Have to say that I am having fun with this story, but I'm also quite conflicted about some of the arch's I have planned. Should have chapter three up sooner rather then later, and it might have some flashbacks of Dick's training with Slade.

Letting everyone know that we are on twitter now too, see the bottom for our handle; to know what we are up to go follow us there for sneak peaks at upcoming chapters or stories like what we are going to be doing over on Wattpad and AO3 real soon.

Sending out another call for a beta or someone with better DCU knowledge then us.

We don't own anything; if we did life would have been much more entertaining.

Chapter 2

Back to Gotham

"Time to wake up boy, I think you've slept long enough don't you?" a somewhat familiar voice said, my body felt heavy but oddly enough as I began to wake up I felt no pain even though I knew I should as my memories come back to me. Blue eyes flew open as I remember dying next to the man I had killed but somehow I didn't feel panicked so I started to take in my surroundings as I calmly take in the white room I seemed to be in until my eyes found the source of the voice that had woken me up. "Easy boy, take your time and drink some water" the man said motioning towards a cup of water next to the hospital bed I found myself in, even though I somehow knew that I was nowhere near a hospital.

Slowly sitting up with a watchful gaze locked on the man whom I now noticed had an eye patch over one of his eyes, I slowly reach for the cup and bring it to my mouth taking a quick sniff just to be sure before tipping it back and drinking the cool liquid. "Smart boy, but it won't matter if it was poisoned. Not anymore at least" he said with an amused huff, his words made me even more distrustful of him then I already was.

"My name is Slade Wilson and I am the one who saved you after you took out my contract" I lowered the cup of water as I frowned at him, "c-contract?" I asked with a hoarse voice, it felt like I haven't spoke in days which made my eyes go wide with fear. "h-h-how long?" I asked my voice now betraying my fear, the man though didn't give anything away as he calmly met my wide eyes and said, "You've been unconscious for about 23 days, but that is mostly because of the procedure that I used to bring you back from the brink of death" his words hit me like a truck as I listen to them. Taking deep breaths to try and calm myself like my sisters had taught me, I did my best to try and wrap my mind around 23 days of missed time.

He reached out a hand and put it on my shoulder which brought me out of my shocked daze, "I have a lot to tell you, but before I do though there is something that I wanted to ask you if that would be okay?" his words were soft and his voice gentle as I listened, nodding my head when he finished, I waited for his question. "Why did you kill that man?" his question caught me off guard for only a moment before it was replaced with the anger I felt towards the man he was asking about, "He was mine to kill" I said without fail and watched as he looked into my eyes with his one grey eye as if searching for something.

Whatever he had been searching for he must have found it as he nodded and smirked, "Good answer boy, so now it's my turn to tell you some things" he pulled back and sat at the end of the bed looking at me. "As I told you my name is Slade Wilson, but the people who employ me know me as Deathstroke the mercenary and assassin" he began and kept his gaze locked on me to watch my reactions which flickered between surprise and fear as he continued. "I was contracted to kill Tony Zucco but you beat me to the punch which I took advantage of by saying I made the kill" he stopped again to let me take in what he was saying, though I found myself calmly nodding for him to continue I was beginning to worry about the reason why he chose to save me.

"You died in that warehouse, I made sure to make it look like both you and Zucco were killed by the explosion of the bomb he had been there to retrieve" I was confused for only a moment by his words before it dawned on me that he had created a cover story to help me fake my death. "Who ever you were before died with that hatred I see inside of you, and the reason I did that is also a question for you, you impressed me and not many people can do that which is why I brought you back here to save your life. Will you become my apprentice, will you let me teach you everything I know so that you can have the skills to go along with that look in your eyes and your impressive potential?" his question had me stumped.

Not once in my life had I considered what I would do if or when I got my vengeance, but now suddenly I was given a choice similar to the one I had wanted from Bruce. This time though someone was offering to teach me without being asked to and it made my head spin as it threw me for a loop.

This man who was clearly very dangerous wanted to teach me what he knew and to my surprise I wasn't afraid or even opposed to the idea, "I want to" I found myself saying sounding way too eager and my honest words made him smile. "Good, then I can tell you the reason that you're alive right now despite being at deaths door in that warehouse. I used a serum derived from the one in my own blood to bring you back from the brink" I could barely believe what I was hearing but listened without interrupting as he trusted me with a secret I knew would rival Bruce's. "Aside from healing you it has also enhanced your body to be better then it was before. You will be faster, stronger, calmer and be able to focus more, your mind will become sharper and as the years go on and you continue with this procedure you will continue to grow even more powerful then you are now" he stopped and took a breath and I had a feeling that there was something else that he wanted to say, something that would make it all seem small in comparison.

