Author's Notes: Fair warning: I've been a hockey fan since I was nine years old, and we're in the playoffs, so you may hear about hockey. Especially since my Cardiac 'Canes eliminated the Washington Capitals in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Wednesday night-in double overtime. This is the first time they've made the playoffs in ten years, and we beat the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. I am still in shock … and beyond proud of them. Their PR director put it beautifully on his Twitter account … 'Three months ago, they said we were out of playoff contention. Three weeks ago, they said we'd get swept in the first round. Three days ago, they said the series was over after 6-0. Three hours ago, we knocked off the Stanley Cup Champions.' We have two games in New York against the Islanders. We won in overtime again last night and play on Sunday, so the boys won't be coming home just yet. This is the playoffs, so anything can happen, but even as we hope to make it to the finals and bring the Cup back to Raleigh, a number of us recognize how far we've come … and will still be proud of our Bunch of Jerks even if the Islanders end up winning the series. Onto the story. So, here we have the opening chapter of 'Deathstroke: Each Man a Quotation,' the third story in the series which began with 'Deathstroke: Crossroads.' And in this prologue, Mayor Jacob Butler reflects on the changes in his town since Slade Wilson's arrival … and all the other changes promised by his presence, even as Jacob himself is revealed to be far more than what he appeared to be; Dory Webster returns from St. Louis with an old friend; while Gideon Wilson and Bastiaan de Vries make their way across the eastern United States, bickering all the way. Of course … do you really expect anything else out of these two? In addition, they learn of a tragic event connected to the unexpected death and miraculous rebirth of a woman.
Disclaimer: Slade and Grant Wilson, Oliver and William Queen, the Merlyn family, and Shado don't belong to me, nor does anything else you recognize (and those seven should be the only Arrow characters who show up). They're the property of DC and the CW (although the characterization of Grant here does belong to me). However, Destine and its inhabitants, plus their respective out-of-town family members, do belong to me. Don't mind if you borrow them, just ask first and return them intact.
Prologue
Unexpected Connections
Destine, Missouri
Early February, 2018
Mayor Jacob Butler sat in front of his computer, re-reading the email from his brother mayor. Ordinarily, he'd be with his grandson on a day like today, but Zach was with his mother (Jacob's daughter) in the city, enjoying the new dinosaur exhibit at the convention center (Jurassic Zone was what it was called, or something like that). Jacob would have liked to join them, but duty called, as it often did. The situation was resolved, but it was too late for him to head to St. Louis to join them, so instead, he was tying up some loose ends he hadn't had a chance to take care of during the week. And now, he was taking the opportunity to re-read and respond to emails.
Over the last few weeks, since he'd first received the email from the young mayor of Star City, Oregon … one Oliver Queen … seeking to establish a sister city relationship with Destine, he'd exchanged many such missives with the other man. By now, he knew that Oliver had a young son, William, who just lost his mother, and that his little sister was ten years younger than he was. He also knew that as Star City was considerably larger than Destine, they had certain problems for far longer … problems that Destine was now starting to develop.
It was his hope that the new youth center … previously an abandoned warehouse … would alleviate some of those problems. But that would only take care of the lost children … his concern was also for those seeking to cause trouble, not for attention, but because they enjoyed the chaos and destruction. Who, in the words of Alfred in one of the Batman movies, just wanted to watch the world burn. He had some idea of what to do about the lost children. But the ones who wanted to watch the world burn? How did he begin to fight back against that?
He didn't know. But he hoped that the sister-city relationship with Star City would help. He would respond to Oliver's email later. For now, he had other paperwork that needed his attention. Including the change of the name of the warehouse to the Stephen Carvalho Memorial Youth Center … the 'memorial' was evidently a last minute addition, as it was penciled in on the paperwork. That was fine … it was penciled in and initialed. According to the update he'd received from Father Rick Gillmore, who'd been helping on the project, it seemed likely they'd open the first of April. Over the last few weeks, working in concert with Slade Wilson and Meg Carvalho (Jacob ignored the pang of guilt that always accompanied the woman's name now), Father Rick often offered work on the warehouse as community service for some of those lost children (and sometimes lost adults) who weren't bad, but really had no purpose. And there was much clean-up to be done. It seemed that after the warehouse was abandoned back in the nineties, it was used as a dumping ground for … many things. Including human remains. Then again, given the proximity of St. Louis to Chicago, maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised.
