no reasoning with teenagers, sad to say. He would have made the wrong choice if he'd decided for himself."
"Oh, would he?" Avery snapped, as it seemed to have struck a chord with her. "You know, I'm infinitely grateful and happy that he lives here, especially after today. He's finally starting to be happy here, and I could almost forgive it if it weren't for one thing."
The man raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Oh really? And what would that be?" He was definitely losing his patience with her.
"You forced him to change! He was different and special, and you took that away from him!" her voice started to get thicker, and more strained. "He was metahuman and you literally ripped his DNA apart to change that! Why would you do that? He's your son- he's a human being, and you shouldn't try to force people to change!"
Tears were falling down her face, and it was now apparent that she wasn't really yelling at Slade anymore. Somewhere, in the middle of her small speech, something changed. Her words were directed at someone else, as she was lost in her own emotions. Slade straightened up, dropping his folded arms to his sides. Joseph stared, wide-eyed, at Avery, remembering suddenly the words he'd heard Blake say. To 'fix' her…
"Even though he can't use his powers anymore, he's still meta, and I think that's a wonderful thing! There's nothing wrong or bad about being different, and metas shouldn't have to be ashamed of their abilities, they should be able to use them to help people!" Her head ducked down, and tears flowed so strongly they fell to the floor. "You should be ashamed of what you did to him; making him give up on what made him special. People can't fix what isn't wrong, and you can't just force someone to be-"
Her voice gave out, and Joseph quickly stepped forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. It wasn't about him anymore, and they all knew it. She shook slightly with sobs and turned to Joey, once more using him as a literal shoulder to cry on. A moment passed before her parents came out of the front room, followed closely by William. Joseph had never actually met them before, but compared to Avery's punkish looks, they seemed quite normal. They took his place, pulling their daughter close, hugging her and smoothing her hair; it was clear how much they loved her. He stepped back, not looking at his father. Even if Avery's words were meant more for Blake than for Slade, the parallels were still there. Blake's motivation (at least, the words he'd said) was focused on changing Avery, victimizing her for something out of her control, using force to gain power over her.
Slade had taken away Jericho's abilities to prevent him from trying to run away. He'd used a tracking device as well, when Joseph still tried to leave. While the motivation was entirely different, the actions had some small similarities. Enough to make Avery come out here and confront a man she knew could easily kill her, if he felt threatened. It made sense. After what had happened today, of course she would be filled with emotion, and upon hearing some of what happened to Joseph, it'd resonated with those emotions, and she'd reacted. To retroactively stand up for herself as much as she was for Joseph. It was a little heartbreaking to the blonde. Nothing that had happened to him was anywhere near as bad as what happened to her, not really. All those things were terrible, but he was alright in the end.
And then, he spotted the couple in the doorway; their neighbors, the Greens. Joseph hadn't realized they were here, and judging by the look on their faces, they'd heard what Avery said, and they didn't like it. Slade's posture shifted again, getting a little defensive. Joseph knew what they were thinking before they said it; he could tell. He'd thought about moments like this, with several different people in mind. What would people here think if they knew who he was? If they knew he was meta, if they knew he had been a Titan? He remembered their views on it, but they had always been friendly enough, and he'd hoped that maybe if they actually knew a meta then they might change their minds a bit.
That clearly wasn't the case at all.
"Well," said Christy Green, pursing her lips. "We had no idea…"
"Is it true you cancelled out the meta-gene?" Sam piped up. "You cured him?"
"It's not a disease," Slade answered, his voice level but quite low, almost threatening. "But I think it's best you leave."
"If it's true what you did then you have to publicize it!" the man continued, seemingly oblivious to Slade's annoyance. "You could help a lot of-"
"We've had quite enough, thank you!" William was next to snap at them, out of nowhere. Everyone was startled; it wasn't Will's usual attitude to snap at people, let alone guests. "You've been asked politely to leave, which is quite generous, considering you weren't invited in the first place!" He huffed. "And I should think you have the sense to keep this to yourself lest a young man's life be put at risk."
