Forgotten Bonds – Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty
Changes and Adjustments

March 13th, 2009. Friday, 6:43 am.

The wind blew through Slade’s pure white hair as he stood on the rooftop of the haunt, which looked over the bay of Jump City. The horizon over the ocean was beginning to lighten as the morning began to rise behind him. The azure rich blue blanketed the sky, melding with the ocean line.

Slade was pensive; thoroughly deep in thought as he remembered the most recent event. He had been quite shocked to see the Teen Titans bursting into his haunt, but what had surprised him even more was that Dick had been running away from them.

Slade couldn’t understand it. Yes, he knew that the two of them had reached a point beyond anything he could’ve imagined. Sometimes, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. He had actually adopted the Boy Wonder, thus making the boy his son and in turn, Slade his father – and that very same boy had gladly accepted it. In fact, he had signed the papers so fast that it had made Slade’s head spin.

They had come such a long way.

But Slade hadn’t fully realized it until the boy came running back; fleeing from his friends to find solace in Slade. It was unimaginable, but it had happened. And Dick wasn’t brainwashed at all. It was of his own free will and choice. Slade could take no credit for that.

And when the boy took off his mask, Slade had seen his answers. Those crystal blue eyes, that were so dazzling in color, were swarming with fear and shame. Perhaps even a little hope – hope that Slade would read his eyes and understand what words could not speak out loud. That was how much trust Dick had placed in Slade; how much he trusted him fully and completely with all his heart.

Once again, Slade found himself very sobered by that.

He had spent an hour sitting on the floor next to the boy. Dick seemed to have melted completely when Slade had extended his arm around him; instantly turning to him for comfort. The boy had gone silent for a long while, until Slade noticed that he’d fallen asleep; his chest rising and settling slowly as he stayed curled up at Slade’s side.

What Slade saw there was a little child dressed up in a grownup suit.

It was more than apparent to Slade that Dick needed a father more than anything in the world – more than friends, more than hero work, more than life itself.

And he had chosen Slade for that role.

Why he had, Slade couldn’t even begin to imagine. Slade doubted that any other child would’ve grown this close to him – no, Dick was unique; special beyond anything Slade had ever encountered.

Dick was a child – a child who longed for someone to protect him, for someone who would guide him, for someone who would love him, for someone who would do everything in their power to care for him.

But Dick would never truly admit it. The boy would still try to put on that suit and act like an adult. He’d still try to act like he was a grownup in a child’s body – no doubt about that. It had been trained into the boy for far too long, due to the absence of his parents and the training he had received under that bat. The boy had to act like he’d grown up, so that he didn’t need to rely on something that wasn’t there and that perhaps he believed would never be there.

But that didn’t change the fact that Dick truly needed guidance in the normal ways of life. Despite having a high school degree at such a young age, he still needed someone to push him along in the right direction. He still needed someone to hold him when he felt pain; he still needed the comfort that only a father could bring him. He was young and impressionable. No matter what, he needed the influence that a proper father could give him.

And so, Slade’s thoughts had been completely overrun with what he should do with the boy. He had been careful not to wake him as he lifted the boy in his arms to place in his bed. Slade had decided not to remove his suit as to not wake the boy, but he did remove the armor.

There had been a quiet moment where Slade had gazed down at the sleeping profile, carding fingers through raven black hair, of the young child he’d stolen away to be his apprentice. However, that boy no longer appeared as such. Everything had changed. Slade no longer viewed this boy like that.

This gentle, strong, kind, sensitive, special child was his son. Slade completely viewed this boy as his own, as if he had sired the child himself.

The wind gently ruffled through Slade’s hair again, the salty air of the sea wafting through his senses.

He was coming to a deep conclusion and he found himself wishing it was one he had come to a little sooner in his life. If perhaps he had reached this point before the decimation of his family, then maybe he’d still be the father of his first three children.

