Forgotten Bonds – Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven
Baby Chick

February 8th, 2009. Sunday, 11:07 am.

“Dick, don’t you have anything to do?”

“Not really.”

“It’s your day off. You don’t want to waste it. Surely you have something better to do than stick around me.”

“Nope, not really, sir.”

Slade sighed deeply, running a hand over the fur on his chin in light frustration. The boy was being exceptionally… exceptionally something today! Slade couldn’t quite put his finger on it. But the child would just not leave him alone for a quiet moment. The boy followed him everywhere. It was the oddest thing that Slade had ever encountered with this boy.

The boy had actually followed him, almost cheerfully, into his bedroom, even. At that very moment, Dick was sitting in the extra computer chair, twirling around in it occasionally. He looked content, an almost peaceful look on his face; but the constant twirling in that blasted chair was beginning to grate on Slade’s nerves. Couldn’t the boy find something constructive to do with his time?

“Dick, are you going to twirl around in that chair all day?” asked Slade, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice. The boy stopped suddenly, looking contrite and almost bashful.

“Sorry, is it bothering you?”

“Just a bit,” admitted Slade with a sigh; giving him a nod. Dick grinned sheepishly; dropping his hands into his lap while straightening in the chair. The irritating spinning ceased.

“Sorry, sir. I’ll stop.”

“It would be appreciated,” commented Slade dryly, turning back to his work. With a settling sigh, he studied the complex coding that he was working on – a simple job that a client wanted done. Merely test the security of their mainframe computer. Easy job; could be done in his sleep.

But somehow Slade was finding that he just couldn’t concentrate. Why? The boy was drumming his fingers in his lap. It wasn’t loud, but it seemed as if everything was irritating Slade.

“Dick, why don’t you go do something?” suggested Slade, hoping the boy would finally take the hint and leave.  He just needed an hour or so alone; hence the day off.

“No, I’m good.”

“What if that was an order?” said Slade, tilting his head to the side slightly – just enough to look over at the boy.

“Do I have to?” asked Dick with a small pout, his shoulders hunching slightly as he stared at Slade.

Good grief, why wouldn’t the boy just leave him in peace already? It was as if Dick didn’t want to leave. Such strange behavior indeed. What on earth was going on with this boy?

The pout grew bigger.

Would wonders never cease?

“Fine,” said Slade with an annoyed sigh. He turned back to his work, staring at the computer screen and willing himself to concentrate.

However, two minutes into it and Slade knew there was no way on the planet he could get anything done with the boy in the room like this. Perhaps if the boy had been doing something useful, then maybe he wouldn’t have such a problem with him. But the boy just insisted on staying with him, as if the act of being together was pleasing to him or something.

Slade just couldn’t understand the boy’s behavior. Why on earth was he acting so… so… Seriously, was the boy really acting clingy? That was ridiculous. But as Slade glanced at the boy, dawning realization flowed over him. Truly, the boy was acting clingy. But why?

Slade stopped trying to concentrate on his work and let his thoughts go over the past week. After that explosive-in-a-robot-to-test-Slade’s-promise nonsense the boy pulled, the week had been like no other. Dick was pleasant almost all the time, even when Slade told him that he had to help clean up the mess he had created with that blasted robot. Not once had Slade felt the need to scold him or reprimand him for anything – boy had been the poster child for perfect behavior.

He always seemed eager to please. Now that Slade thought about it more, Dick always seemed to brighten up whenever he entered the room – even to the point of following him around at times. But since Slade was always teaching him and being together constantly was the norm, he hadn’t given it a second thought.

But now with giving the boy a day off, Dick seemed to much prefer to spend it in Slade’s presence. Realizing that made all the previous week’s behavior come into a new light.

Just what on earth was going on with this boy?

Slade stood up. He needed to talk to Wintergreen. As it seemed as if the old man knew everything when it came to these things, it was time for another chat. Slade chuckled to himself. He was always going to the old man for advice with children, wasn’t he? He had even done that when Grant, Joey, and Rose were growing up.

With a few well entered keys, Slade locked down his computer. No need to give the boy temptation, after all. He stood up and, in a few strides, was at the door of his bedroom. Dick was instantly on his feet and by Slade’s side at such a speed that would’ve put that Kid Flash brat to shame.