Jacob turned his attention next to the sheets of paper that followed the name change. That wasn't strictly necessary, but it seemed Father Rick convinced Wilson that it would be helpful. He understood why a moment later … the paperwork contained the staff of the youth center. While Wilson was the owner, Meg Carvalho was listed as the Center Director. Jacob sat back, focusing on his breathing. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel right now … relieved that after rolling down a hill he pushed her down (however reluctantly), she landed on her feet? Aggravated that she hadn't told the Saturday night dinner club what Wilson was doing? Resentment because … hell.
Jacob rested his forehead in the palm of his hand, sighing. He'd done the right thing, he knew that. The people whom he allowed to remain at the law firm, they were all far more vulnerable than Meg. But it didn't stop him from hurting. A soft voice from the door to his office observed, "I see you've gotten to the warehouse name change." Jacob looked up quickly to find Dory Webster standing there. She offered him a gentle smile, adding in a language that hadn't spoken by living people in centuries, save for some priests and villagers in remote areas, "I told you when things seemed to fall apart that everything would fall into place. I didn't know how or when, but I knew it would happen. Meg is where she should be … at the youth center, by Slade Wilson's side. And even her time working at the retirement home is bearing fruit."
"I still don't like it, sister. I don't like manipulating people," Jacob answered in the same language. Dory arched a brow … that remained a bone of contention between them (no pun intended), and Jacob added, "And where have you been? The last time I saw you, it was the same day as the warehouse raid, and you said you'd be back in a few hours. It's been weeks, Sevi'anna." That wasn't, strictly speaking, her name … but it was the closest translation that could be made into English. And Jacob, who was once the youngest brother of Sevi'anna in a time modern civilizations called 'prehistory,' only ever called Dory Webster by that name when he was worried or angry. He wasn't exactly sure what he was right now.
"I had to go to St. Louis, to pick up Rebecca Merlyn. Something pulled her from the afterlife and shoved her soul into the body of an Ecuadorian doctor. She had a minor meltdown in the airport, and has needed some time to really adjust to … everything. She needed me far more than you or anyone else did," she answered. Jacob stared at her in shock … he knew, of course, who Rebecca Merlyn was. He also knew that she died more than twenty-five years earlier. Dory added, looking worried, "And we still don't know if what pulled her out of the afterlife is benevolent or not."
Jacob had been aware that a threat was rising, a threat now just to Destine, but to the entire world. But to hear that a force was capable of pulling the soul of a woman dead for over twenty years (nearly thirty at this point) and putting her in the body of another woman? Dear Lord. How would they be able to face this? Even if the being who took Rebecca Merlyn from the afterlife was benign, Jacob's experience in the modern era and during his first life told him that there had to be an equal opposing force, which meant they would get caught in the crossfire. Not good. Not good at all.
And then his brain caught up with the rest of what his sister told him. He asked, "How is she? More to the point, who is she now?" While the spirit of the woman was Rebecca Merlyn, she had the form of an Ecuadorian doctor, and she had to be experiencing some serious confusion in her new body. And that was probably an understatement of Biblical proportions. Dory sighed and walked further into his office, sinking into the chair opposite him. She looked exhausted.
"Her name is Dr. Veronica Morales, and up until a few weeks ago, she worked at a Doctors Without Borders camp in Aleppo, Syria. She was badly injured in an attack and during the fight to save her life, Veronica died. She died as Veronica and was resurrected as Rebecca. As if that wasn't bad enough, she has many of Veronica's memories … it seems some of the doctor's spirit lingers. And, to make things even more interesting? Veronica knew, and was friends with, one Margreet Anderson Carvalho," Dory answered.
Meg again. It seemed like she was at the center of so much, and he had to wonder why. She was a nice enough lady (and Jacob was self-aware enough to realize that he was the one preventing himself from reaching out to her in the wake of the mess with the law firm), but no one special in terms of the big picture. Then again, maybe her connection to Veronica Morales was a coincidence. That was the least terrifying possibility out of many. He didn't believe in Chosen Ones, or destiny … if only because people chose their own destinies, and this business of Chosen Ones put a huge burden on the shoulders of such people. He asked, "So, what happens now?"
