Long Live the King – Deathstroke's Forced Descent into Villainy
Chapter 13: Naughty Kitchen Boys and Young Squires Get the Stick – Or in Lt Colonal Slade Wilson's Case, the Boot
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Long chapter title; mind the rant! And, now on with the show!
Excerpt from Chapter 12:
Bruce grunted while keeping the man talking. The signal died out, his only resource in locating the haunt. Slade let out a little dark chuckle. "You won't find him, Bruce. Just do as I ask. Make the League turn over my greatest asset. I want what's coming, and you don't want to have to bury the bodies of your younger members of the hero community….do you?" Slade asked almost suggestively, having Bruce's stomach churn at what Slade actually was capable of committing. "Robin surely can't think of it, I can't blame him for being so reluctant around his captor. His, master."
~ Slade! I WILL find my partner…. You will not get a cent owed…even if you do end up turning Robin against the league, do you hear me?? We won't rest until –
"It's far too late, Mr. Wayne for anymore…disagreements to be settled. My protégé needs his rest, so we'll talk again…. some other time…" Slade promised with a hidden smile.
The link died out finally with a crackle; the only thing was…that Robin had been up.
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Slade dropped his gaze at the floor, then leveled his mask to search the screen tentatively. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply through his nose. Kids. They never learned. How did he get out of his room? It was a freaking hidden door!
"Awake, finally?" Slade took to his militaristic pose; hands behind back, turning not once as he awaited the boy's answer.
Robin smacked his dry lips, seeing as he'd not sipped a thing since…the backhand.
"Who…. were you talking to –
"That's none of your concern, young man." Slade turned, hoping the boy hadn't picked up their conversation by a single "hmm."
"I'm not going to be here long." The boy was getting careless, again. His words were nothing but a liar's way out, the way he stood was what showed Slade just how little Robin could beat him at his game. Slade decided to find out just how much he could bend the boy, but later. During a spar, it would be simpler to see that. "What possessed you to leave your room, and without my permission –
Robin blinked, stammering as he'd just woken from a restless nap. "I…uh, that wasn't my –
" Answer me, apprentice." Slade stood with an air of superiority over the boy from his location, a slightly elevated one, while his voice had lowered an octave to startle the child at his mercy. A slight hiss through the mask made Robin shiver involuntarily at the sound.
Robin gulped, making sure to keep to a softer swallow that could not be recognized. Slade saw it, showing that he – the Batman's side kick, was afraid. As that, was to be expected…
"I…was let outside, by an older man who opened my door." Not a lie, the truth.
Slade turned his back to the screens, aha. Will had to spite him. And now? At this hour?? Poor kid was caught in the middle of his drama with the butler. Not a first, seeing as the ward of Bruce Wayne knew all about blaming the cook for the meal. It wouldn't faze his ego. Maybe.
"That gentleman is currently working for me." Slade told the hero. "You'll address that "man" as Wintergreen." He announced the word that did not remind the boy of an alpine scene from a Christmas tale. "Should you two meet again, be aware that I'll actively know what goes on within this "haunt" more than you'd like to believe, Robin. Any changes to your routine, that will be for me to decide, yet your meeting with my staff was, as expected. Humph." Slade huffed a breath, not directing it at the boy but at his own carelessness. "If you are already up, then perhaps we should state the rules for here; before you tried to fight me again, like back in the main area –
"I had to try."
Slade was cut off by the boy's words. Slade then chuckled, knowing his apprentice's words were an ironic misrepresentation of what a hero could be, rather by what he was no longer a part of... "You, had to? Is that it? As in, you had to defy my orders to not speak unless spoken to? And as for your suit; which you tried to remove without my permission –
"I don't like it. And frankly, I don't like that you designed my costume to look like one of your robots'." The boy might have seethed with hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, cheeks beating red, but he wasn't. He was smirking to take away the pain of not feeling IN control. "I don't like the feeling of it on me," He went on to tick the man off, to make him drop his guard? "Ah, or the fact that –
"YOU don't get to decide what works!" Slade barked at the boy, hopping down from the upper level and landing in a crouch not far from Robin's face. Walking over briskly, his steel toed boots were much more nerve racking as Robin turned to start into a dash, but was caught by his arm and flopped onto his one armored knee. Slade tripped him with one leg, as Robin fell to sprawl onto his stomach in just one move. Aikido. Came in handy for unruly children like this one.
Robin gritted his teeth and growled out from his position on the floor, a steel toe at his spine, pushing down ever so lightly. He tried to kick, but Slade didn't deem it as a problem; like swatting flies. That was a problem to Robin. He was also wearing steel toed boots, so why didn't it hurt him??
"Let….me… go!" Robin demanded through clenched teeth; eyes narrowed a bit by the pain.