The couple stared wide-eyed at him, then over to Slade, and lastly at Joseph, who didn't look back. They may have misunderstood what the true danger to Joseph's life was, if how they looked at Slade was any clue, but that was partially what Will wanted them to think. They paled and hurried out without another word, going out the front door.
Slade gave a thankful nod to Will. "That will likely be the last we hear from them. They might be nosy but I don't think they're the type to interfere with other people's business beyond gossiping."
Joseph turned to look up at Avery's parents, who were still huddled around her. Her mother- he didn't know her name -looked back at him.
"You don't have to worry about us keeping quiet," she said. "We keep our fair share of secrets."
Avery nodded, wiping her eyes. "It's true. No one will know you're here; you're safe." She looked back up at Slade. "But I meant everything I said. I can understand wanting to keep him safe but I think you've been too harsh about it."
"Avery…" her father started.
"No, I really mean it," she insisted. "I would hate to see Joseph go but you've made him miserable here. His friends are in danger, you know! The least you could do is look into it, and make sure they're going to be alright or whatever. Do you want all those teenagers to die?" she asked sharply.
Slade looked unhappy with her pointing these things out but he didn't say anything. He glanced briefly at his son, who still avoided his gaze. After a moment of silence he did finally speak up. "I think there's been more than enough excitement for today. We can leave it at that, and for now I trust you all to keep quiet about the truth, concerning Joseph. What your daughter has said is true, but she's also correct about my intentions."
Avery's mother nodded seriously. "I understand. I can tell that you're trying to do what's right, even if mistakes are made. Parenting is never without mistakes…" she carded her fingers through Avery's hair. "But we're extremely thankful for your son being there, and doing what he did. We'll go home, and if anything else needs to be discussed it can wait."
Avery gave Joseph one more giant hug, and the three of them left quietly. It stayed silent for a time, three men standing in the kitchen not looking at each other. Slade let out another heavy breath. "Joseph, I'd like to talk to you. Will you come downstairs?"
The blonde just gave a small nod, with a hidden sense of defeat. Slade felt as though his son still didn't want to talk to him about any of this, and he didn't like it. He wanted Joey to be able to talk to him about anything, especially things like this. Was he really still miserable? Slade had thought he was doing better, really. It still wasn't clear why Joseph had decided not to tell him a thing about what had really happened, and he wanted to get to the bottom of all of it, if he could.
William left, to presumably go to bed, and Joseph and Slade walked down the stairs into the training room. It was the first time Joseph had come down here since the day he'd tried to run away, and he folded his arms over his chest, slightly uncomfortable. Slade found too chairs, pulling them out between his workbench (littered with spare parts for gear that he was trying to improve) and a console that Joseph guessed controlled some kind of simulated sparring or training sequence. His father gestured for them both to sit down, and so he did. He didn't want to talk about anything, because he was afraid of what Slade might say. Either he'd be disappointed, or proud, and honestly Joseph wasn't sure which would be worse. He'd sought out his father's approval for many years but by the time he was a Titan, and knew all the things his father had done since the divorce, he definitely no longer wanted any approval from the man. He didn't know why, it just seemed like it would be...disloyal to his friends, somehow.
"Joseph," the man interrupted his thoughts. "Joseph look at me. I want you to talk to me. You need to tell me what happened- what's been happening. Are you really miserable?"
For a minute, Joseph didn't want to answer. He didn't know what to say. Slade waited, patiently, but Joey knew he'd have to answer soon enough. He let out a soft sigh, finally looking up. I don't know. I don't think I'm miserable; I don't think I'm anything. It's not as bad as when I first came here at least. There are some things in my life now that I enjoy, like the dancing and the ASL tutoring. I mean… they're things to look forward to at least, but I don't know if I'm happy. I don't know if I should be happy anymore.
Slade's eyebrows creased slightly. "Why shouldn't you be happy? You deserve to be happy here with your new life. I want you to be happy, honestly."
I know, I just… I keep remembering my friends, and wondering what they would think. I feel like if I were happy here….
"Then you'd be a traitor somehow," Slade finished.
Joseph nodded. I'm just confused. I want to be happy, but at the same time I don't. They're in danger, and I can't just give up on them entirely. They were- are -my friends. I wish I could have said goodbye, or at least let them know I didn't really die, but I know it might be dangerous if the HIVE ever found out. I just want them to be okay.