"The serum I gave you is the result of years of research and perfecting, it's much better and stronger then the one that I had been injected with long ago. Whereas mine slowed down my aging considerably I suspect that yours should you which to complete it will make you immortal once your body stops growing" I gripped the sheets of the hospital bed tightly as he just told me that I was going to be immortal, or might be once I stopped growing and or completed this procedure he was talking about. "I had created this serum to give to my future apprentice so that they could one day surpass me, and from the potential I see in you I can say that I would be proud to have that person be you if that is still what you want" His words didn't betray anything and it made me nervous that I had no idea what might happen if I pulled out now.

I took my time thinking about it and he could see that I was at least not rushing into anything which he seemed proud of oddly. There wasn't really any reason not to take his offer and learn from him, I mean its not like I haven't killed before since Zucco hadn't been the first one but instead the fifth. I knew that I had to try it once before going after my parents' murderer so I picked a few of the men that worked for him and got used to the feeling of taking a life so that I would not chicken out when the time came. "I still want to be your apprentice, sir" I said after clearing my throat and making up my mind, I watched as my answer seem to please him, "Excellent, during the next few years I will train you and you will complete the procedure which will make you the best in the field" was all he said before standing up and leaving me alone with my thoughts. And all I could think about now was how many more Zucco's there were in the world and how I would enjoy hunting them all down like I did mine.

Time skip

4 years 6 months later

Gotham hadn't changed much, it was still a shit hole, but it was still my shit hole "Home sweet home" I said as I looked out over the city from my perch of my old home, my old garden behind me with the tree I planted standing strong and tall like I was. I look down at the street below me and smiled as I saw the familiar figures of my sisters meet each other at the entrance. Before I had left back then with my master I had asked him to take my knife and bring it here so that my sisters could at least know that I had survived and would someday come back.

When I had returned to the city I made sure to send out the invitations to let my city know that I was back and that I was going to make it bleed. The public death of the major and five corrupt cops was enough to tell people that someone was making moves, the fact that two crime bosses were also found dead was just a fun side dish that people over looked. Four blue roses were the real invitations, one for my parents and one each for my sisters who must have been surprised that someone had managed to sneak into their homes and plant them on their beds. I didn't even have to leave a location since they only bloomed here thanks to Ivy who had made them for me because of my eyes.

My black and orange suit made them hesitate when they reached the garden, the two tachi on my lower back and the escrima sticks at my upper back along with the specialised pistols on my thighs made them pause and be careful as they watched me. "I take it you're the one who lured us here with these roses" Selina said taking a few steps forward while Harley and Ivy began circling to my sides. I turned to face them now as I stood at the ledge, a single step back between me and the ground below. "I thought it would be a poetic way to tell you that I came back" my words made them stop and look at me so I decided to rip the band aid off and get it over with.

A steady hand went to my mask and removed it causing them to gasp as they saw blood red eyes look at them for a moment before they turned the bright blue that they remembered them as, and I could see both Ivy and Selina get teary eyed while Harley just looked shocked. "It been a while huh" I said taking a few steps forward in preparation for what I knew was coming, I barely finish clipping my mask to a shoulder hook before all three of them rushed me and pulled me into a bone breaking hug. "Your really alive" one of them said but I couldn't tell who as I hugged them back and let my own tears of happiness fall. We stayed like that for a long while as we made sure that we were really real and not just a happy little dream.

Finally Selina and Ivy pulled back but Harley just stayed glued to my side like she normally did all those years ago, "I have a lot to tell you guys, though I would have to be able to move for that to happen Harley" I joked tapping her arms that were still wrapped tightly around me with my hands. She looked up at me with a look of practised fake hurt before saying "Like I could squeeze you that hard Mr. I've got muscles now" I chuckled at her which finally got her to let go, it must have shown her that despite looking so different now I was still the little boy they had known deep inside.

"Where have you been all these years?" Selina asked with a steady voice even though her eyes betrayed just how untrue that was, "I found something like my calling I guess would be the best way to describe it. But if you want the longer version then I guess you can say I found someone who saved me not just from that warehouse but also from myself, someone who gave me a new purpose after I had none left" I said clearing my throat. They watched me carefully to try and find what it was that clearly made them feel uneasy around me, but I trusted them enough to share with them who I really was right now, "My master, Deathstroke" the surprise and fear on their faces showed me that they knew damn well who I was talking about.

