Forgotten Bonds – Epilogue

Epilogue
A New Beginning

March 30th, 2009. Monday, 7:47 am.

The morning was bright and cheery as Slade sat at the kitchen table, waiting for his fourteen—wait, now fifteen year old son to emerge from his room. The two of them had spent the past week trying to decide the schedule that should be followed. There had been much debate, but Dick had been pretty good through it all. The decision came that he would spend the weekends and Wednesdays at the haunt, while the other days, he’d spend the nights at Titans Tower. Slade was adamant that the boy stayed at least four nights a week here and Dick hadn’t put up too much of a fuss.

Slade was never going to admit that he couldn’t bear the boy away for longer than that.

They also worked out a training and studying schedule that included ample amount of hours for spending time with his friends and, of course, it was flexible for whenever trouble arose in the city – which there was no doubt that it would. Slade insisted that he have a communicator should anything go wrong. Not to mention so that he could keep track of the boy, but he didn’t reveal that. Dick had teased him about being overly worried about him and had received a firm, yet playful swat for his cheekiness.

Slade honestly had nothing else to do but worry about his trouble attracting son.

He could already predict endless amounts of heart attacks in his future. Such things would no doubt… asphyxiate normal humans, but luckily Slade was immortal. Perhaps it was a good thing he already had white hair. He wasn’t sure how long he could survive this child, but it certainly wasn’t going to be boring – that’s for sure.

Oh… Life was going to be anything but boring.

Suddenly, Dick darted out of the hallway and into the kitchen; skidding to a halt. His black hair was spiked back and he was completely dressed in a Kevlar suit; his domino mask in his hand. Slade raised his eyebrow. He hadn’t seen this one before. Dick had said that he was working on a new suit. Slade was certainly impressed with it.

While it was still in those same traffic light colors the boy loved so much, the material was scaled like Slade’s suit. It also had thin, black armor plating; very similar to the kind that Slade had on his own suit and in the same places. He wore the usual bright yellow utility belt that he used to wear and his old black cape that was made out of high density polymerized titanium. The new design completely said ‘Robin’, but it also had a splash of ‘Slade’ within.

Slade brought his cup of coffee to his lips in the attempt to hide the oncoming smile that threatened to break out across his face.

“Child!” cried Wintergreen, waving his spatula at Dick. “Don’t come in here like a tornado.”

Dick giggled and quickly sat down at the table, placing his mask on the surface; his bright crystal eyes sparkling with mischievousness. This only made Wintergreen more indignant over the boy. The old man put his hands on his hips and shot Dick a stern look.

“Now, listen here, Richard. I don’t want you rushing in here like this,” scolded Wintergreen. “This is a kitchen, not a highway.”

“Yes, Will,” said Dick cheekily, bouncing somewhat in his seat as a mischievous grin spread through his features. Wintergreen sighed in exasperation before turning back to making breakfast. Dick quickly put a hand to his mouth and let out a few soft snickers. It took all of Slade’s self control not to snort into chuckles himself.

“So, big day today, hm?” said Slade with a smile, setting his cup down. Dick beamed, absolutely to near glowing. Slade briefly wondered where he had placed the sunglasses.

“Yup!” bounced Dick, every movement filled with excitement. “First day back on the job and I’m already running late!”

“I’m sure the other Titans aren’t even up yet,” drawled Slade with a smirk. Dick smiled softly and then shrugged impishly.

“True, but I still want to be there on time, even if the others are still asleep. That way I can surprise them.”

“Well, calm down already,” chided Wintergreen, coming to the table and dishing out fresh heaping servings of eggs, bacon, and toast. “At least eat something before you go. Can’t have you fainting in a fight from the lack of food. You’re still a growing boy and much too thin for my taste.”

Dick rolled his eyes behind Wintergreen’s back.

“I saw that.”

Dick ducked his head and quickly began working on his breakfast. Slade began to eat as well, trying very hard not to break out into deep, never-ending chuckles. Slade noticed that the boy was wiggling and nearly bouncing in his seat.