“Where’re you going?” asked Dick with a light smile and a tilt of his head.

“I need to have a word with Will,” said Slade, trying with every fiber of his being not to snap at the boy. After all, the boy wasn’t doing anything wrong, per se.

“I’ll come with you,” offered Dick.

“No, you will not,” said Slade, emphasizing each word carefully. Persistent little brat!

“But—”

“This isn’t up for discussion,” said Slade, looking down on the boy with a stern eye. “I need a word alone with Will.”

The boy’s shoulders slumped down in a small pout. The boy glanced up at him with soft, baby blue eyes. Slade was startled by the pleading look in those bright orb.

Blast that boy. He was actually trying to sway him with puppy eyes! The nerve of the boy!

“I’ll be back in a little bit,” said Slade, trying to offer some reassurance; feeling completely unnerved by those eyes. Slade was definitely becoming unsettled by the boy’s reactions. This was just not normal behavior for Dick. “You may remain in my room, but you better stay out of mischief or so help me—”

“No, sir. I mean; yes, sir,” said Dick quickly, his cheeks reddening slightly. “There won’t be any need for that. I’ll be good.”

“Mmm…”

“Honestly!”

“All right, then,” said Slade with a smirk. He gave the boy a pat on the arm before turning away and leaving him behind. Even after all this time, Slade still found it highly interesting that threat of getting his backside spanked – or walloped, as the boy preferred to call it – was far more effective than getting his arm broken.

Truly interesting.

Slade walked down the hallway towards Wintergreen’s room. He knocked lightly once he reached it.

“Will, I need a word.”

“Come in,” came Wintergreen’s voice. Slade walked inside the old man’s room; shutting the door behind him in case the boy got it into his head to follow him. Wintergreen was sitting on a couch at the end of the room; his legs crossed as he read a book. The old man looked up and set his book aside.

“What is it, Slade? You look a bit harried,” said Wintergreen, sounding a bit concerned.

“It’s Dick.”

“What’s the child done now?”

“He keeps following me around all day long,” said Slade, thoroughly exasperated; running a hand through his hair. “I gave him the day off so I could get some work done, but I can’t with him constantly underfoot. It’s beginning to drive me insane, but I don’t want to scare the boy. Not after what happened last week.”

Wintergreen broke out into deep chuckles.

“I know,” said Wintergreen, his tone overflowing with amusement. “He’s been quite adorable, actually.”

“Adorable?” cried Slade incredulously. “Well, of course. From a distance, it might very well be adorable, but up close it’s just plain annoying.”

Wintergreen let out a light chuckle, his entire face lit up with the mirth.

Oh, yeah. The old man can laugh it up. The boy wasn’t following him around all day long. What would the old man think if Slade attached the boy to his hip? Poetic justice right there.

“He’s like a baby chick following you around,” said Wintergreen through many, many chuckles. He continued to laugh afterward, shaking his head as he did so. Slade was appalled.

“A baby chick?” cried Slade, completely aghast. “Good grief, Will. Don’t even joke like that. What on earth could’ve caused this with him? Why would the boy follow me around like this? I mean…” Slade trailed off, considering it for a moment before continuing. “I suppose this is a good thing. I had hoped the boy would get close, but I never imagined I couldn’t shake him off. I’ve never seen a child so clingy before. None of my children were like this.”

“That’s because you had a somewhat stable home,” suggested Wintergreen warmly, once his chuckling had subsided. “You were a strong influence in their lives, as was Adeline. You did go off for long periods of time because of your work, but you were still, nonetheless, a steady influence. Richard hasn’t had something like that in years. He’s beginning to associate you with stability. He tested you because he was afraid to trust that you would keep your word. But when you did, you won his complete trust. You did it, Slade. The child completely trusts you.”

Slade stood still; absorbing Wintergreen’s words.

He had the boy’s complete trust. Dick fully trusted him. That was a big step – a huge step. If the boy completely trusted him, then the possibilities were endless. He would be more receptive to learning new things. Slade could mold him into something truly amazing now.

The utter thrill and excitement overflowed in Slade’s chest. The boy trusted him. Completely. Well, wasn’t that something? Robin; the Boy Wonder; protégé of Batman; Dick Grayson trusted the mercenary, Slade; Deathstroke the Terminator. Now that was quite the accomplishment. Slade couldn’t help but feel a glow of pride for the two of them.