"Deathstroke saved you, the best assassin in the world. That Deathstroke?" Ivy asked most likely hoping that it was some other Deathstroke that had, "No the one who owns a flower shop by the warehouse from that night… yeah that Deathstroke" Harley barely contained her laugh and Selina smirked at my joking tone while Ivy looked like she couldn't decide to slap me or turn me into fertilizer. We just stood there until Ivy herself couldn't help but smile as she saw the mischief in my eyes, "You're going to have to tell us everything, and I mean every little detail mister" she finally said putting her hands on her hips, the action made me smile even more then I already was because it reminded me of the times she had scolded me and it made me feel like I was finally home, "I intend to" I told them motioning to the benches that were in the garden.

Sitting here with them again after so long just drove home that feeling of belonging that I had missed all these years, not to say that I didn't feel at home with Slade because I did, but the feeling of home I got from him was different; something I didn't quite know how to express just yet. Taking a deep breath to collect myself I started to tell them from what I could remember from that night which wasn't much because of the amount of blood I had lost; moving on from that night I continued from waking up in Slade's safe house here in Gotham to us moving to one of the islands where he had another safe house. The memories of learning from Slade always left me feeling proud because of how far I had come from the 8 year old clueless boy that had ran away and nearly gotten himself killed because he wasn't prepared for the world.

"So you're his apprentice now, does that mean that you are like him now?" Harley asked, I knew what the question meant since they had wanted me to just be a normal kid or at least as normal a kid as I could have been after I did what I set out to do, "I guess you can say I am still an in training mercenary and assassin, but master says I have potential so it won't be long before I am his partner instead" I knew it was all a big shock to them still and it would stay that way for a while. "That is part of the reason I came back here, to complete several contracts master gave me and also to make whispers about me. Mostly though it was because I missed you guys" Harley plastered herself to me again as that last part was said, "You had better have missed us. And you better know that we'll help you with these contract right girls" Harley's words weren't even a question as I saw the other two nod, "You better tell us about these contracts" Selina said getting on board even though I knew that she had a no killing rule.

I returned Harley's hug by putting an arm around her shoulder not missing the small wince she let out, but I chose to ignore it for now because I already knew the reason behind it. "I have five contracts in the city, two of which I already completed before calling you over" Selina gave me that look she normally only had on when she was disappointed with something or in this case someone. "Are all of these contracts about killing?" she probably guessed about the first two, "The major was one, the two crime bosses and their contacts in the police where the second. Beside those two I still have one theft, one kill and one escort" I knew that between all of those it was the escort mission that had me worried the most but hopefully if my plan worked out then it will be easier.

"Care to fill us in on what these other three are?" Ivy spoke up looking worried, I couldn't blame them though because someone they still saw as that little blue eyed boy was suddenly talking about stealing and killing like it was no big deal.

"The theft is easy enough, all I have to do is steal some kryptonite from Wayne" Selina knew just like me that this one wasn't going to as easy as I made it sound, "But I thought that I would use the kill contract first to make sure that Batman will stay out of my way" I knew how this must sound to them but I didn't want to tell at least one of them who the real target was because I didn't want the questions that came with it.

"Please tell me you're not hired to kill the bat?" Ivy asks, the concern clear in her voice; "No he's not the target but I am thinking of using the contract to ensure that he won't get in the way of the other two" how I would do that I would leave up to them to guess, I mean just because I trust them doesn't mean that I will tell them all of the details about my new job or life. "If everything goes according to plan then I shouldn't be here for more then a week or two" Harley hugged me even tighter trying to make sure I couldn't disappear again.

"If you need help with these contracts you can ask us for it… we might not agree with this new job of yours but you're still our little brother and we'll always support and help you no matter what" Selina always did know how to make me feel loved without outright saying the words.

"Yeah what she said, you're always going to be our little bird" Harley let me go so that she could give me a strong pat on my weapon clad back. "We're family, and without you we wouldn't be. You're our glue little brother and we'll never let you go" I gave Ivy a tear filled smile when she said that.

This was my family, the people who would stand by me no matter what choices I made in my life. My parents had been the last people who had made me feel this loved and safe before they died, but now I found something like it again and this time I wasn't going to let anyone hurt my family again, this time I was strong enough to protect them and I will lay waste to anyone who would try and get between us.

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Written by Incubi. Work is at AO3 and