Word of Honor
Young Justice was on a mission. It seemed simple enough, which was why only four members had been sent. It had been quiet for a while and the team was ready to do something. Especially, Robin. Though it had been over a month since the stolen painting had arrived at Wayne Manor, the police were no closer to finding out who had sent it. Dick and Bruce still thought that Deathstroke was behind it, but they couldn't prove it. Needless to say, they hadn't told the police who they suspected. It would be kind of difficult to explain why the best killer for hire would be sending a stolen painting to a rich man's adopted son.
When it came to Deathstroke sightings, there hadn't been any in a while. While there were times when Dick thought he was being watched, the last time he had spotted the killer was at the art museum. It should comfort the teen, but it had the opposite affect. Deathstroke was good enough not be spotted, unless he wanted to be. Not seeing the killer didn't mean that Deathstroke wasn't still stalking him. Of course, there was more going on in Dick's life than just Deathstroke. Bruce had brought home a new child.
A couple of weeks after Dick's birthday, Batman had caught a street urchin trying to steal the tires off the Batmobile. Dick had been with Young Justice at the time, so he didn't get to meet the boy till he came home and found the 13 year old settled into a room next door to his own. His name was Jason Todd. And just like with Dick, the boy was an orphan. His mother had died from cancer many years earlier. So many years ago that Jason barely remembered her. Jason's father had been murdered recently, but the boy didn't know much more than that. He had been living on the streets since end of the summer. Bruce had already mentioned adopting Jason.
Dick didn't begrudge the other boy a safe home, though he did question whether Wayne Manor was safe with Deathstroke knowing their identities. But with Jason in the house, it made Dick start to think about the future. The teen couldn't be Robin, the Boy Wonder, for the rest of his life. In less than two years, Dick would be an adult. Two years could seem like a long time, but Dick knew that it could pass in the blink of an eye. It felt like last year that he had been with his family at Haly's Circus. Instead, it had been seven years since they were murdered and he came to live with Bruce.
With so much going on, the dark haired teen knew he needed a distraction. And, while the mission was important, it also provided Robin with the distraction he needed. The Justice League had contacted the Team with a mission. It was simple enough. A small team would need to investigate an area near the New York City docks. The League suspected some kind of trafficking. It was the Team's job to find out what kind.
The answer was drugs. Aqualad, Artemis, Kid Flash, and Robin had found a few warehouses scattered throughout the docks that contained multiple crates of cocaine. The drugs were mixed in with other items. Clothes. Toys. Books. The other items were a decoy, to provide a cover what was really being shipped. If you opened the container and looked inside, you'd see the decoy. But if you dug down into the crate, you found the cocaine. As the team found containers with drugs, they marked them. The plan was to call in the New York Police Department to deal with the drugs.
But, while the team checked out all the warehouses, they quickly became separated. There were so many warehouses, the team knew it would take a long time, probably all night and into the early morning, to search all the warehouses if they stayed together. Also, taking a longer time would increase the odds that the criminals who were involved with the drugs would show up. The decision to separate hadn't come easily, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, with his section completed, Robin was looking for the rest of his team.
It was early morning or very late at night, depending on how you looked at it. It was late enough that the only employees that were around the docks were mostly a skeletal overnight crew. The crew stayed at or near the office and they didn't know the teen heroes were at the docks. The first shift employees hadn't arrived yet and probably wouldn't show for another hour or two. Either way, the docks were quiet. Since there were lights only every twenty feet, it also gave the docks an eerie feeling. There were pockets of shadows and light. Normally, a quiet night wouldn't bother the teen hero. But that was before he knew he was being stalked by a killer.
Robin had just left the last warehouse that he had been in. His section of warehouses had been near the water, so as he walked back, he had warehouses on his right and open water on his left. He had just passed an alleyway between two warehouses when he realized he wasn't alone.
"Lost, Richard?"
Quickly, the teen drew out his bo staff and turned. Facing the alley, with the water behind him, Robin watched as Deathstroke stepped away from the warehouse. The killer was wearing his full costume, with the black body armor and orange and black mask. He wasn't holding any weapons, but they were strapped to his back. It had been a long time since the teen hero had seen Deathstroke fully suited, since the night the killer had attacked and injured Robin, that Robin thought it almost seemed odd to not be able to see Deathstroke's face.
"Not at all," replied Robin.
Deathstroke stopped near one of those pockets of lights. He was near enough to the light that Robin could see the man, but the dark suit helped the killer blend a little into the shadows. There was about ten feet between the killer and teen hero.
"I was having a difficult time trying to decide what do with you," said the killer. He slowly walked toward Robin. Ten feet became eight feet.