" Not until you apologize for your indecent behavior." Slade pushed a little more on the Not, earning a sharp cry from his apprentice's lips before removing the boot, replacing it with an even harsher palm and fingers through the boy's dark scalp of hair, twisted the strands without the kid's consent. Robin was let to straddle the floor at this rate. The boy's hair was short, but Slade made quick work as Robin yelped.
"I won't tolerate your disobedience, apprentice; your friends are what is keeping you bound to this place, to me. You won't be rescued, or the Titans will have a rather short future to look forward to. It will be all your fault…That they could have still been alive…" Slade brought up the trigger to eye level, just out of the child's reach. "One word, that's all I want. Say it, and I might be lenient with your punishment this time."
"How…… pant……is this…. any…. better..." Robin's cheek was further shoved down against the stone floor. His face; beet - red by the pressure Slade had on both his arms, the man egged him on some more. "Would you rather see how long I can remain in this same position, boy? Don't test my patience. Apologize, or I will not go back on my word." He threatened, icily.
Robin's stupid pride had gotten him into much worse situations than now – as well as out of them in Gotham for one, but Slade wasn't a real narcissist. He was a strategist who knew how to play his cards just right. He'd never fold…
Which meant, he had to have a breaking point that remained hidden. A perfect poker face…And Robin never did like the Riddler for messing with his brain as a kid. As a teenager, Slade could be just as ridiculous if not worse with his brain teasers. Did he have a calendar on them? He never seemed to know when to stop!
"Su…. sry…." Robin would kick himself later for being a total "klorbag." Right now, that pride was going to hurt his friends, not save them.
"What was that, apprentice? You were about to tell me something…" Slade kneeled a bit lower, inviting in more pain, finding a proper breaking point as Robin's wrists darkened under the weight of two purple bruises. A bit extra, but he was almost there.
Robin took a breath in his nose and shouted it, loud enough to shut the man up for now. " Sorry! Sorry! Okay? I'm…. sorry…" His fight in him had lessened, and Slade could feel the boy's tension tapering off with his annoying heartrate. Save that for the catwalk…
Unless he were a Zen monk in a past life and trained to have his beats remain untraceable, then the boy was not entirely ready to comply with his terms. This one, he had to be though or he'd be out of commission until his wrists healed up. Slade was a meta – partly. He could do far worse, almost even as badly as the Tameran child.
Slade didn't speak, but his arms did remove themselves as Robin grunted and slowly rose to face the exit instead of his captor's masked face. "If you try anything like that again, Robin, I won't hold back." The man forewarned while the boy massaged his aching arms and checked his cheek for any soreness there.
Robin finally, turned his head barely, then nodded to the mad man, before turning away to where Wintergreen's face peered through the open entryway. "There seems to be a problem, sir?"
"Not necessarily, Wintergreen. Robin, my apprentice mistook your generosity for being let go from our deal. We have some ground to cover, so I want him here for a few extra seconds. Robin, look at me, boy."
Robin froze, slowly turning around with a hardened expression on his masked face. Still his cheek was a bit puffy, but only red. His wrists would need some ice later. Slade nodded. "The rules here are as followed; no unsolicited trips within the haunt unless you are instructed to come find me or Wintergreen. That includes anytime; you must not be late."
Robin groaned under his breath, then nodded with a frown.
"You will eat all meals provided to you, have your schedule open while under my guidance; I don't want you to take advantage of anyone's kindness like that again. You've obviously not been taught enough to respect your teachers…"
Well, that was a sting in his backside. Robin's fists gritted, yet his head bobbed again, hating every second of the lecture.
"Between all of your meals, exercise and simulation training eventually, I'll be nearby to review your progress. If you so much as change one fragment of your assignments, I have the right to punish or address this said behavior, as you know…"
"I do." Robin finally spoke, not sounding the least bit defeated.
Right, that's all this was. A power play move, and the Bat couldn't move an inch to assist in the downfall of the Titans.
"You'll address me with respect; Sir, Mr. and Slade are fine for now given the circumstances, yet you'll be denouncing your old teachings soon enough and eventually, the arrangement will become permanent... I won't have your old habits resurfacing during your training, apprentice. I won't allow you to believe even for a second that you can go back. This deal can last, decades even. And you'll keep to it, you'll play your part until I'm satisfied - that you've earned my fullest respect." The man leaned forward with a smile and a playful eye to add, "Maybe to one day even see my face…" He teased the idea, seeing the hero's eyes light up at the prospects, knowing he had the boy hung on that promise fairly easily. "That's all you've wanted all this time; to know who it is that stands before you, holding the life of your dear friends in his palm? Isn't it, Robin?"
"I…Don't know..." The boy lied, not wanting to admit that his dream's warning was there, lying in wait to swallow him up whole. Slade quietly observed that flustered face before continuing. "As for your missions, those will come in time. For now, we'll be sure to prepare you for when you'll have to face…your former friends."