“Dick, hold still. You’re going to upset the table,” said Slade.

“Sorry, I’m just so excited,” wiggled Dick, attempting to hold still; but was honestly failing at it. Slade decided to let it drop. “I can’t help it. I almost couldn’t sleep last night.”

“Well, maybe you should stay home if you didn’t get enough sleep,” suggested Slade in a drawl, smirking. Dick looked affronted.

“No way!” cried Dick.

“What if I make that a demand and not a suggestion?” questioned Slade, enjoying his quiet moment of torturing the boy. But he was given a counterattack: Dick bit his lower lip; his eyes softening to a near pout. There was a responding twitch in Slade’s eyebrow and he almost had to look away. Blast that boy for trying to take him down with puppy eyes!

“Please?” asked Dick, his baby blue eyes sparkling brightly.

“I was just teasing you, boy,” said Slade, after a moment of enduring those blasted eyes. “I wouldn’t force you to stay home today.”

The boy’s face lit up happily. But then, he frowned at Slade. “You just love torturing me, don’t you?”

Slade shrugged lightly, still smirking. “I have to occupy myself some way now. Torturing you sounds like a great, fulfilling hobby.”

Dick shook his head, sending Slade another pout, but that was mixed with a small, impish smile. Wintergreen stood beside Dick and handed him a letter, before sitting down at the table. Slade noticed that the old man had another letter that he set beside his plate.

“That came for you yesterday,” said Wintergreen, unfolding a newspaper and beginning to eat as well. Dick smiled at the letter and began to open it. Slade watched those blue eyes as they flittered back and forth while they read.

“And just what is that?” asked Slade after a few moments of letting the boy read. Dick looked up and smiled.

“A letter.”

“Obviously. From whom?”

“Um… fro–from Bruce.”

“Well, isn’t that nice,” said Slade offhandedly, bringing his cup of coffee to his lips and taking a drink. He tried to ignore the irritation that rose up inside his chest at the name of that bat.

“Yeah, he’s gonna come and visit us.”

Slade coughed, spraying coffee all over the front of his plate. Wintergreen wordlessly moved his newspaper out of the line of fire before passing him a few napkins. Slade continued to splutter through his drink.

“Wh—what?” demanded Slade finally, as he wiped his drink off his chest with a napkin. A cheeky grin spread through Dick’s face.

“Gotcha,” said Dick through his signature cheeky smirk. Wintergreen instantly snorted, which he quickly managed to turn into a polite cough. Slade opened his mouth for a moment, before closing it in silence. Dick began to snicker and giggle.

“I got you good,” drawled Dick, still smirking. “You really believed me, didn’t you?”

What a little imp!

Slade slowly put the napkin down on the table and drew up to his full height, the chair scraping against the floor.

Two can play at this game.

“Dick, I thought you stuck by your beliefs,” said Slade.

“Huh?”

Slade drew away from the table and began to advance towards the boy. Dick took this as a red flag and got to his feet quickly, beginning to back away from the towering Slade.

“I thought you decided you were going to be a Christian or whatever.”

“Um…”

“Don’t you remember?” inquired Slade, his head tilting to the side slightly. He took a step closer to Dick, lowering his tone into a softer, more dangerous one. “‘Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.’ You promised you’d never lie to me. You did just lie to me, didn’t you?”

“Aha… um… but–but, you aren’t my neighbor,” said Dick, sounding extremely nervous and backing up more until his back hit against the wall.

“Oh, but isn’t there a parable in that blasted book about that? Some confounded parable called ‘The Good Samaritan’ or something,” said Slade, his smooth voice entering his instructor tone with a hint of an offhanded manner. “—What’s his name again? Oh—Jesus teaches everyone to love your neighbor as yourself. Some guy thought to be smart with him and slyly asks, “Well, who’s my neighbor?” Long story short, it was said that all are neighbors – so that would include me, wouldn’t it?”