Dory shook her head, murmuring, "Rebecca will lay low for a while. She's not ready to deal with people just yet, not after dealing with airports for the better part of three days … and being, you know, dead before then." Jacob had to give her that. He knew from his visits to the diner that Rebecca had company in the form of her son and Shado … but that was different from life on the physical plane, which had far more noise and unpleasantness. His sister added, "And as for myself, I need to get back to the diner. Where have you guys been eating while I was gone?"
"Giselle stepped in and appointed herself the social director in your absence. I take it you want a status update on what's been going on around here?" Jacob asked and Dory stuck her tongue out at him. Jacob rolled his eyes … mature, big sister, he thought, real mature. However, he began, "Okay, so, I've told you about the supper club. What I didn't tell you about, and what you may already know, is that there's a dinosaur thing going on in the city, at the convention center. You may have noticed it while you were there. It's not an exhibit at a museum, but an animatronics display. I think it's called Jurassic Zone, or something like that. Anyhow, Laura took Zack to it. Apparently, you can 'pet' the dinosaurs. I'm expecting an extremely hyper ten-year-old when I meet them for dinner tonight."
He didn't even bother with telling her about the warehouse and what was going on there. There was more to Destine than that, and he would start with the people he loved most in the world … his only child and her only child. In the end, that was why he went along with turning the warehouse into a youth center. Zack was ten now, but he would grow up … and he might end up needing that youth center in a few years. He had Laura and Jacob now, but as Jacob well knew, anything could happen. If, God forbid, something happened to him or Laura (or worse, both), Zack would need a safety net. And now? He would have one.
DSDSDSDSDSDS
O'Hare Airport
Chicago, Illinois
Approximately the same time
"What did you tell your daughter about the delay?"
Bastian de Vries made a face as he and his partner made their way to their gate. Their business in Philadelphia took far longer than he or Gideon Wilson anticipated … and this time, it had to do with their museum cover, rather than their actual business in the City of Brotherly Love. He was still fuming about it, truthfully, but as Meg's surrogate mother Sissy put it, it was what it was. He answered dryly, "I told her the truth, since the delay was caused by our cover, rather than our true purpose."
Gideon chuckled, answering, "Oh, no, my friend … it's your cover, not mine, I'm just along for the ride, remember?" Bastiaan offered the filthiest look he could manage, making the other man laugh again. Ugh. Why were they friends again? More to the point, why was he inflicting this man on his innocent daughter and even more innocent granddaughter? Because like his son (when Slade was sane, that is), Bastiaan had to admit, Gideon was their best chance at staying alive in light of the chatter they'd heard recently. Something was looming on the horizon, and it was taking aim at the American Midwest. Whether it was a terrorist attack or something more … esoteric … remained to be seen.
"Keep telling yourself that, old friend … just keep telling yourself that," Bastiaan retorted. As they reached their gate, Bastiaan took note. The previous flight hadn't yet left, which meant they had a great deal of time. He asked, "Shall we get something to eat? I know, the prices are far higher, but we have a long time before we board, much less take off." As a general rule, he tried to avoid buying souvenirs or food inside airports, as they had a captive audience. Sometimes, he had no choice … he remembered one particularly memorable mission in Thailand, not long after Stephen's death, during which time he didn't have the chance to buy anything for Meg or Angel whilst they were in the city. He'd not wanted to return empty handed … and the Bangkok airport was his only opportunity to buy anything. Oh, he supposed he could have stopped at one of the many vendors in the street market as he and Gideon chased after someone who supposedly had ties to an arms dealer they were trying to take down (they never found out the truth because this alleged tie was killed before either man could reach him … which led both agents to believe that such ties did, indeed, exist). But he wasn't the sort of man who abandoned his mission or his partner. And so, he bought a bolt of silk for his daughter and a wooden carving of an elephant for his toddler granddaughter.