"That's what you want for them," Slade said, "but what do you want for yourself?"
Joseph shook his head, not answering for a while. I don't know anymore… For a long time I felt like I was supposed to hate it here, and want to leave, to be a Titan again, but I don't know if I do anymore. I don't know… if it's right for me. He paused, suddenly remembering who he was talking to. He glanced up at the man, but didn't see any negative reaction. He felt calm, somehow, and safe. He felt like he could talk about this stuff. It was a little surreal to get that kind of vibe from the man, but it was comforting all the same. He swallowed and kept going, opening up. If Avery could speak up to Slade, why couldn't he? I don't like to fight. It was better training with the Titans than with you or mom, but I still had to put myself in the same mindset to do it.
Slade leaned forward, curious. It was no mystery that Joseph didn't like training with him, but Slade had always thought that Joey at least liked training with Addie. "What mindset is that?"
Joseph shrugged, clearly wanting to put off talking about it. I don't think about it. I just move. I follow the routines, the strategies, I fight to take down my opponents, but it just feels robotic. Like I turn off my brain and just move my body until the task is over. Training with the Titans was a little better, because we trained together as one big team, but with both you and mom, it was always the same. Going over things again and again until it's muscle memory, until I can do it perfectly without trying. When I fight I just go through the motions, I don't let myself think about it because I don't like it.
Slade quietly took this in. "I see… But I didn't train with you that much, did I? I knew you weren't interested, so I tried not to." It sounded like an excuse, even to himself, but he meant it. Thinking back, he remembered trying to spend as much of his limited time with Joey doing more interesting things, taking his son out to museums or art galleries when there was time, not focusing on training like he had with Grant.
Joey shook his head. No, you didn't. I've never really thought about it before, but I think mom actually pushed me harder than you did, most of the time. Spending days with you was honestly like taking small vacations, between the days of training. I learned more about fighting and weapons and stuff from her than I did from you. She always wanted me to do my best, to be sure nothing would ever happen to me again. It was more important to her that I was safe than whether or not I really enjoyed working with her in Searchers. I just did what I was taught until I felt suffocated by it. That's when I left home. I wanted to use my skills, but not like that. It was quiet for a moment, Slade taking in all this information, and Joseph mulling over it himself. Eventually he continued. I feel like that's something none of the Titans could ever understand, especially Robin. Not even I can understand it. You weren't a terrible dad. You made awful mistakes, but I know… I know you loved us, and I know you feel bad about what happened, even if you never really said it to me.
The boy's gaze had moved down, as he felt vulnerable saying this, realizing some of it fully for the first time. These were thoughts and ideas he'd never really confronted, let alone 'verbalized'. It was such a strange thing, realizing he didn't hate his father. Far from it, to be honest. The things he'd done were awful, of course, that didn't change, but… In a strange way he knew that the man was trying his best.
Slade let out a huge breath, taking all of this in. "I… had no idea. I didn't know it was like that for you. I knew you didn't like to fight but I never realized that you just shut yourself down to do it; or that your mother pushed you so hard, for that matter. You are right though… I do love you, and your mother, and your brother. You know I tried to stop him that night, and afterwards I felt completely responsible. I couldn't let anything happen to you, never again, so I did use drastic measures. I've always tried my best. It's not as if I had anyone to actually learn from…"
Joseph looked at him curiously, raising an eyebrow. You've never talked about your parents…
"Nathaniel Wilson was a bastard. There's no other word for it," Slade started. Even Adeline barely knew the entirety of his past, before the army. William was the only living person who knew the full story, so it was a little hard to revisit after so long. "I never knew my mother, she died when I was young, so I don't know what she was like, but my father was one of the worst kinds of people. The usual, cliche things; he drank, he gambled, and he had a heavy hand. No one really cared if parents were taking good care of their kids back then, as long as they were alive and relatively healthy. All of that is the kind of thing you usually hear about, but what he did to drive me to run away and join the army was the one of the worst things any parent could do."