Dick frowned, raising his eyebrow as his eyes narrowed. “W–wait a minute… Wait just a minute! I thought you were an Atheist. How do you even know all that?”

“Oh, please,” drawled Slade in a dismissive manner. “Just because I’m an Atheist doesn’t mean I haven’t ever read the Bible before, boy. Education, after all. You’ve heard of that, right?”

“You have it freakin` memorized!”

“I have a photographic memory.”

“You were totally expounding on it as if you actually understood the stories!” cried Dick, thoroughly indignant.

Slade leaned closer towards Dick’s face and smirked at him.

“I pay attention to what I read.”

Dick frowned again and folded his arms; a sulky expression flowed through his features, giving the impression of an obstinate child. Those glimmering blue eyes narrowed at Slade.

“You’re really determined to wallop my butt over this, aren’t you?”

There was a long, torturous pause.

“No,” drawled Slade finally, enjoying the indignant, yet nervous look that Dick was displaying. Then, a mischievous wry smirk lifted his lips; his grey blue eye glinting. “But it sure was fun watching you squirm.”

Dick opened his mouth indignantly, narrowing his eyes again.

“Uncool,” said Dick, emphasizing each syllable.

“Indeed,” replied Slade with a double bounce of his eyebrows. “You truly are quite gullible.”

Dick scowled and turned his head away.

“Well, it’s not like I really lied. Bruce is coming for a visit,” said Dick in a sulky undertone. Slade froze and stared down at the boy. His grey blue eye narrowed darkly.

“Dick, if you’re continuing with this charade, so help me—”

“No, seriously. Bruce is coming for a visit,” said Dick, looking back up at Slade. “I swear.”

“Dick,” drawled Slade.

“I give you my word,” said Dick, his tone solemn.

Slade scowled.

“Blast it,” growled Slade as he turned away. “What does that bat want now?”

“He’s just coming for a little visit is all,” said Dick with a little shrug. There was a long pause before Dick grinned up at him; his features positively overflowing with mischief. “Oh, come on. There’s no need to get worked up. Besides, I never said he was coming soon anyway.”

“You mischievous little…” Slade shook his head, trailing off; the boy managed to look repentant, his bright eyes blinking innocently at him. Slade narrowed his eye at Dick, before he let out a sigh. “So, he’s reconciling with you.”

“Maybe…”

“I… see,” said Slade, taking a deep breath. His eye softened as he looked down at Dick. “Do you wish he had sooner?”

“I dunno, I guess. He’s not exactly Mr. Cuddles, you know.”

“Neither am I,” said Slade wryly.

Dick shrugged, smiling. “Yeah, you are. Well, some of the time. There’s just something warmer about you. Shockingly.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“It was meant to be.”

“Do you…” began Slade, but he trailed off. He turned his head away. It was such a strange question. He didn’t need to ask it. But that bat was always so irritating; Slade couldn’t help but ask his question and it slipped through, “Do you wish he had adopted you instead?”

“Nope,” said Dick flatly, popping his lips at the end. Slade looked back at the boy, surprised by the quick response.

“Why not?”

“Mmmm… Because if he had, then I would have never given you a chance,” said Dick with a broad smile. Then, he shrugged impishly. “Despite the fact you still display sadistic and psychopathic tendencies.”

“Oh? I display psychopathic tendencies, do I?” asked Slade, his eye glinting as he stared down at Dick. The boy had the good conscious to squirm a bit under his look. Slade withheld the smile that wanted to stretch his mouth. His heart softened. He leaned down to the boy’s ear. He could feel the boy still suddenly.

Softly, ever so softly, Slade whispered inside Dick’s ear.

The boy’s eyes widened as Slade pulled back; beginning to glisten somewhat. Shock completely overtook Dick’s face; his mouth dropping slightly. Then, the shock transformed into pure happiness; joy beyond anything Slade had ever seen on this child’s face. The boy’s small body collided into Slade’s; arms wrapping around his waist tightly. Dick buried his face into Slade’s chest. Slade sighed slightly, wrapping his own arms around the boy and patting him on the back.