But now he was the father of one and that one seemed to need him more than anything Slade could’ve ever imagined – even more than his first three children combined. He wasn’t sure what it was, but his heart had completely changed since first bringing Dick into his haunt. What had caused the change? When had that change occurred? Was it one exact event that brought Slade to this point?

What could have caused Slade, an immortal incapable of change, to feel the very segments of his soul realigning and adjusting for the boy?

Had it just been the simple daily things, building on top of each other; culminating into one whole big picture? The more Slade thought about it, the more he realized his mistake in the past.

Yes, he had been a decent father. He had been involved in their lives. But there were times when he just wasn’t around, due to his contracts. He missed things, many times, in their daily lives. He hadn’t spent the normal amount of time a father should have; coming home every night to be with his family. He never was home all day, every day. He never spent every waking hour in their presence.

But that’s how it had been these past months.

In the effort to train and mold the boy, Slade had spent every waking minute with him. He had given the boy free time; but as time moved on, Dick many times chose to spend it with Slade. During all this time, Slade got to learn every tiny detail of the boy’s personality and quirks.

Little things, like the way the light brightened his eyes when he was learning something he was interested in; or the way his eyes flittered back and forth when he was up to something mischievous; or when pain entered those startling eyes that they glimmered like pure gemstones – Slade could keep going on. He knew everything.

In reality, he knew little about his biological children.

He had trained Grant in the hopes that his son would one day become his partner, but not like the way he had been training Dick. He had given Grant many independent studies and his son had flourished best that way. Grant had enjoyed learning martial arts very much and most of his lessons had come from a local dojo. But Slade had given his son personal lessons and found that he had quite a bit in common with his eldest.

And Joey; well, Slade actually knew little about his second son. They had been decently close, but Slade hadn’t understood the boy’s love for art and music. But he had supported Joey in his love and Slade had very much appreciated his son’s beautiful voice. That was one of the few things in life that could tear Slade’s heart out – the knowledge of that voice being ripped away forever.

Rose… She had been too young for Slade to see all the little things. She had spitfire, like Wintergreen enjoyed saying. And she had been impossibly intelligent for being so young; highly interested in science and the like. She had the kindest smile and the brightest eyes. She loved living things so much and she had always hated it when Grant and Slade went hunting.

Slade found himself wishing that if he could do over that time period again, he would devote every waking moment he could to spending time with those three children. But fate had dealt him a hard hand in the consequences of his choices.

Somehow, Slade didn’t want to make the same mistake twice. He could fully admit it to himself: he cared about Dick – very much so. Desires that Slade had once had were slowly fading into the void as now the desire of ensuring Dick’s happiness slid into place. It was his focus now; his resolve. He had taken the boy in – well, he had stolen him, but that was beside the point – and now it was his job, his responsibility to raise him.

He had done a poor job the first round – he fully understood that. Somehow, Slade felt he finally had the ability to change something. Now Slade was prepared to adjust himself so that he would not fail this time around. After all, he hated to fail just as much as he hated to lose – and losing that child was not an option, neither failing him.

So, that was that. He now fully had his resolve.

Slade was going to be a proper father.

The breeze descended in a trilling flutter, gently enveloping him in its soft caress. A pleased sensation flowed over Slade’s entire soul; coupled with the greatest sense of peace that Slade had ever experienced in his entire life. The acceptance of his sudden culminating decision brought an overpowering feeling of fulfillment; something he hadn’t felt in years, if at all in his life. He had to take a deep breath of fresh air to clear his mind. It was completely intoxicating, the feeling.

It almost gave him chills.

He had always felt a void in his life. It lessened greatly when he spent time with his family, but he had never made the connection. He always felt the need to do more; challenge himself more. When the army no longer allowed him back in the ranks, he had felt the void widen further. That was when he created Deathstroke the Terminator, the mercenary and assassin that all would tremble and fear in the presence of.

But even then, he still felt the void.

