Long Live the King – Deathstroke's Forced Descent into Villainy
Chapter 12: In Quicksand
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This is inspired by the lyrics from Incubus's, Quicksand from their album Light Grenades. I'd forgotten about this, but then this song gave me a way to pull from my minor freeze – up. So, all respected lyrical inspiration comes from this artist's own mind, and I'm just putting Slade in that box to be judged until further proven guilty.
Enjoy! Part two!
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~ Okay, now the monster is awake
It won't rest until there's nothing left
Maybe ever and none
I forget about the pain
Someone bending light comes along
The flowers lean towards the sun
Some people fall in love and touch the sky
Some people fall in love and find quicksand
I hover somewhere in between I swear
I can't make up my mind ~
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Speaking of quicksand - infested jungles, the Lt. Colonel in his prime had lived through such an ordeal.
Addie's crew had been ready for anything, he really thought nothing could clip his wings.
It wasn't until shell – shocked hit the fan; Slade had witnessed tragedy after tragedy. He'd caused the same problems that he'd chosen to fix at one point, only to turn back on his word. He was about to take the next step. Mold a piece of hard, unmoving clay to perfection, and for what?
That question was two – sided. For one, he wanted the boy in his court to toss that ball to without worry. Yet, the second he got closer to the goal –
What happened then? What was to be expected of this, deal?
What was to come, was that the Batman could not step foot into his city to see to the boy's safety without HIS permission.
The Titans, would be divided, finally.
All he had to do now, was wait.
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~ Just because we're trying to catch Slade, doesn't mean you have to act like him! ~
Slade watched the screen and felt a smile form, as his earlier frown had since vanished. Maybe that little whelp was actually alive for GOOD reason. He could guilt trip his teammates BECAUSE of his loose lipped stupidity.
Robin needed to be reminded of who they were trying to stop from doing away with their precious home.
Ah, he liked feeling like a winner.
It was about to get even better…
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The boy had the tip. Cinderblock had been a marvelous distraction and Slade applauded how the boy had taken on the giant which was…twice his body weight.
What would Robin say to Slade's fighting technique? He was, almost curious. Almost, as the cameras pulled up an image of a not so simple explosion at his door.
Ding – ding.
Delivery?
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"Robin, welcome. I've been expecting you for some time." Cool, and he's at my mercy, is what the villain in his head believed he should be thinking, and thus he put on his mask to avoid any suspicious titans from picking him apart for answers. The boy was too fixated on his goal. From his obsession, to look away now would be, insane. The boy was in too deep, suffocated by the dredging wetness as dense as tropical quicksand. He was standing there, facing the man in his nightmares from a few hours ago. Now, the game had changed.
Slade was a mercenary right now, second. He was a mastermind, first and foremost and he wanted to test the waters right away before they both cooled off. The men were ready to go all out; the boy was not yet at his fullest potential, sadly, while he kept getting socked in the gut by Slade's grueling gauntlet. Knocked around like a rag doll. At least, until Slade's little "ticking clock of a gear laden brain" put together another, sick change…He had a way, he'd try that. Yeah.
The boy rioted onto the balls of his feet and came at him. Jaw back, sweat, spittle through his iron grates could be seen clearly. Slade mentally ungraduated himself for learning mime in only a day's time. Be the punching bag. Give the boy what he wants….as if he could leave a real mark, Slade was socked back hard without mercy, with a clatter to the ground. Imitating his robots' functionality, the man waited for Robin's breathing to become even as the child went to walk over and claim his prize. The false detonator. The, false?
Slade made sure to let the kid focus on that mechanical flop as he slowly, quietly rose with the gears above being his own noisy cover.
"It's over, Slade!" The boy proclaimed with a growl in his voice that he'd won; that Slade had been beaten as easily as a knight slaying a blood-soaked dragon.
"On the contrary, Robin…" Slade made sure to give his best impression of a sinister enemy to keep that title golden. The device fell to pieces with sparks and bolts and wires in Robin's green – gloved grip. The boy looked up; eyes wide below the mask while Slade simply readied for his last big reveal of that evening.
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"This, is only the beginning."
"Where's the real trigger??" The boy was panicking. Slade could sense it from across the room.
"Trigger? There is no trigger, because there is no detonator."
The boy held himself, but the words had already come. He was already sinking as far as he could wallow out. The quicksand had already taken hold upon his battle with the lug Cinderblock. He'd stepped into the mad man's trap, knowing full well what was at stake, but not what the man had really wanted all along.
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"For some time now, I have been searching for an apprentice…." Hissed the man as he came closer to the bemused boy wonder. "Someone to follow in my footsteps, and Robin? I've chosen you…. Congratulations." Slade's extra added manner of impersonating a man with a snake's tongue in Robin's eyes, was truly terrifying. The man was no more a devious monster than he was a mastermind or criminal, but Two – Face had never even come this close, let along the Joker…
This, was incredibly bad. But… Why? Why did this have to happen? Only Slade held the answer. Only HE held onto the boy's one way out, and Robin refused to pry until it was time to get out, to escape.
But…
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The probes; Slade had planned it all in advance. He looked to Wintergreen that afternoon while Robin had just landed himself some time in his new room within the haunt to sulk and rest. He had to accept this new fate, or that wouldn't be all the child could come to lose.
