Hello! A new chapter :)

Love Story

Chapter 23

"Cyborg?"

"Yes... Sir?" Victor stiffened up immediately.

"Where'd you go?"

"Patrolling duty, sire."

"Oh, really?" Slade strolled up to Victor.

A bead of perspiration trickled down Victor's forehead. No, could this be...

Slade laughed, "No need to be nervous."

Victor sighed in relief. Both of them stood there in silence.

The sky started to groan, promising rain anytime, but it was still light enough that Victor could see the guards stationed around them. Gooseflesh prickled his arms, winding him tight in nervousness and fear.

"Sire, it is late and rain is promising now. Shall you not sleep, my king?"

Slade chuckled, "I understand... You shall take your leave. I wish to be here a little while more."

"I shall take my leave then," Victor bowed and left.

Slade watched him turned in with the corner of his eye and told his guards, "Keep an eye on him."

RxR

"It'll be winter the week after, sir."

"We're running out of food."

"We only had a few dozens of epinephrine and alcohol, my lord."

Bruce sighed and shut his eyes. He hated it but, there's no way out. Trigon, Slade, and the upcoming season had driven him to desperation.

"We're going surrender."

"What?"

Bruce sighed, "There's no way we could win. Our resources are running out."

The kaings of the allied nations and several generals looked at each other. "But King Bruce, whose country are we to surrender."

Bruce stood up, "Gotham."

Richards gasped, "Father!"

Bruce held up his hand, motioning Richard to keep quiet. "I am the one who got all of you into this. I'm very sorry. To be fair, it will be Gotham, my country, that has to be sacrisfied."

"But father—"

"Which part of 'keep quiet' you do not understand?"

"We could—"

"We're about to face a severe food shortage if we don't surrender!"

"We could take shelter in St—"

"Don't even think about it, child. Steel City is Trigion's allied nation!" Bruce breathed out, "We can build a kingdom again, at some other place."

One of the kings cleared his throat and Bruce continued his speech, "So Richard and I will propose the surrender tomorrow. I will also need all the kings to be present during the surrender."

Prince Wally of Keystone City[1] suggested, "Well, you could come stay with us for a while until you get Gotham back."

His father, Rudolph West[2], nodded, "I agree with my son, you need a place to stay."

Bruce looked unconvinced, "I appreciate your assistance, but I am the one who started all of this. I am willing to suufer the consequences."

Prince Wally spoke, "But you still need a place to say."

King Rudolph added, "Well, here's the deal. I provide you with shelter and you assist me with manpower."

"Manpower?"

"Most part of Keystone City is currently under reconstuction. We do not have enough manpower to speed up the construction."

"Hmm..."

"Well if you come to stay for a while, Wally would at least have a buddy. He's restless at times."

"Iit will be most bothering if I stay."

"No no. Bruce, this is what friends are for. I've known you since we were kids. You have always helped me, and now it is time I repay."

"Sure?"

"We are still partners, right?"

Bruce laughed. Everybody grinned, knowing that Bruce agreed.

RxR

"So tough King Bruce finally decided on surrendering, eh?"

"Quit your talking, I'm here to see the king, Slade," Richard seethed.

Slade laughed as if amused, "Trigon? Trigon's dead."

Bruce swore. The other kings looked up, shocked.

"Guess who's the new king, boy," Slade smirked at Richard.

"You...?" Richard anwsered meekly.

"Hahaha! That's right!"

The others became even more shocked. Bruce furrowed his brows.

"So that Victor is right..." Bruce thought.

"Really?" His suspicious conscience asked.

"Oh I know all right, Wilson! Cut the act! I just want to see Trigon! After he sign this," he motioned to the scroll on his hand, "And we'll leave."

Malchior stepped out to meet Slade, "What is the commotion all about?"

Bruce pointed a finger towards Slade, "He's not the king, right?"

Malchior chuckled aloud, "Oh yes he is. Why? Is there a problem with that, sir? Or should I say Bruce?"

"How dare you! Showing completely disrespect to the king of Gotham!"

Malchior gave a smug look, "Oh really? Looks like Gotham's going to be ours, soon."

"Who is to say, brat!"

Malchior looked at Bruce, amused, "For your information, King Bruce, i'm the new prince of Azarath."

"Holy!"

Richard blinked, "What did you say?"

"This is outrageous!" King Bruce bellowed.

Richard stared at Malchior, "Then what about Rachel?"

"She'll be my wife," Slade answered as a matter-of-factly.

Richard cringed at the thought of his Rachel and Slade getting married. Eww... Is this man mentally disabled?

"Now, Bruce, you want to surrender or not. I'll change my mind very soon." Slade added, "I hope you still have an abundant of food and medicine left for the winter."

Bruce clenched his fists and bared his teeth. He really liked to change his mind now.

"Tick tock tick tock... Time is ticking away..." Slade said in a sing-song voice.

"King Slade, looks like d' ol' man changed his mind. Let us proceed back to our dwellings, I see no reason why we should waste our precious time."

"No no no. We must have patience. He's getting old and feeble," Slade made fun of Bruce.

"I... I surrender."

"Oops, I changed my mind."

"What the heck is wrong with you! I have already agreed to surrender Gotham!"

"Too bad, I changed my mind."

"What do you want," Bruce asked sternly.

"Smart."

"Now what is it?"

"You thought that after you surrender Gotham, you could wander around and build your own kingdom again? Tsk Tsk. So naive. I want you and your little people to step down. Retire."

"What!" Bruce eyes' widened. "You want us to be a commoner? You want us to give up our nobility?"

"Unless you want to continue? I still have the resources."

Bruce glanced at the allied kings. He saw fear in them. Fear for their loved ones, fear for the countries, fear for their kingdoms."

The decision is fatal. One wrong step, more people would die. One wrong move, more people would grieve. One wrong decision made, it would be disastrous.

He gave up.

"Fine."

"Good. Good!" Slade laughed maniacally. "Gotham will be mine! And The existence of the Waynes in the countless royal families would be no more"

Richard winced, "Um... Can you just sign this?"

Slade ignored that comment and ordered a page to bring him paper, ink and his quill pen. A brown-haired boy sprinted towards Slade and passed him the stationery. Wilson wrote on a blank piece of paper and signed it. Later, Bruce and Slade exchanged scrolls. Both signed and vowed to the Gods that King Bruce surrendered his country, Gotham, to King Trigon of Azarath and that King Bruce cannot take the country back without a war. Bruce also vowed that he gave the Wayne's (including Richard's) royalty and nobility up in exchange for peace between Azarath union and Gotham and its allied nations.

"Good. So Gotham is mine now, dear," Slade smirked. "I'll help you look after it."

[1] Well... Kid Flash comes from Keystone City, right? There's so many 'Flash' in DC comics that I got so confused.

[2] Kid Flash's father's Rudolph West, right?

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