It only lessened when he had been with his family. But he had ignored it; fulfilling more and more contracts with his time; thinking this was his destiny and fulfillment in life. That is, until his enemies decided to enact their revenge against him, thus tearing apart his family.

When he first saw Robin fighting alongside Batman, he had been greatly intrigued by the boy; almost drawn to the boy’s uniqueness. And so, Slade found himself studying him more and more. It was when the boy had branched out on his own that Slade had found him thoroughly enticing. The boy had a lot of potential, yet it was being wasted. Slade had decided that he would take that boy to be his apprentice, but he had been swamped with contracts to do anything quite yet at the time.

And when the boy founded the Teen Titans, Slade decided that he’d play a little game with him to see what the boy was made of. Slade definitely learned quite a few things about him, but it was nothing compared to the things he had learned during the past months. Being so close to him truly brought the boy into a whole new light.

A light that seemed to illuminate the four corners within Slade’s mind, dissolving the shadows.

Well, now Slade had to make another decision. What was he going to do in his spare time when he wasn’t dealing with his son?

“I always find this view breathtaking, don’t you agree?”

Slade turned to look at Wintergreen as he walked up to stand beside him. Slade nodded and looked back at the horizon that now was beginning to lighten with amber orange and tints of violet from the oncoming sunrise in the east.

“You seem very deep in thought,” murmured Wintergreen, the shadows within his aged eyes flickering. “Have any to share?”

Slade smiled lightly as he leaned against the rail; his arms folded over. The salty morning breeze wafted through his nose as he breathed deeply. The peace in his heart overflowed once again.

“I was thinking about what I’m going to do next,” said Slade in a soft undertone.

“Oh?”

“And I’ve decided that I’m going to let him go,” said Slade; his voice tender as a small smile graced his lips. Wintergreen’s expression turned dark as he raised an eyebrow.

“I hope that was a joke.”

“It wasn’t.”

“Slade, that’d be the cruelest thing yet that you could do to that child,” said Wintergreen sharply; his hazel green eyes flashing dangerously. “I’d rather you beat him up. That would break him. You can’t just adopt him and then kick him out on his rear like that. That would completely destroy him.”

There was a light chuckle.

“I think you’re misunderstanding,” said Slade, still chuckling softly. “I meant that I’m going to let him go as my apprentice. If he wants to be a hero, I won’t stop him. If he wants to train, I’ll still teach him. I’ll teach him everything I know, but I won’t force him to be my apprentice. To be honest, I think I’m doomed to never have one.”

Wintergreen looked momentarily surprised by this, but then he gently smiled.

“What made you come to this decision?” asked Wintergreen.

“That mission that we went on together,” said Slade, gazing out over the rail to look at the soft waves of the sea. “It was then that I fully realized there were just some things Dick would not become – and a killer was one of them. He mourned the death of his enemies, Will – the very enemies who would’ve killed him in a blink of an eye and thought nothing of it. He knew that and yet, he still mourned them.”

“He is a very special child.”

“Yes, I agree,” said Slade, turning around to smile at Wintergreen. He leaned his elbows against the railing, his smile lifting his features even more. “And one I intend to raise – full time.”

Wintergreen blinked at Slade, his aged eyes widening as his mouth slowly opened.

“You’re serious about this.”

“I am.”

“What about your work?” asked Wintergreen.

“I think I’ll retire,” said Slade, his tone a playful philosophical one. Then, he let a shrug lift his shoulders. “For the time being, anyway.” There was a wry smirk that pulled his face as he continued, “It’s not like I’m going anywhere anytime soon at any rate. I have all the time in the world to take a breather period. Watching him grow up will pass in the blink of an eye. I know that all too well.”

It was too precious of a time to miss.

Wintergreen’s wrinkled face broke out into a far spreading smile. It had been a long time since Slade had seen the old man look so happy. Wintergreen clasped Slade on the shoulder and gave him a hard affectionate, shaky squeeze.