Joseph watched his father, as he spoke, eyes wide. He'd never heard a single word about his paternal grandparents before, and it was quite unsettling to hear this from Slade. To think of the man as any kind of victim was mind boggling, though in an eerie way it made sense. Joseph knew what kind of man his father was; despite all his fatal flaws, he was genuinely a man of some character, though his moral compass had warped along the way. Had he only been trying so hard to right the wrongs of his own childhood?
What did he do? he dared to ask, imagination running wild. What could be the breaking point after all that?
Slade was silent for a while, staring into space, clearly remembering something. "Ten thousand."
When his father didn't say any more, Joseph was obviously lost. Ten thousand what?
"Ten thousand dollars," Slade repeated himself, his voice low and soft. "He was in debt, and that's how much he sold me for."
It felt as though Joseph's heart had turned into a rock, and then dropped into his stomach. His throat tightened, and he felt a sudden rush of this weird mix between nausea and horror. He couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around it. It was awful, and it put Slade in an entirely different light. Letting Joseph see that side of him, letting his son know about one of his most bitter secrets, changed the young man's perspective. It was quiet for a very long time, the blonde staring at the floor, trying to think of what to say. He knew his father, and he knew the man didn't want pity or anything near it. He'd clearly grown far past that, even if it still haunted him. Eventually, Joey signed again.
What happened then?
"I punched out everyone there, especially him. I broke free and just ran, for a long time. By the end of the week I had joined the army, which is the part that you've already heard. I've told you all the rest, and there's nothing more to know," Slade said, his voice now calm and flat, as if he were discussing something more benign. "I wanted to tell you the beginning of the story, the real beginning, because I want you to understand. All I ever wanted was to be nothing like him. No matter where I went in life or what I did, I didn't want to end up being like him. I'm sure you can relate."
Joseph gave a short nod, knowing that Slade knew how he felt. He hadn't wanted to turn into his father, either. He could never, ever, understand the man's mindset when it came to work. How could he have risked his own son's life, just for his reputation? Still, even he couldn't deny that for the majority of his childhood, he'd had a good father. Not a perfect one, but one who loved him, who would never hit him or- for the love of god -sell him. He knew that. It was such a strange and even uncomfortable feeling. Thinking of all the terrible things Slade had done, just towards him, and he still couldn't bring himself to hate the man because he knew his father really did love him, even if he didn't show it properly. That was more than some kids had.
You're right, he said. I can relate. I was always afraid to be like you, but… There are some things I wouldn't hate to learn from you. I don't want to hurt people, or fight, or use guns, but I want to always try to be better at things. I want to do better, to do the right things. I want to help people- I just don't think I'm any good at it.
"You're selling yourself short," Slade said. "You already are better; better than me, better than your mom, though don't tell her I said so."
Joseph's lips quirked up, and he noticed a teasing glint in his father's eye before he continued.
"You're a very good person, Joseph. You're a wonderful young man, and you have a good heart. I can't imagine anything ever getting in your way of doing the right things. Especially after today."
Joseph looked down, feeling uncomfortable. I didn't do the best thing… I left Avery alone in the bathroom like that, and then I go and beat Blake half to death…
"I'm not telling you to be proud of kicking some scum's teeth in- even if you should be -but you did the right things," Slade told him, reaching out and touching his shoulder, drawing his gaze. "Yes, you fought him, but considering all you've just told me about how you feel about fighting, that was remarkable of you. If you hadn't gone after him, no one would have blamed you, but you did. You made sure he didn't get away. You took action to defend someone who needed help."
Joseph considered this. It wasn't anything Officer Matt hadn't already said, but it was different coming from his dad, as opposed to a stranger. It made him feel a little bit better about what he'd done, but one thing still bothered him, lingering at the back of his mind. That's the thing… This fight was different. I WANTED to fight him, I wanted to hit him and make him hurt. I could have let him go, and stayed with Avery. I had the perfect excuse not to fight, and the one time that happens, I went after him anyway. I didn't get into that mindset, I was just angry, yet focused. I didn't stop when he was down, I didn't even want to. I don't know how much farther I would have gone if the cops hadn't showed up… That's never happened to me before, I've never felt like that. He ducked his head back down, folding his arms in.