He couldn’t have imagined reaching such a point when he first brought Dick here. Of course, he had hoped that the boy would slowly learn to trust him, but he had never counted on ever reaching such a point where the boy was literally attached to him in pure contentment.

The possibilities were endless now.

“I must advise and warn you, though, Slade,” began Wintergreen. Slade glanced over at the old man to see a sad, yet earnest light in his aged eyes. “He is sensitive. He’s like Joseph in that manner, unlike Grant. You have to become even softer with him.”

Slade couldn’t hold back the snort.

“Softer? Softer? Good grief, Will. Surely you haven’t forgotten who you’re talking to?”

“Of course, I haven’t,” said Wintergreen with a knowing smile. “But it’s quite apparent that the boy has had issues with his home life. His stable home of seven years was brutally taken away from him. Then, he spent five years with a man who doesn’t know how and is afraid to become attached to another person. Then, at the tender age of twelve, he leaves to go out on his own. He’s alone for a whole year before he finds those four friends of his. Think about it, Slade: he hasn’t had a stable adult in his life for over seven years. Those are tender years in a child.”

A stable adult?

Slade nearly laughed at that. Since when was he the ‘stable adult’ in Dick’s life?

But as Slade considered it, he was far more aware that it had become true. Slade had become a stable influence in Dick’s life – obviously, since Slade was designing everything; educating the boy daily for his role and destiny. Slade just never thought of it like that.

But Slade hadn’t ever considered himself what one would call a man of stability. Such a thing seemed foreign to him. Was he truly that way that the boy would grow to the point of attaching himself at Slade’s side like this? Slade just couldn’t imagine Dick doing this with that bat. That creature probably would melt the boy in a glare.

So, what was the difference here?

“How do you know all this?” asked Slade with a shake of his head. Wintergreen gave him a knowing smile.

“Oh, I hear things,” said Wintergreen, still smiling.

“Mmm, I wonder.”

“And you will for quite a long while. But seriously, Slade. Please consider my words. Be more… affectionate.”

“Affectionate? Oh, Will…” Slade shook his head firmly. “There’s just no way I can do that. Besides, what would I do? Hug him? The boy would probably run away screaming.” Slade had to smirk at that thought. That would be funny to see.

Quite funny.

Might even be worth it to try just for the reaction – too bad it wasn’t Slade’s style.

“But you’ve already been doing it, quite a bit, actually – minus the hug,” said Wintergreen with a slight smile, almost as if he knew exactly what Slade was thinking. “Pats on the arm or on the back; or when you helped him with his burns. I must say you were quite exceptional when he was sick. Just do a little more and perhaps more often, too. I told you he was an affection starved child – now’s the perfect time to bond with him even more.”

Slade let out a low, tired growl. With his hands on his hips, he stared at the ceiling in consternation. Be more affectionate? What next? Tucking him into bed at night and reading him a blasted bedtime story? Another growl left his mouth.

“My word, Slade. Don’t strain yourself.”

Slade glared at the old man.

“Very amusing, Will.”

“Honestly, Slade. It’s not that hard,” said Wintergreen, his smile twisting into a sardonic one. “You were a very good father to your children if it weren’t for the tragedy that befell your family.”

“I am not his father,” said Slade, emphasizing each word softly. For some reason, there was an irritating stirring inside Slade’s chest, almost as if he were annoyed with that fact – but that was ridiculous.

“But aren’t you trying to be?”

Slade sucked in his breath; stunned by the direct question. He could only stare at Wintergreen in shock; his mouth open slightly. Finally, he blinked; returning to his senses. Slade couldn’t answer it – he glanced away uneasily.

Was that what he was trying to do?

No.

No, all he wanted was a competent apprentice; a perfect partner he could rely on in the toughest and most dangerous of times. He wanted an apprentice; he was looking for an heir to pass on his wisdom and power.

He was not looking for a ‘son’ – he was not.

“Why not try doing something together that the child might like to do?” suggested Wintergreen.

“What, another play day?” drawled Slade, thankful for the change in topic; completely unsettled by the previous statement. Wintergreen rolled his eyes in a sigh.