“You love him,” whispered Wintergreen, sounding choked up; his aged eyes glistening slightly. Slade almost startled at that. He could fully admit that he cared about the boy, but to say that he loved him? Well, that was a bit more to digest, wasn’t it? Slade could only swallow and turn his glance away; looking straight ahead at the city skyline. The eastern horizon was becoming bright with hues of orange and violet as the sun began to peek over the line.

Love indeed.

Oh, had that boy truly wormed his way into Slade’s heart that much? Slade couldn’t help but sigh.

It appeared so.

As Slade watched the rising sun against the horizon, his chest constricted slightly. He hated admitting to himself his mistakes. He’d rather proclaim that he was completely flawless, but there was no doubt of the mistakes in his life – the largest being the choices that led to the destruction of his family.

It was then he felt a sudden need. It was such a strange feeling, thinking along those lines after all these years. But somehow, he needed closure. It was as if the wounds caused by his mistakes had never healed, but merely continued to bleed out. However, it wasn’t as if this decision would heal such a wound, but for some reason he needed to do it.

Although, he doubted if she’d answer his call.

Slade turned away from the sunrise and looked back at Wintergreen; giving his old friend a soft smile.

“There’s something I need to do,” said Slade. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

Wintergreen gave him a lift of his eyebrow as Slade began to walk past him towards the door of the roof.

“What are you going to do?” asked Wintergreen. Slade stopped for a moment, his hand on the handle of the door. There was another gentle breeze that fluttered by. He turned slightly to look back at the old man.

“Something I should’ve done years ago.”

“Oh?”

“I’m going to say two words to the woman I love.”

Wintergreen looked a little startled by that. “Oh…?”

“I’m going to say: ‘I’m sorry’.”

And with that, Slade opened the door and walked through it; shutting it softly behind him. Wintergreen merely smiled at the closed door as a breeze of salty ocean wind fluttered past him in its trilling, contented waves.

Wintergreen smiled knowingly.

ooOOOOOoo

March 13th, 2009. Friday, 11:22 am.

Dick fidgeted in the chair that he was sitting on; waiting in the kitchen. This waiting was painful – completely painful. He wasn’t sure if he had done anything wrong, but when Slade had said he wanted to talk to him, Dick couldn’t help but feel anxious. Especially when the man had that tired, serious look in his eye; Dick couldn’t help but fidget in worried anticipation.

What did the man want to talk about? Had Dick done something he shouldn’t have?

With what had happened last night, Dick wasn’t sure when to bring up the topic about Rose and Joey. He was sure that Slade would be happy about them wanting to visit sometime, but Dick wasn’t sure how to talk about it. He really didn’t want to tell Slade that Rose had attacked him with the intent to kill him, no matter how brief it’d been. He doubted Slade would appreciate that, even if Rose was his daughter.

Not to mention the Titans had burst into the haunt like a rampaging train. The ‘front door’ was still in need of repairs at that moment. Was Slade going to talk about his leading the Titans here? He seriously hadn’t meant to, it just sort of happened. Was he in trouble over that? Dick swallowed nervously, his seat wiggling slightly. He was suddenly thankful that Slade hadn’t decided to punish him last night, in front of his friends. Them laughing over the concept was bad enough without them getting a front row seat to a show.

He fidgeted in his seat more; thoroughly worrying now about what the man was going to talk about and what he might do.

Finally, Slade walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. Dick found himself straightening in his chair as he watched Slade sit down in the chair next to him. The man leaned an elbow onto the table and rested his face in his hand. He suddenly looked very old and tired; something Dick had never seen before. It completely unsettled him. There was something unusual going on with the man. Dick wasn’t sure what it was, but somehow he was getting even more anxious.

“Sir? Is there something wrong?” asked Dick before the man could begin talking. Slade looked up from his hand to gaze at him; slight surprise filling his face.

“No, what gave you that idea?”

“You just look… really tired,” supplied Dick, trying not to look as nervous and worried as he felt. Slade sighed as he rubbed his face with his hand and nodded lightly.