His identity. His family, and any information on the Justice League was attached to that kid, but Slade had a plan to take things slow. To have his apprentice become used to the fact that one day he'd be holding a gun and not just a bo – staff.
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This step and direction to Slade with building his "glorious empire" did feel a tad rushed, Wintergreen had lectured the man about trying to go after a league member's protégé as collateral – he was going to ask the Justice doers for amnesty from his crimes…with the right incentive. Well, he'd break a deal with the rodent and then maybe by then the boy would already be swapping his loyalties.
He was not the bat's brat right now. He was Slade's apprentice as of today.
And thus, Slade had to move in a brand-new direction. A direction that would lead them no sooner back to Gotham city, and Robin would be forced to face his mentor with eyes wide opened at the consequences of the boy's own actions.
It was, a messier arrangement than he'd planned for. Heck, if only the boy gave up his friends' safety, then he could move forwards as he had been!
Robin was reckless, stubborn, but unbelievably bright. Gifted, maybe with the right teacher. Slade's role was as a jailer and a mentor, and that…was a contradiction that the boy was already aware of plenty.
Slade eyed the haunt's many monitors and saw Robin kick the wall next to his bed out of sheer frustration, before crawling under the covers while silently holding back any sniffles...as he in need of something more productive to do?
"Wintergreen. See to it that my, apprentice has something to eat, a shower, even a chance to use the gym." He got up. Something was pulling him away, but he had to remain here. "I'll be in the common room, I have one more call to make."
Will nodded and got to his feet. "As you wish, sir. But really, do remember that the young man you're tormenting still has to earn that trust in order for you to properly see to his attitude...and with the boy's former mentor..." He stopped there.
"It's why I need time to think, alone." Slade nodded back and left William to his task. He had his own words to spout to a rather miffed and concerned vermin back in the city of everlasting chaos. He'd kept his word, but would the not so noble Mr. Wayne keep to the same means for a solution?
Good, and anyway he'd make a point now, and later he'd win their bet. Hands down, this was only.just the beginning.
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"I'm getting far too bold with this..." Slade rubbed the back of his neck and bit his lip. With the screens still loading up, the gothic male's face returned, and Slade's two-toned mask stayed in place this time, held together to never let him breathe out that stale air as he wished to desperately.
Right there, as Batman didn't delay.
~ Wilson. Slade…?~ His eyes narrowed, knowing trouble when he sensed it.
As if he expected terrible news to come. Perceptive, for a rodent. Slade always respected the vermin. Somewhat.
"Batman." Slade purred his greeting out. "I thought just find the time to drop you a ring, to let you know that I've kept willfully to our bet, and I believe you'll be owning up to your part very soon…"
Bruce's eyes widened a bit below the cowl. He was out, the wind could be heard in the backdrop of that slate grey, city sky line.
~ You. Didn't…Wilson. ~ Bruce took in a gulp of air. ~ I told you to drop the act; that Robin won't be –
"He can't say no. Not, right now anyway…" Slade tilted his head a bit to show just how much fun making the man mad was making him. He was loving every second, and loathing every minute as the shadow that fell over the Bat's eyes was rather ominous.
~ You'll undo whatever underhanded job you've set out to accomplish. I won't let you get away again, that was my promise. Not this tim –
"Didn't we metaphorically…. SHAKE on it? Bruce?" Slade's eye narrowed to a slit, making the Bat follow his example; without having to hop on a plane to deck that smug relic, and certainly not right in old Slade's last orb. Bruce couldn't leave. Slade was goading him. Playing him as...Robin had to be alive.
Only his ex wife had the pleasure of taking the man's other eye without blinking, but Bruce blinked right then, so Slade dubbed that he wasn't worthy of leaving the merc blind and half functional. Heck, that wasn't true to Gotham. But Jump? Slade's new territory?
"You're taking things too far, daddy bats. Oh, is that what you think this is? A, job? I would prefer to.think of it...as a challenge, vermin. That the boy isn't as ruthless or underhanded, not enough to change his mind one day? Will he ever? Hmm? I beg to differ, actually." Slade raised his face to the bat, who gritted his own teeth and knew...that he couldn't leave his post.
Oh – no. Gotham was going to miss their only savior if he left! No more Robin, and certainly not a Batman to step in…Hmm…
"He's a powerful force to be reckoned, if given the proper attention, maybe a threat…did you not teach him to fight to keep himselg alive? He can't even protect himself properly, Bruce." The words seeped in and seemed too real. Wayne had fought Deathstroke in a few different cities, in Gotham a few times as well…But, never like this had he seen the man so determined to have something as valuable…as a life.
~ Why are you doing this? ~ The question almost made the big bad villain stutter, but Slade refused to let the dark knight see him bleed out in the open.
"Why? Hmm…That is the one biggest question, isn't it." The villain brought a gloved gauntlet clad hand to his chin. "Why, you ask am I taking the boy from you to train him? Trap him? Well, that's an easy answer. It's because I can. And because I NEVER go back on my promises. Not ever, again, Batman."
Bruce grunted while keeping the man talking. The signal died out, his only respurce in locating the hanut. 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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My take is a bit far – fetched but just roll with it! What if Robin had talked to Bruce after the probes incident but it all came to light? Well, there might be some proof or maybe Slade likes to side step the Bat. Will be coming on to next part. Stay curious! Read on for how DS covers his bases to make a name for himself – this is as he said, only the beginning. JLA and Titans references will be injected into this story's plot so stick around!