“Well, something that he’d like, anyway,” said Wintergreen with a shrug. The old man picked up his book; opening it back up to his reading page. “Doesn’t have to be board games, you know.”

Slade sighed and shook his head. It would appear that Wintergreen had a point – how the old man always did, Slade would probably never know. Wintergreen turned a page in his book. Well, it seemed as if the old man was tapped out of good advice now. Slade let out a huff; hating the advice, but knowing it was still extremely useful. He spun around irritably.

“Fine.”

Slade marched out of Wintergreen’s room. The old man’s soft, encouraging voice was the last thing he heard before shutting the door behind himself.

“Good luck.”

As Slade stood outside his door for a few moments, he couldn’t stop wondering. He really wasn’t sure how to go about this. If what Wintergreen had said was true, would Dick truly be happy with Slade if he became a little warmer with him? Slade always noticed that the boy seemed to calm down with a simple touch, whether it be a clasp on the shoulder or a light pat on the back.

He always calmed down from the touch.

There wasn’t ever an exception. Was Dick really such the affection starved child that he would accept it from Slade, the man who was, in effect, his captor?

As Slade thought of all the past times he dealt with the boy, it was growing ever apparent that this was the very case. Dick truly was affection starved. Slade could see it in his eyes and, as time moved on, the boy seemed to crave it more and more. He seemed to drink it up like a sponge.

But could Slade really offer more?

With another exasperated, tired sigh, Slade opened the door to his room and entered. But he stopped suddenly; shocked completely.

Dick was lying on his stomach – on Slade’s bed. His legs were lifted in the air, kicking lightly as he laid there with a pillow curled beneath his chest; his arms wrapped around it.

Well, this was fascinating.

Slade had let the boy fall asleep in his bed that second night he had a terrible nightmare. The boy had seemed comforted just by being near him that night. He wouldn’t move at first until Slade gently put him to bed.

But this…

Slade put a hand to his head. He could’ve sworn the room spun once in his pure confusion over the boy’s actions. This was too much now. The boy seemed so… comfortable. This was getting so strange and yet, so interesting; thoroughly fascinating.

“Dick, what are you doing?” asked Slade in a sly whisper; once he managed to get control over himself. Dick jolted suddenly and rolled over; crossing his legs beneath himself as he sat up. He looked a bit nervous; but, overall, he didn’t seem frightened.

“Just… hanging out,” said Dick, looking meekly up at Slade with bright eyes. Slade raised an eyebrow.

“And did you get permission to use my bed as a ‘hangout’ area?”

Dick suddenly looked extremely sheepish.

“Um… no?”

“Mmm…” smirked Slade, but he didn’t bother with it any more. Just watching the boy squirm under his eye was somewhat hilarious. Never got old, that was for sure. Slade walked to the bed and sat down on the edge of it. Dick seemed to straighten suddenly, looking a bit apprehensive.

Oh, dear; this was going to be harder than Slade had thought.

“Is there anything… you’d like to do… together?” asked Slade, his voice slow and hesitant. Dick’s bright eyes widened for a moment before his face broke out into a light smile; cautious, yet filled with eager happiness.

“Um, like what?” asked Dick.

“Anything… at all,” said Slade; the words coming extremely hard for him. Where was Wintergreen when you needed him?

“Well, um… I dunno, what did you have in mind?”

Of all the days not to be assertive, why did it have to be today? Why did the boy have to be meek over this? Why couldn’t he just say exactly what he’d like to do? It was obvious he didn’t want to be alone. So, wasn’t there something he wanted to do?

“I don’t have anything in mind,” said Slade. “I thought I would give you the choice.”

“Oh…” started Dick uncertainly. There was a moment while he thought; those blue eyes illuminated with light as they glanced upward towards the ceiling. Then, they fell back onto Slade.

“Well, what would you do with your boys?”

Oh, good grief.

The boy would ask that, now wouldn’t he? The boy had to bring up the past. Slade held back a deep sigh. This was far harder than he thought – definitely.

“Grant and I would go hunting.”

“Oh…” said Dick, sounding disappointed. “What… What about Joey?”

“He was very different,” admitted Slade. “You couldn’t pay him to hold a gun. He preferred to chatter – quite a bit. I don’t really recall doing much with him besides listening to him.”

“That was kind of nice of you,” said Dick with a soft smile. Slade raised an eyebrow.