“I might be; just a bit,” said Slade, still sounding somewhat weary. After a moment longer, he adjusted himself in his chair to face Dick more. Somehow, Dick was overwhelmed with the feeling that the man had something extremely important to say and was burdened by it or something. He got even more nervous.

“Dick, I wanted to talk to you,” began Slade, seeming to emanate uncertainty. He sighed and rubbed his face with his hand again. Then, he grabbed the edges of his chair and scooted it to be positioned in front of Dick. Their knees collided lightly. Dick couldn’t help but tense at this sudden seriousness.

“O–okay,” said Dick, feeling even more anxious; beginning to tremble slightly. This didn’t really feel like a lecture before a… punishment. Did someone die or something? But Slade wasn’t really the type to build something up like this.

There was another low sigh, more tired this time. Slade leaned forward and clasped the sides of Dick’s thighs, staring directly into his eyes. Dick swallowed again and bit the interior of his lower lip; his eyes wide with anxiousness as he stared into the man’s serious grey blue eye.

“Dick, I am going to let you go as my apprentice.”

The cavity inside Dick’s chest seemed to collapse. His breathing quickened. He seriously tried not to get more anxious, but that sounded very much like Slade didn’t need him any more. Hadn’t the man reassured him before that he still needed Dick? Then, why, why was the man going back on his word?

“I no longer have any need for an apprentice,” continued Slade, his tone soft and reverent.

Dick’s heart dropped. Then, it constricted horribly; squeezing inside his chest so hard that he thought he was going to pass out. It felt as if his breathing had completely stopped. This was really and seriously sounding as if the man was going to abandon him. Was it something he had done? Maybe Dick shouldn’t have hugged him so much… Was the man mad about that? What if he was angry about the Titans busting in? What if—

Dick bolted to his feet, trying to gasp for breath; the chair scraping against the floor from his sudden movement. He couldn’t breathe – it was too hard to breathe. Finally, once air could fill his lungs, words were formed.

“I thought—I thought you needed me—I—”

“Dick, calm down. It’s not—”

“No!” shouted Dick indignantly; his chest hurting even more. He shouldn’t have signed those papers. Now that the man had him in his complete grasp, he was done with Dick. Maybe he was bored with him or maybe Dick wasn’t living up to the man’s expectations. All those words before; were they really just words? Did Slade like playing this game?

Dick knew he had put trust into this man and he never really wanted to be his apprentice, but this sounded all too horrible to Dick’s mind at that moment. What happened to all that ‘You’re unique. You’re special.’ stuff that the man had told him before? If he was all that, then why wouldn’t Slade still be trying to make him his apprentice?

“What the heck are you doing to me?” cried Dick, trying extremely hard not to break down into tears – the burning in his eyes was telling him that it was fast approaching. “What do you want from me? I seriously thought—is this a game to you, Slade? Do you like messing with my mind?”

“Dick, that isn’t it at all—”

“Just stop this already!” cried Dick, not caring that he was interrupting the man. “Why are you doing this to me? Why are you abandoning me now? Why couldn’t you have done it earlier?! Before I—”

“I am not abandoning you—”

“Then, what are you doing! Why are you doing this to me?!” shouted Dick, a tear slipping down his cheek without his permission.

Why is everyone doing this to me?!

First his parents; second Bruce; third the Titans; and now Slade. Didn’t he deserve someone in his life? Why couldn’t he just hold onto one! It had to be Dick; there was something wrong with him, wasn’t there? Something that kept making him lose the people who were important to him. He should just disappear – leave, maybe. Then, no one could get close to him; then, no one would feel the need to abandon him.

No wonder Rose’s heart had turned dark.

Slade took a deep breath and shot a chilling glare at Dick that shut him up temporarily. The man squared his shoulders, before he bellowed at the top of his voice; his words reverberating throughout the room, “Because Slade Wilson has no business being Deathstroke the Terminator when he has a fourteen year old son to raise!”