Good grief, the boy was too emotional over this. All this for such a simple phrase?

Then, the boy pulled back slightly, his arms still around Slade’s waist; his bright blue eyes sparkling excitedly.

“Say that again!” cried Dick, happiness pouring from his tone; nearly bouncing excitedly. He completely sounded like a little child. Slade gave the boy an incredulous look; patting his back once more.

“No.”

“Oh, come on. It wasn’t that hard.”

“Don’t push me, Dick.”

“Please? Pretty please?”

“What is this, the girl scouts?”

Dick giggled and commenced burying his face into Slade’s chest again. The boy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Slade decided to humor the boy and continued to hold him; completely ignoring the fact that he didn’t mind being hugged by the boy within the vicinity of Wintergreen. Then, a soft whisper reverberated into Slade’s chest from Dick.

“I love you, too, Dad.”

Slade felt warmth pull at his heart. He tightened his arms around Dick; closing his eye and taking a deep breath. He felt the boy respond in a similar fashion. Slade gently stroked the boy’s back; using his other hand to card through strands of stiffened hair. It had been a long time since he had heard that phrase. Now, over nine years since then, it still brought a deep glow to his heart. Slade hadn’t ever realized how important such a phrase had been to him until it had been too late.

Luckily, Slade wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

Slade gently swatted Dick’s lower back and pulled away. He placed a hand onto Dick’s shoulder, squeezing tenderly, and smiled at him. The boy was positively glowing; beaming with the brightest smile ever. Slade let a chuckle escape his lips.

“You’re such an imp,” said Slade with a smile. Dick did him the courtesy of giggling again. Suddenly, the center of Dick’s yellow utility belt began to blink red, a small alarm beeping. Dick looked down briefly at it before he glanced up at Slade with a sheepish grin on his face. He darted to the table and grabbed his mask from off the surface.

“Trouble. Looks like I’ve gotta go now,” said Dick, smoothing the mask over his bright blue eyes. With a small smile, he turned away and quickly made his way to the door.

“Robin,” called Slade. Dick paused at the doorframe, looking back at him. Slade smiled at the sight. The boy looked completely different than the one he had brought here seven months ago. It was a huge difference. The boy truly looked happy. He no longer looked like a boy trying to act like a man – he looked his age; a young, happy boy with a bright future ahead. The smile that was spread throughout his face was a pure, genuine one.

“Be safe,” said Slade softly.

Dick’s smile lit up his face; fiery mischievousness flowed through his features.

“Of course. See you later, Dad!” said Dick, waving before he bolted out the kitchen door. There was a long moment of silence before Slade sighed heavily and shook his head; walking back to his chair and sitting back down. He slumped back; letting out a deep, exhausted sigh.

“Oh, Will; what am I going to do with him?”

“I think the real question is, what are you going to do while he’s off protecting the city?” said Wintergreen, a smile tugging at the side of his lips. Slade considered for a moment and then shook his head as a wry thought lifted in his mind.

“Take up knitting,” said Slade dryly in a flat tone; tilting his head to the side to smirk at the old man. Wintergreen snorted in amusement.

“I’d pay a lot of money to see that.”

“Don’t waste your money.”

“Honestly, Slade; can’t you think of anything else?” asked Wintergreen, his hazel eyes glancing suggestively at Slade.

“What are you getting at, Will?” asked Slade, his eye narrowing. “I can see it. There’s something cooking up in that senile brain of yours.”

“Oh, is that the laundry I hear calling me?” drawled Wintergreen with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Best break out the starch.”

Slade only raised his eyebrow; folding his arms and setting his best stare down on the old man. Wintergreen took a moment, before he let out a sigh and gave Slade a smile.