Slade exhaled softly, thoughts churning in his own mind. "You aren't like most of your friends," he said, "but you're a hero all the same. I think you have a strong drive to protect people. You could never turn a blind eye to anyone in need. This time it just happened to trigger a reaction strong enough to justify doing something you hate to do. You were pushed to an extreme, and you reacted quickly to do what it took to protect someone you cared about. I don't think it's a bad thing, but I think I was wrong about something."
Joseph glanced up, wondering what the man meant by that.
"When I discovered that you'd joined the Titans, I didn't really think you were cut out for it. I assumed that either your mother pushed you into it, or they somehow knew of your relation to me and wanted to keep you close, either for information or in hopes of having a spy," Slade said. "I just couldn't imagine that you'd really want to do that with your life. When I took you here I just couldn't understand why you were so adamant about being a Titan; I had ideas about why you'd be attached to them, attached to the lifestyle, but I never thought it was actually something you would want to do. Now I think I understand. You look out for others, you want to protect people who need protection, to defend the weak and so on. It's in your nature, and I should have guessed it."
Joey considered this for a moment, and it made sense. It made him feel a little better, too. When he thought back, to fighting with the Titans, that did seem to be a key motivation for him. He was more likely to face someone head on to rescue hostages than he was to stop someone robbing an empty store at night. When monsters like Plasmus and Cinderblock rampaged, it was his specialty to take care of civilians and make sure they evacuated before he fought their enemies. It was built into the Titans' strategy- something he'd never realized he was so naturally inclined to do, but it made sense now. From taking on the Brotherhood of Evil to rescue fallen Titans, to escaping Grant's kidnapping to run back and warn his friends, it all made sense. It was the kind of hero that he wanted to be. For a moment, he missed it. He missed having that purpose in his life. But…
I can't go back anymore. Not the way things are now. I miss my friends, but I don't think being a Titan was really meant to be.
Slade raised an eyebrow. "Not even after today? After what you did, and what Avery said?"
Joseph shook his head. No. I mean, maybe if I had my powers back, but even then I'm...almost glad I don't have them. I don't have to choose whether I want to be here, or there.
"I would think it would be an easy choice," Slade said, feeling a lot of different ways. He was surprised to hear that Joseph felt any confliction about it at all. Up until now the man was sure he'd want to leave the second he had the opportunity. He felt a bit pleased that his son did want to stay here, at least a little bit. Underneath the pleasant feelings, though, there were more negative ones…
The blonde let out a soft sigh. I don't know… It's not as bad here as I thought it was. Now that Blake's gone, especially. I'd miss it here, I'd miss Avery and Nathan, and some of the classes… I guess my choice is already made for me, though, since I could never cut it as a Titan now. I can fight, but I don't like to, and I wouldn't add much to the team, especially not being able to speak. He frowned, a sort of sadness coming over him. I could be happy here, if only I knew they were alright, that no one was coming after them. I wish I could say goodbye but mostly I just don't want them to get hurt or killed….
Slade sat quietly for several moments, a turmoil building in his heart. There was some vital information, something he was hiding from Joseph. It would change the boy's mind about staying for sure, which was why he was so reluctant to share it now. Before he'd planned on letting it come up, eventually, but now that his son was actually admitting that he could be happy here, with Slade, the man didn't want that to change. He knew it was selfish of him, and risky. Keeping secrets from his family was something that had come back to haunt him before, and he knew he had told himself he wouldn't do it again, but… Joseph said he would be happy, right? Slade shouldn't bring up something that would make him unhappy- at least, that's what he told himself. Instead, he rationalized a compromise.
"I can find out," he said, after a few moments of thinking it over. Joseph looked up at him, unclear as to what he meant. "I can look into it, and try to find out if HIVE is still after the Titans or if your friends are safe."
To say this was unexpected would be a bit of an understatement, but a rush of relief and even happiness started to fill the teen. He was speechless (figuratively) for a few seconds before he flung himself forward, hugging Slade around the neck to express his gratitude the best way he could. His father was surprised and didn't react right away, too put off by the foreign action. He slowly returned the gesture, telling himself he'd made the right choice. He wouldn't tell Joseph the truth, not right now. Joey was so happy, he didn't want to wreck it like he'd done so many times before. In fact, Slade could do him one better.