Dick opened his mouth in surprise; the words ringing in his ears. His breathing suddenly collapsed once as it regulated instantly. He blinked a few times as he stared down at the man.

“What…?”

Slade sighed again; shaking his head lightly and deflating in his stance.

“Dick, I have been trying to tell you,” started Slade, sounding even more worn out than before. “That I won’t need an apprentice any more simply because my new profession will take up all my time.”

“Your… Your new profession?”

“Yes, I’ve found that my services as a father are a bit more in demand at this time,” said Slade; his face lit with a wry smile.

“…what?”

“I won’t have time to be a mercenary while raising you, Dick,” said Slade; a wave of softness flowing over the man’s features. “I’ll be devoting all my time to you.”

“You’re—you’re giving up your occupation for me?” breathed Dick, his eyes wide with shock.

“Well,” started Slade, obviously trying to sound dismissive, but not quite achieving it. “More like a temporary retirement. I think my time will be too filled with raising and handling a precocious child that desperately needs to be kept in line.”

Dick was in too much shock to really register anything.

“So, in effect, Deathstroke the Terminator is no more,” said Slade, his face lifting in a soft smile.

Dick reeled. His body wasn’t listening to him – losing all strength to keep standing. He was falling backwards from the shock. It was too much. He never imagined that Slade would give everything up like this. He had only hoped that the man would let him be a hero. He never dreamed that Slade would give up being a mercenary for him. This was crazy. This had to be a dream.

A strong hand caught his wrist.

“Good grief, boy. I knew I could make the ladies swoon, but this is a bit much,” said Slade wryly; his grey blue eye twinkling with mischief. Dick could only stare at Slade, supported only by that strong hand of the man who was smirking at him.

“You’re giving it up for me?” breathed Dick in a whisper, his eyes wide.

“I am.”

Everything slowed down, it seemed. Slade pulled Dick’s arm, so that he was jerked forward. It felt like a dream; a lingering, beautiful unimaginable dream. Time itself felt stalled as Dick fell forward straight into Slade’s firm chest. Strong arms wrapped around Dick’s back as he was pulled even more into an all powerful embrace.

“All my power, all my knowledge,” murmured Slade in Dick’s ear; his warm breath brushing against his skin. “All for you.”

The warmth was encapsulating. Dick could feel the man’s powerful, strong arms wrapped around him. They were so secure, so safe, so gentle, so powerful. This was different. This was completely different from the three times Dick had hugged the man. This was different from that moment the man had wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

This was a father’s embrace.

Tears began to well up as his ever widening eyes grew tired from not blinking. Dick’s arms slid around Slade’s chest and held onto the man tighter than his soul possessed – holding onto the man for dear life, like a lifeline that brought the greatest of rescues. His grip tightened on the immaculate shirt as he buried his face into the man’s lower shoulder. He could smell the rich, sharp scent of the man’s rustic, musky cologne as he breathed in deeply. It was different from John Grayson’s scent. But Dick still loved it. It reiterated Slade’s unique power and Dick could feel it permeate through him, wafting over him in its protection.

“I just had no idea it would turn out like this,” said Slade, sounding slightly amused by the whole thing, yet there was a low, tenderness to his smooth voice that suggested he was choking up himself. Dick loved how his voice tickled against his skin. He loved every moment of this. It had been so long since he had felt something like this. And it was at that moment, he didn’t mind his size so much – all the more to be completely enveloped in the protecting embrace.

Dick closed his eyes, sending a wave of tears down his cheeks; taking in another deep breath – breathing in every delight and warmth from the softest, kindest, most important moment he had experienced in nearly eight years.

Dick knew then that he truly had a father again – an adult—a father all for himself that would protect him, that would care for him, that would hold him, that would comfort him, that would teach him, that would correct him, that would raise him, that would love him; everything within this man’s power, he would do to fulfill all that. Those powerfully strong, yet gentle arms were telling Dick exactly that.