Robin said not a word. He was guarding his emotions, but for how long could he keep up that brave front? He wasn't a hero, not how Slade had pictured the kid in his mind. Batman was lucky to have him, yet how he'd simply been rejected or if he had left on his own accord thanks to his hot headedness…that could be why, so Slade would provide a new outlet. A better thrill to stimulate the child's creative side.
"In a few days, I'll want you to steal a very important piece of technology from Jump City's tech district, uptown." Slade recited. "You'll be training to prepare for any conflicts that may come up, beforehand, only this time there will be no "justice" to speak of." As Robin eyed the man with more contempt and a conflicted hear, he'd been worried to try anything. Just something to give him…Hope. Slade sniffed that feeling out, knowing that he couldn't be trusted. "On what stands firmly in place, what you'll have come to retrieve. That is your payment, and a promise that I intend for you to keep. You may now go." The man; as if casting a spell and then raising it away, let Robin finally move from his spot. His skill was too good, and Batman didn't come close to that sort of persuasive talk…
"Rest, then we'll have our first session to start off a new day." Slade tried to sound reassuring, right after he'd hammered words of such force into the kid's skull to scare him witless. Robin could take it, but could Dick Grayson, would be a later question…
Slade turned his back to the boy to indicate that this was his time to find a decent catnap, right before Slade started lecturing his apprentice a fourth or fifth time…
Robin nodded and let Wintergreen direct him back to his small room, being sure to lock up this time. Not like he hadn't gone behind Slade's back to orchestrate this whole mini "uprising." Heaven forbid, Slade would have to say "the butler did it."
Wilson frowned. Will stood by the doorway and was looked, irritated for some reason. Not a first, Slade decided.
"Was that a part of yourself, holding back? Slade? I'm somewhat impressed that you didn't beat the child senseless – oh, yet forgive me if he feels out of sorts. Was it something I said, you may wonder?" Innocently, Will knew how to play Slade's emotions like a harp. A large one that was, unmoving.
"Forgive me if I failed to see your point in letting the boy wander around the base. Why did you interf –"
"I did so, because if he can't look you directly in the eye, then your apprentice is no more than a caged animal to your plans. A prisoner." Will interjected. "Batman never treated his protégé in such a way, yet I doubt your way won't have any adverse effects on the boy's time here." Will huffed, keeping straight with an eagle's eye, peering Slade's way. The mercenary almost fell back on his last sentence. "Thank you Will, for your input." Slade instead redirected his anger. "I'm…glad you could be a part of this –
"Like I'd wanted to watch you burn in any way that I could, and after your sons –
"Let it go." Slade seethed, stopping the talk with a defensive tone. Atop a ruder one.
The brit had him pegged as the liar here…Damn it!
"Then one – up his mentor, by all means. I won't stop you from accomplishing your mission. Don't be some military tough and whip the boy into shape as you see fit – just remember what you promised. A face, to view? Was that all he wanted from you?" Will raised a brow, readying to retire to the study while Slade stayed brooding all by his lonesome. Slade wasn't going to speak of it. Grant was on the run, how the hell he'd go looking…Could be weeks or months before a lead was found by Squirrels intel team.
"The boy wants to be understood, so you could give that to him. You could, but you won't."
"Not until he's earned my respect." As Slade said this, Will realized the man was now in a soured mood.
"Just watch your words with the Bat, for now. You and he are similar, and it disturbs me…" Will nodded and left the man with a single warning.
"A mother bear is protective of her cubs, even when no harm can be found on her offspring's bodies. You may have your serious intentions for the boy and the Batman in mind, yet recall that he was there first."
Slade groaned and waved on the nosy Nancy. Of course, he knew, Bruce was a parasite as much as Slade was to that child. That was why he had to return Robin's interests to something simpler than being a crime fight, revert his ways…but the tragedy of losing his parents…Slade wondered if he could break the kid from that mantra, that annoying reason of morality and justice that kept the kid suicidal in the first place – willing to die for good ole' Lady Justice, herself.
He'd definitely put a stop to all of that. He had no other options but to proceed as planned. And to use as much force as was deemed absolutely necessary, he wouldn't go back on his word a third time. Or forth.
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Recall that Slade's turn of events is a long road – you'll notice my dipping right into the apprentice arc but this is not it, nope. I'm speeding forward a bit – a journal but not in his own voice, only occasionally. Slade is doing this so that the JLA will back off, he may even have other plans…overseas?? Not telling!! Read on and find out! AND Aikido is the soft martial art form that is still used in self defense, but Slade is a brute. Guess the man plays too much hard ball. Poor Rob. But more so, Batman! Will we see the outcome of Slade' brilliant work? Look alive! Stay curious for the rest!