“We never did anything, though.”

“But you did,” insisted Dick in a quiet tone. “You listened. I bet that was the best thing ever for him.”

Slade watched the boy carefully. Those soft blue eyes were filled with a delicate compassion. There was no doubt about it – Slade was somewhat touched by the way Dick had said that. He’d never thought that he had been able to connect well with Joey. Rose had been a bit too young to truly connect on an emotional level, at least for Slade; and especially since she had been a girl.

Well, big surprise: Wintergreen was right – Dick was very sensitive.

“I don’t suppose you’d want to go hunting,” said Slade lightly. Dick’s shy, slow shake of his head was his answer. “Mmm, didn’t think so. Then, what would you like to do?”

Dick looked a little hesitant and uncertain. His legs tensed and released, making him bounce slightly as he did so. He then bit his lip and with those soft blue eyes, he glanced back up at Slade.

“Um… maybe a little Uno?” asked Dick, his expression complete with meekness. Slade fought to close his eye in exasperation. The boy would pick that, wouldn’t he?

Oh, bother.

“All right, go get them,” said Slade; wondering lightly if he just signed for his future doom. The boy’s face lit up blindingly and he darted off the bed. He was gone and back in moments with the box of Uno cards in his hands. With a slight bounce in his step, he scrambled onto the bed and crossed his legs again as he began to pull out the cards.

Unable to bite back the sigh, Slade did the same; pulling himself onto the bed, so that he sat in the center in front of the boy. Soon the game was set up and the two of them were once again playing cards.

It was then during the numerous plays that they went through, that the boy opened up and began to happily chatter about anything that came to his mind. Much of his chatter was filled with things about his friends and Titans Tower. Slade merely listened, occasionally interjecting a wry comment or two.

It was such a strange feeling.

It reminded Slade all too much of the past – the very past that he hated remembering at times. And yet, there was something special about the boy in front of him and with that, somehow brought unbidden thoughts to Slade’s mind.

No matter how much Dick thought that Slade was all knowing, he wasn’t. Slade wasn’t all knowing now and hadn’t been in the past – no matter how much he wished it to be. It was for that very truth that Grant had lost his life; that Rose had lost her life; that Joey had lost his beautiful voice.

There had been far too many things that he hadn’t known.

Slade hadn’t known his son had donned a secret mercenary identity beneath his nose. He hadn’t known that his son had gotten his very first contract. He hadn’t known that the contract would just be a fake. Slade also hadn’t known that his son would be killed by one of his vengeful enemies. Slade had no idea and no way of knowing the tragedy that would befall his son.

He would also have no idea that the same enemy would set a massive explosive inside his daughter’s grade school. There would be nothing left to find of her. He would have no idea that his second son would be kidnapped in the effort to lure him out.

No matter how much Slade didn’t want to admit it, he had been completely helpless in protecting his own family – merely because he hadn’t known. Being enhanced had meant nothing. He couldn’t even protect his own family; failing in the one thing that had been the most important in his life.

Slade could still remember the moment he told Addie about Grant’s death. After just losing Rose and then the news about Grant, she had broken down into deep sobbing, heart wrenching cries. The sounds of her tears had been enough to tear out Slade’s own heart, who had been trying to avoid doing the same himself with every ounce of his control. But when he had told her of Joey’s kidnapping, she had broken out into a full blown panic attack.

The mere thought of losing her last child had been far too overwhelming for the poor mother. It was then Slade had told her that they would go rescue Joey. After all, the one the kidnappers really wanted was Slade.

Slade almost smirked with morbid amusement. He had never seen Addie look so furious with him in his entire life. Such a turnabout she went through. And when he told her of his current profession… Well, she nearly killed him right then and there.

The moment he faced the kidnappers, he had been ready to take them down with his bare hands – tear them apart limb from limb. They demanded information from him and in his pride, he declined them. He had been confident, too confident. And because of it, his son paid a terrible price for it. One slash across the boy’s throat had destroyed his vocal cords – thus, he lost his beautiful voice.

But Slade paid his dues – once Joey’s safety had been ensured, Slade tore through the kidnappers like they were bugs to be squashed underfoot. He easily found out the one who had targeted him and the enemy hadn’t lived passed a week.

But, of course, his enemy’s death did not bring back his dear children nor did it restore his other son’s voice.