He pulled away carefully, gesturing for Joseph to sit and wait, moving to the workbench. A part of him wanted to make this a surprise but it was pointless anyway. Still, the added levels of surprise and happiness as it became clear what he was doing were priceless. With a few special tools, and just minutes of time, the tracking device fell free from Joseph's ankle, and it was clear to the teen that he'd earned the man's trust. He felt calm, and happy, and just overall peaceful. No more indecision, or anxiety. With the device gone, his perspective was different, though not much had changed. He was no longer a prisoner, and yet he didn't want to leave. This, plus the fact that he'd soon be sure of his friends' safety, made his choice for him. He wanted to stay here, to live the normal life he'd never gotten, as an average teen, being raised by his father.
Something he'd never realized he always wanted.
(TT)
Somewhere along The Gulf of Mexico, a T-shaped tower stood. There were a handful more, newly built, all over the country. Plans had been made to expand and/or relocate to other countries, but for now the Titans based themselves out of the US. After all, if one team could cover missions to anywhere from the arctic to space, from the west coast, then surely they didn't need to worry about spreading too far just yet. Their numbers didn't quite allow it, and on top of that there were things that would need to be worked out when it came to vigilantes on international territories. Not all superhero groups could build a space station as a headquarters.
In this particular tower, over the last few months it had been officially occupied, the atmosphere was a bit somber. The blueprints called for six bedrooms, but when they moved in there were only four members. Titans South had been Jericho's assigned team, before his body was found on the beach across the bay from the original Titans Tower. They'd all moved forward, and everyone moved into their new 'homes', but oddly, Herald and Kole had stayed behind. Herald was also a member of this team, so Argent- the leader -hoped that whatever business they had in Jump would be dealt with quickly and she wouldn't be running things short-handed for too long, but it'd been months, with hardly a word. She'd confronted Robin over the phone multiple times, demanding to know what was going on, and how long it would be before it was done, but she was never told a thing. She asked for more help from someone else until Herald came to their tower, but with Kole not joining the second biggest team, Titans North, no one could spare an extra member.
All this time, Argent had been very put off by all this mess, so much that Kid Flash and Hot Spot dubbed her Queen of the Brine (which she didn't really understand at all, but it wasn't as if she'd ask them what they meant). Argent was under a lot of pressure. She was very new to this whole hero thing, and now she was leading a team. On top of that, it wasn't even a whole team, and there was the never ending cloud of death hanging over them. They avoided the press, and while the story of Jericho's murder was old, the politics surrounding it was still warming up. No one seemed to want teen heroes anymore, and all the Titans nationwide were bombarded with the negativity of it all. Thankfully, all the Towers were built where they could be separated from civilization, in a way, and all had state-of-the-art security, so no one could get too close in violent protest, or try to break in for pictures or interviews.
It was a really hard gig, and what made it harder was the phone call that Argent had just been on. It wasn't unheard of for her to take some hours-long phone calls when they weren't busy, usually late at night, and at least a few times a month. No one knew who she talked to, and they had learned the hard way not to pry. After this one, though, she had some things she knew she needed to share with her team. She came into their main room, where thankfully everyone was already gathered, playing a racing game together on the game system. She stood at the door, not really wanting to interrupt their fun, but not really wanting to wait, either. She came up behind the couch, clearing her throat loudly.
"Hey boss," KF said lightly, tilting his head back to look up at her, his hands still working the controls. Hot Spot gave a slight grunt, eyes glued to the screen, while Jinx just let her in-game vehicle stop in the middle of the track, putting her controller down and turning her body to give her attention to Argent.
"If you gents don't mind, this is kind of important," she said, giving a pointed look at the back of Hot Spot's head. He gave an annoyed groan and stopped the game, clearly intent on picking it back up as soon as possible.
"What's up?" Jinx asked, though she knew it must have been something to do with another mysterious call.
Argent seemed to ponder her words very carefully, trying to find the best way to put it. She decided on 'bluntly'. "Jericho is still alive, and I've been informed of his whereabouts."