But one thing did still trouble him.

Even if Dick wasn’t going to be the man’s apprentice, that certainly didn’t mean that Slade didn’t want him to become a mercenary, right? If Dick refused to be a mercenary, would Slade still keep him as a son? Well, that was certainly silly thinking, considering those arms that were still tightly surrounding him. But no matter what Slade could teach him, Dick knew with all his heart that he would never ever kill another human being. And even if he wanted to, he was pretty sure his mother would stop him again like she did before.

But Dick still wanted to learn from the man. He had grown to respect him and fully understood that Slade had gathered a lot of wisdom in his life. The man certainly had a lot of worthy knowledge to offer and Dick was very willing to learn from him. But Dick knew – knew all too well that his heart wasn’t going to change. He didn’t believe that stealing or killing was right. He still really wanted to be a crime fighter. Dick enjoyed it – loved it – a lot. It definitely gave him a sense of satisfaction in his life.

Yeah, he missed the normalcy that he could have, but a part of him still wanted to be the spiky haired, daring leader of the Teen Titans. Although, he was afraid that he was losing his friends. He was sure that he had lost Bruce. Those words that Cyborg had related to him were still tearing him apart inside. Bruce had not only given up hope on him, but he must also be thoroughly furious with Dick for getting adopted by a high profile criminal.

But, in all honesty, the only thing that mattered the most to Dick at that very moment was Slade’s approval. Losing that was just something Dick couldn’t handle.

“Does this mean…” began Dick in a low murmur against Slade’s shoulder. “I don’t have to be a mercenary? You won’t train me to be a criminal?”

Slade grasped the side of Dick’s arms and began to pull him out of the hug. Dick tried not to whimper. He really didn’t want the embrace to end, and so he reluctantly let go. He was also very afraid of the man’s answer. Slade held him tightly by the arms, yet gently as he looked at Dick directly in the eye.

“No. You do not have to be a mercenary. In fact—” Slade’s grey blue eye took on a frightening glint that sent a chill down Dick’s back. “If you ever become a mercenary, ever follow in my footsteps, I’ll wallop your backside every night for the rest of your life.”

Dick’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head at that.

“Wha—what? But–but I thought—”

“You’re just not cut out for it, after all,” said Slade with a knowing smirk, yet there was a soft light in his eye; as if he knew something that Dick didn’t. “You should go with a profession that you’re well suited for. Perhaps… something along the lines of being the leader of the Teen Titans?”

Dick blinked, his breath catching in his chest.

“Are you serious?” cried Dick, completely floored.

“Deadly.”

Dick pushed himself back into the man’s chest. It was all too much – his tears followed quickly as his arms wrapped around Slade’s chest again. He silently cried into the man’s shoulder. Those powerful, strong arms once again enveloped him. To be held was one of those things that Dick loved beyond anything in this world; and at the moment, he was happier than he had been in a long, long time. How incomprehensible it was to think that Slade, of all people, would bring that happiness to his heart.

He didn’t have to be a mercenary. He didn’t have to be a thief or a killer or a criminal. He got to be a hero. He got to have a father. Slade would still want him if he wasn’t those things. Slade wasn’t going to force him to do those things. In fact, it was extremely apparent that the man would make very sure that Dick wouldn’t go off the deep end.

Just like a parent.

Just like a father.

A hand gently and soothingly rubbed against his back. This only made Dick bury his face deeper into the man’s firm flesh – if that was even possible. This man was someone beyond important to him. How that came to be was completely mind boggling, but it had happened. And Dick was thankful that it had; oh, how thankful. He wanted to please this man, no matter what. He’d be the best he could be. He wanted to make him proud.

Oh, how he wanted to make him proud.

Fate was such an interesting creature. Why, of all of the opposites in the world, would it bring together the Hero and the Villain? However, that wasn’t all the two of them were. Now they were son and father – father and son; thus, a family.

What a rarity.

ooOOOOOoo

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