"You could start with not stalking me," replied the teen. He held his bo staff in front of his body, ready in case the other man decided to attack him.
"Stalking you?" asked Deathstroke, amusement clear in the killer's voice. He stopped walking toward the teen hero. There was less than five feet between them. "Whatever do you mean?"
"The restaurant. The art gallery. I know you had something to do with the damn painting," replied Robin, as he pointed his staff toward the killer.
"That and much, much more, Richard," replied Deathstroke, with a chuckle. "I've observed you dozens of times in the last few months. At school. In the mall. On the streets. I could see you looking around. You knew you weren't alone. You didn't see me, but you knew I was watching."
"What do you want?" demanded Robin. His voice held a combination of emotions. Frustration. Anger. Fear.
"I have a proposition for you," replied Deathstroke. "I think it will work to everyone's advantage. You. Batman. The new boy who just moved in with you."
"Don't you threaten him," replied Robin, furious. He took a step toward Deathstroke, ready to attack the killer, if he made one more statement against Jason.
Slade smiled. Robin could sense it, even though, with the mask, he couldn't see Deathstroke's face. "It wasn't a threat."
"What do you want?" demanded Robin again. Impatience could be clearly heard in the teen's voice.
"You as my apprentice," stated Deathstroke.
Shocked, Robin said nothing. At first, he wondered if he had heard the older man correctly. He had expected Deathstroke to kill him. Or hurt him again. But to want him at his side? That thought hadn't occurred to the teen hero.
"I don't want your answer now," continued Deathstroke.
Quickly, Robin overcame his surprise. "Not interested."
"Richard, I said I don't want your answer now," said the killer.
"Fine, Slade, when do you want it?" replied Robin. "Because my answer won't change."
"Watch yourself, boy," stated the killer, the humor gone from his voice. His voice snapped with barely leashed anger.
"You invited me to use your first name," replied Robin. Determination could be heard in the teen's voice. "Since you've been calling me mine tonight, even though I'm in costume."
"Touché," replied Deathstoke, with a nod. The anger was gone from the killer's voice. "Very well, Robin, I will give you time to consider your answer carefully."
"I don't need time," replied the teen hero.
"Oh, but you do," replied the killer. "Because you won't be allowed to refuse."
"What do you mean?" asked Robin, unsure how Deathstroke could be so sure Robin wouldn't refuse. "If you're thinking about going after my team..."
"I give you my word of honor, I will not manipulate you by using your Team against you," interrupted the killer. "Though I do not promise that they are safe from me, if they attack me."
"Then how can you be so sure I won't refuse?" asked Robin. He mentioned Jason! Is he going to go after Jay? Oh god! I knew it wasn't a good idea for the kid to move in with us!
"If you do not become my student, I will kill you."
Almost as soon as Deathstroke finished his threat, he jumped back just as an arrow slammed into the ground. Robin glanced up. On the roof of a nearby warehouse, Artemis was already notching another arrow.
"Back off, asshole," said the blonde archer.
"Until next time, Robin," said Deathstroke. He took out a small round item. Pressing a button, Robin could hear a loud beeping sound. Deathstroke threw the object toward the warehouse.
"Watch out, Artemis!" shouted Robin.
Realizing the danger, she jumped from the building just as the item made contact. An explosion took out part of the roof and some of the wall of the warehouse. Forgetting about the killer, Robin rushed toward where he had last seen his teammate.
"Artemis!"
"I'm ok," came the reply.
As the dust settled, Robin watched Artemis walk toward him. Quickly, the dark haired teen checked over the blonde for injuries. And, while Robin was looking her over, Artemis was checking their environment for danger.
"He's gone," said Artemis.
Glancing around, Robin could see that Artemis was correct. Deathstroke had left. He had used the explosion as a distraction to cover his escape. But, the explosion had gained the attention of others. Moments later, Kid Flash followed quickly by Aqualad joined them.
"What happened, my friend?" asked Kaldur. The Atlantean examined his teammates for injury before looking at the damaged warehouse.
"Deathstroke was here," replied Artemis. "He threatened Robin."
"Deathstrokewashere? Youok?" said Kid Flash, as he rushed around Robin, checking him over for injuries.
"I'm fine," replied Robin, as he glanced toward the blonde archer. "How much did you hear?"
"Join me or die," replied Artemis.
"What?!" yelled Kid Flash, as he stopped running around.
"We will need to inform Batman immediately," replied the team leader.
With a nod of his head, Robin took one last look around before the team departed.
…...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, I introduced Jason to the storyline, though he will only remain as a background character. In "Satisfaction" we see the image of a Robin – who had died – but we don't know much about him. So, I decided to go with his comic book background.