There was practically an audible record scratch, as the team reacted with shock and disbelief. Immediately they all started talking at once, demanding more information, and expressing their aforementioned shock and disbelief. Arget held up her hands, shouting over them to regain control.
"Listen, listen!" she said, finally getting them all to stop. If she didn't have their attention before she did now. "I know it's a lot to believe, but I have a trusted source with indisputable proof."
"And we get to meet this source and see their proof, when, exactly?" Hot Spot said incredulously, raising an eyebrow.
"Not right now, and probably not for a long time, if ever," the silver girl answered firmly.
"Wait, what?!" KF said, bolting up. "Then how are we supposed to believe you?"
"Does this seem like something I would make up?" Argent challenged him, making him sit again. Jinx shook her head.
"We trust you, but not some anonymous source we have never met before, and may never meet," the pink-haired girl pointed out. "But, okay, let's say they're right-"
"They are."
"Then let's call the others! They have to know!"
Argent frowned, looking down. "That's just it… I don't think we can."
KF raised one eyebrow. "Um, the phone is right there? We have to tell them, they've been investigating the murder this whole time, right?"
Argent shook her head, sitting down next to them. "I don't think they really have. What if they already know and they just never said so?"
"Why would they keep it from everybody?" Jinx wanted to know.
Again, their leader shook her head. "I don't know… maybe not to get everyone's hopes up. Maybe they put together the whole thing from the start, and they only want us to think he's been murdered when he's been undercover or something this whole time. Herald and Kole have been working with the main team for a really long time now, there's got to be more to it than we thought, or it'd be over by now, wouldn't it? Either they'd have it or the trail would have gone cold."
"Well even if they don't want us to know," Hot Spot said sharply, "why shouldn't we confront them about it?"
"I was going to, but then, well-" Argent sighed. "It would seem that he doesn't really want to be found. According to my friend, he asked them not to tell anyone who he was, 'cos he didn't want anyone to know where he was."
Kid Flash frowned. "But why? I mean…. If the murder was faked, and he's just been in hiding this whole time, then what for, and how come no one told us about any of it?"
"I wish I knew," Argent answered, folding her hands in her lap. "But I don't think we should do anything about it just yet. He's safe, and I think he's happy. If it is some secret mission then we can't spoil it. If the others know and haven't told us, there must be a reason. If they don't know, then he probably doesn't want them to know anyway. We shouldn't even know, but my friend decided it was important that someone did, and I decided I wanted to tell you lot because I don't think we should keep things from each other. I don't like all this secretive business, what with him being fake murdered and all."
"Well…" Jinx looked at her shoes. "What will we do then? Pretend we don't know? Leave him out there, wherever he is?"
Argent shook her head. "No, 'course not. If anything should come up, we'll be the first ones there. If the others decide to tell us what's going on, then we'll see, but for now…."
"Do nothing." Hot Spot looked downright mad about this.
"We wait," Argent corrected him. "Wait, and be ready."
I hate typing accents, so I didn't. You all know what Argent sounds like, do it in your head. There's a few little 'mysteries' sprinkled into this one as well. What's Slade hiding? Who contacted Argent? Well until I write it, you're all welcome to guess. Anyway, as far as Slade being sold to repay a debt, that actually happened in the comics, right down to the dollar amount. If you would like to read a more elaborate telling of that backstory, check out Anthezar's Warped Identity. Shameless crosspost of one of my favorite fics from one of my favorite people. (Though know the story has been discontinued). This was going to be longer, too, but I decided 18 pages was long enough, so the end of this will be the beginning of the next instead. And, good news, I reworked some things and this will now be at LEAST 27 chapters as opposed to 25, so there's that. If you're dying for more, I have oodles of stories and ideas in my head, and a lot of things are in the works, including a continuation of a one-shot that I have done, which is turning out to be quite long, and will definitely become a three-parter. Can't say when it will be done, but I AM going to do my darndest to finish this one by the end of the year, if all goes well. We'll see. Stay tuned, thank you for reading, and if you liked it, leave a review and tell me why. If you didn't, leave a review and tell me why. Or don't, I guess.