krikanalo: Thank you so much for the ideas! They gave way to (What I think) is the most interesting battle yet! Batman and Slade are finally facing off, and I only hope I did them justice! I really hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you for all your reviews! They really keep me going1
With the help of his father and newfound friendship with Anthony, Dick finally mustered the courage to face his illness head on. With the added help of stronger medication and the tape undoing the hypnotism, he slowly started taking steps forward. Despite the voice of Alec vehemently protesting, he started eating again. At first it was just a bite, but it was something. He started to talk in therapy, which was a huge step. He sometimes felt the voices yelling or screaming at him, but within a few days they started to quiet.
With his son making progress with his health, Bruce shifted his focus to Slade. He lay awake at night imagining how he'd deal with the man. The hero in him knew he wasn't supposed to kill, but the overprotective father in him was just dying to strangle him alive. He mulled it over for days before finally deciding what he had to do.
It was time.
When he went to visit his son that day, he could instantly tell that Dick was feeling better. The boy had finally started smiling again. Dick had graced him with the first one and it was the best gift he'd ever gotten.
Often times when Bruce came to visit, Anthony would be watching and wishing that his Mommy and Daddy would come and see him. He hadn't seen Mommy since before he came here, and Daddy was the one who dropped him off three months ago. It made him miss them even more than he already did.
In reality, though, he didn't have parents.
Anthony Sutherland had been in an orphanage his entire life. Both of his real parents died in a car crash when he was a year old. He had grown up in the orphanage, but no one had ever adopted him. When he was sixteen, he had become desperate for a way out. He had run away from the orphanage and, Lying as expertly as he could, had enlisted in the military where Slade had been working. Slade immediately saw potential for an apprentice in the boy, and had taken him under his wing, to the point of giving the boy his last name as an alias to use if he ever needed it. Anthony had also been the first test subject of Slade's hypnotism tapes. When Jason had come along, Slade had been thrilled, and after having Dick in his sights for a while, he sent Anthony to the mental institution to rid himself of him. Being sent away from the only person he'd ever called family was the last straw, and it had caused False Memory Syndrome, making him believe Slade was his father.
Now, as Anthony watched Dick and Bruce interact, he wished more than anything that he could see his father.
When Bruce Wayne left Gotham City Mental Institution that day, he was intent on Batman bringing Slade back here, much to the unknown delight of Anthony. As soon as Bruce got home, he went straight to the Batcave. As he donned Batman's cowl, he made a vow to himself that today he would avenge his child.
The Batmobile sped off, and he was suddenly thrust flying toward his own personal judgement day.
He parked a few blocks away from the lair, and somehow, despite it being broad daylight, disappeared into the shadows.
He scaled the rooftops, well versed in how to get into the lair. He slipped inside through the air vent, and came out as quietly as only a Bat could manage. He immediately spied Slade staring at the large screen in front of him. Videos from the mental institution were looped on replay as he watched the sinister plan hatch in front of his eyes. Without ever turning around, Slade spoke.
"Hello Batman. Come back so soon?"
"I know about the tapes." The bat replied darkly.
"I'm well aware. How did you enjoy my little magic trick?"
A grunt was the only response he received.
"I'm glad you found it so amusing. I assume, however, that complimenting my fine work is not why you're here?"
"I've come to put you in Arkham." He growled.
"You wouldn't put the father of your son's best friend in Jail, now would you?"
It took Bruce a second to catch on. "You don't have children- only apprentices."
"Now Batman, that's crossing the line. I love my apprentices like they're my children. You, of anyone should understand that."
That was the final straw. "You don't know how to love." said Batman, flipping over and firmly kicking Slade in the chest.
"That's offensive. I was married, which is more than you can say, playboy." Slade said, picking himself up from the ground.
"You may have been married, but you understand nothing about family." Bruce spat as he kicked Slade's legs from under him.
"And you do? The boy who lost his only family at eight?"
That was the last straw. Batman picked up the man by his neck and slammed him into a wall.
"I care for my child. You left yours to rot in a Mental Institution. You made my Son see, hear, and feel things that weren't even there. You were what made him try to end his life. You are no family man. Anthony deserves a better father than you." At the end of the speech, Slade kneed him in the stomach and flipped backwards, kicking Batman in the chin and sending him reeling backward in the process.
"You're a fool to care for your apprentice. Caring makes one weak. That's the difference between us. I have made myself strong, and you have grown weak with caring." Batman leapt up off of the ground and slammed his fist into Slade's face before pinning him to the ground.
"You're wrong. I used to be just like you, thinking that caring would make me weak. In reality, caring for my son has made me stronger than ever. It gave me something to fight for, and gave me more reason to fight against people like you." He said, and slammed the man's face into the ground. He twisted Slade's arm behind his back so hard he nearly broke it.
"What do you want?" Slade spat, trying to ignore the searing pain ripping up and down his arm.
A satisfied smirk was the only answer the Bat gave.
An hour later, Bruce drove the man to the Institution. He watched over him like a hawk, and went in only a moment to give Dick the antidote to the hypnotism. When he finished, he dragged Slade to Anthony's room.
The ear-splitting grin that crossed the boy's face was a reminder to Bruce of what he fought so hard to protect.
"Daddy!" The boy squealed with joy, running up to hug his "Father". The look of discomfort on Slade's face was a permanent reminder that this was the best vengeance he could have ever inflicted- because it was torment for Slade, but pure joy for Anthony, who had a hundred watt smile spread across his face. Bruce figured he owed the child for helping Dick so much.
The smile on Dick's face when he came in to see his friend so happy was all the thanks he needed.