Nor did it bring back his Addie, who shot his eye out in her grief and rage; taking their last living child away from him and forbidding him from ever seeing them again.

The choices Slade had made had, in essence, ripped through his family with a vengeance. It was his biggest regret; his biggest failure; his biggest sorrow.

Slade looked up at the boy in front of him. He was chattering about some adventure he and his friends had once had. It was the first time in the boy’s stay with him where he was totally animated about something. The boy was completely happy. That was the only word for it.

Slade took a deep breath.

Would some future choice that Slade would make destroy the boy in front of him? The sign of innocence was still apparent in the young boy’s eyes. Yes, he had faced death many times – including watching his parents fall to their deaths. But he was still filled with an endless innocence.

The boy had qualities that all three of Slade’s children had. He was similar to Grant, not just in appearance, but in determination and excitement when it came to challenges. He was an excellent leader and dealt with people very well. He was similar to Joey with his timid nature. He was sensitive and kind as well; willing to be helpful when he felt safe. Finally, he was similar to Rose with his intense intelligence and cheerfulness; along with the empathetic nature of wanting to help others.

What was the true reason Slade had chosen Dick – he himself didn’t fully know. Perhaps it had been because the boy was a natural in raw skills. Or perhaps it had been because the boy was highly intelligent and just the right age to train.

Or was it truly because he reminded Slade of his lost children?

“Sir?”

Slade blinked, slightly surprised by the tentative voice that broke through his thoughts. He looked directly into the boy’s sparkling blue eyes.

“Yes?”

“Are… Are you all right, sir?” asked Dick, watching him carefully. Concern was flashing through those eyes.

“Yes, why?”

“It’s just… You kinda looked a bit sad or something,” said Dick, appearing hesitant. “What were you thinking about?”

Was the boy reading him that well now?

Those eyes were looking with soft earnest at him and Slade found that he couldn’t deny the boy a straight answer.

“I was thinking about some things of the past,” said Slade.

“Oh.”

Dick ducked his head down slightly. His eyes darted to the side as he bit his bottom lip for a moment. Then, bright blue eyes looked back at Slade.

“Um… Y–you know, my mother used to say that the past holds precious treasures,” started Dick.

He looked extremely nervous as he spoke, as if he were frightened to even share the information. Slade stopped and watched him in silence, allowing the boy to speak. If the boy had the rare courage to say something about his deceased mother, Slade wasn’t about to stop him.

“She said that every memory of the past is precious, even the bad ones. She actually said especially the bad ones, because those are the ones that make us stronger.”

Dick began to wrap his arms around his chest; rubbing his upper arm with a hand. His chest settled into a low sigh as a longing entered his eyes.

“For a long time after… after she died,” whispered Dick in a soft murmur, “I didn’t believe her. In fact, it was one of the only things I hated hearing in my memories when I thought of her. I could never accept that the memory of her falling to her death would ever be a precious treasure in my memory.”

Slade definitely agreed with the boy on that one. The memories of his past family were ones he wanted to bury deep within his subconscious. Watching his mother fall before his eyes had to be a horrific memory. Where was the treasure there?

Then, the boy turned his face back to him and Slade was startled by the strength in those deep blue eyes.

“But I understand what she was saying,” said Dick, the strength overpowering in his eyes. His voice continued strongly, “Even though I’ll never consider her death a precious memory, I can consider it something that has made me stronger. Of course, if I had the choice, I’d always choose them. I miss them so much. But since I don’t have a choice, I can’t deny the strength that I’ve gained through such a hardship as being orphaned at seven years old.”

Those blue eyes began to glisten with tears before the boy turned his face aside. He stared at the bedspread for a long moment; then, his eyes blinked and a trail of tears spilled over. He quickly wiped them away roughly with the palm of his hand. There was a slight sniffle as he continued to stare at the bedspread; the game forgotten in front.

Slade fought back a soft smile. It was interesting how far they had come with each other. Here the boy talked about something sacred and painful to his heart openly to his once considered enemy. The boy was even shredding a few well deserved tears over it. All willingly in front of the one he had once hated.

The boy was such a strange one. But he was a treasure beyond anything – there was no doubt about that in Slade’s mind.

A treasure whose worth none could compare.

ooOOOOOoo 

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