His daughter would have understood if he'd come to St. Louis empty-handed, of course. Things happened. But she'd just lost her husband, and while his gifts couldn't bring Stephen back, they could (and did) make her smile. That made it worth it. And Gideon still hadn't answered him. Bastiaan looked at his partner, who was studying the TV thoughtfully. Bastiaan elbowed the other man lightly and Gideon murmured, "Did you hear about the attack on the Doctors without Borders camp in Syria?" Bastiaan thought for a moment before shaking his head, and Gideon went on, "A very interesting story. Not because of the attack itself, tragic though it was. No, a friend of mine who works undercover running supplies to the camp told me that one of the doctors, a young lady from Ecuador, was badly injured during the attack. Under normal circumstances, it would have required some time to heal … but during the surgery to repair the damage, her heart stopped. There was no medical reason for it … but her heart stopped."
Bastiaan found this mildly interesting, but hardly worthy of stopping in the middle of a crowded airport. However, he nodded to Gideon to continue. The other man did so, explaining, "Because her heart did stop, because she died on the table however briefly, that set her recovery back. She was evacuated, along with others, to Turkey. My friend was the driver who evacuated them. Now, all of this happened several weeks ago. Take a look at the news report." Bastiaan tipped his head back … and his eyes widened as he beheld the report … and the devastation. He looked at his friend, whose expression was grim. Gideon inclined his head, saying softly, "The camp was hit a second time, mere days after the evacuation of Doctor Morales and the others … and this time, everyone remaining was wiped out. But it's just now coming out?"
"A cover-up? Have you heard nothing from your friend?" Bastiaan asked very softly. He didn't think there was a cover-up … at least not of the governmental variety, not when the annihilation of a Doctors without Borders camp, and all of its patients and staff, made for such a lovely political weapon. And judging from Gideon's expression, he was thinking the exact same thing. But what else was there? And what was the tie to Veronica Morales? Glancing around him, to make sure he and Gideon weren't in anyone's way (it didn't seem so, though the exhausted travelers simply stepped around them if they were in the way), Bastiaan removed his mobile from the inside of his jacket and quickly typed a text message to Valentina Auer.
"Not a cover-up … but someone didn't want whoever worked on Veronica Morales to talk. And no … my friend was reassigned not long after Dr. Morales' evacuation, something he found suspicious as well. And you? Are you checking in with Valentina?" Gideon asked and Bastiaan nodded. It could be something, or it could be nothing. And, it could be that Valentina already had people heading to Aleppo to investigate. Until he heard otherwise, he was heading to St. Louis to see his little girl, just as he planned. It seemed that Gideon agreed, for he said with forced lightness, "Well, before I saw that report, I believe you said something about getting something to eat. That sounds like an excellent idea. So, do we want local or international?"
"Local … give our bodies time to adjust to the change," Bastiaan observed and Gideon smirked. Bastiaan just rolled his eyes. Honestly, why did he put up with this man?
TBC
Additional Author's Notes: In case you're curious, the Aleppo event isn't the mission for the story. It's a result of Rebecca's rebirth in Veronica, and may be expanded upon in a later story, but this story is about the convergence of Gideon, Bastiaan, and Oliver in Destine, and the fallout that results (especially for poor Slade, as both Oliver and Gideon have plenty of stories to share. Then again, Slade and Bastiaan have stories of their own). There will be bridges built here, because those bridges will be necessary in later stories. Also, with regards to Jurassic Zone … there is a traveling exhibition, for lack of a better word, called Jurassic Quest. It's billed as a dinosaur park and dinosaur museum. I attended one day when they were in Fayetteville, and my inner ten year old was beside herself with joy (what? Only boys like dinosaurs? Not hardly!). As mentioned, it involves animatronic dinosaurs, including baby dinosaurs that you can pet. I didn't do that, because there were actual children in front of me, and they were more important. There are also vendors, fossil digs, dinosaur rides, and in the basement of the expo center (which is also where the Fayetteville Comic Con is held), there was a 'habitat' set up with probably fifty dinosaurs. It was awesome and I'd love to go to another one, but the most recent one in Fayetteville conflicted with the Raleigh SuperCon. There's more than just Jurassic Quest, so I made up one as well. Also, I've just about decided to include my own variations on the flash-forwards in the last section of each epilogue. They're more teasers than anything else, leading up to the main eruption in the present day in Destine.