“Come now, Slade. You’re a man of action,” said Wintergreen, leaning his elbows onto the table and interlocking his fingers to rest his chin on them. “You prefer to do things than talk about them. As a father, you prefer a more direct approach to discipline than to lecture on and on endlessly unless there’s a purpose. You presented Richard with adoption papers instead of verbalizing your feelings about the child. You were a man of action in the military – always busy, bettering yourself as you excelled. If you don’t find something to occupy yourself, you’ll slide right back into your old habits and that’ll put Richard in danger.”

“And just what are you suggesting?” asked Slade. “As I’m sure you do have a suggestion. You always do.”

“Well,” began Wintergreen with a slight lilt in his voice; pulling back from the table and waving lightly with a hand. He picked up his mug of coffee. “You could always start with some major father and son bonding with the child. Perhaps something helpful to the community…”

There was a long pause as Slade watched the old man take a sip from his morning coffee. Then, his single eye narrowed.

“Do you mean to say become a cape?” asked Slade, sounding completely taken aback.

“Mmm… possibly…”

“Over my dead body!”

“No need to get hysterical there, Slade.”

“Hysterical?” cried Slade, his tone dripping with incredulity. “You seriously have gone senile. I take it all back. This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard you say. That—I can’t—good grief, Will. You’ve made speechless.”

“That’d be a first.”

Slade shot the old man a glare.

“You’re joking about this, aren’t you?”

“Not at all,” said Wintergreen, his hazel green eyes twinkling with amusement. Slade’s expression resembled that of a trout. Wintergreen turned more serious as he set his mug down. “It’d give you the perfect chance to keep an eye on Richard. You never know when some psychopathic maniac decides to move here. You never know who might want to kidnap him; might want to hurt him; might want to kill him because of who he is.”

There was a responding twitch from Slade’s eyebrow.

“Might be a good way to protect him without him knowing you’re more or less babysitting him,” said Wintergreen, his smile growing even bigger in his amusement. Slade raised his eyebrow at that. But then, he let out an annoyed sigh.

“There’s no way I’ll ever become a cape. Imagine the faces of that bat and his merry cohorts, the Justice League, if Deathstroke hands in something like his résumé to them.” Slade stopped for a moment, considering heavily. Then, a roguish light entered his eye as a mischievous thought crossed his mind. “Actually… I’d pay a lot of money to see the bat’s face at that. A face like that would be priceless.”

“Such the sadist you are,” commented Wintergreen mildly, but completely appearing as if he were trying to hold back a smile.

“Mm, quite,” smirked Slade.

Become a cape?

Ha! As if that would ever happen.

There was a moment where Slade continued to shake his head, still floored at the fantastical things that this old man came up with.

But then, a worrisome thought rose up inside Slade’s mind – every one of those crazy ideas seemed to have come true so far. Well, Slade was bound and determined that this one wasn’t going to happen. Good grief, no. It was one thing to train that boy and even his friends should they ever come to him, but it was a whole other story going out like an idiot and becoming a philanthropist, a bleeding heart, a blasted do-gooder.

Not even going into the depths of purgatory itself would ever convince him otherwise. It’d be the end of the world before that’d ever happen to Slade.

Just. No.

Interesting how destiny also loves to bite people in the butt.

“Here,” said Wintergreen, breaking through Slade’s thoughts as he pushed the other letter towards him. “This came for you.”

Slade raised an eyebrow as he accepted the letter. He looked at it, seeing no identifiers to whom it could be from; turning it around to check the back, still with no luck.

Slade opened the letter and pulled out the single sheet of paper that was inside. His breath caught in his throat after reading the first line. It took a moment before he could get a hold of himself. He swallowed the lump that was building up inside his throat; his hands trembling against the paper.

“Slade, what is it? What’s wrong?” asked Wintergreen, sounding worried. Slade looked up at the old man, his eye wide with his shock. It was just like that moment he had spent with Dick, when that boy said something completely unimaginable that had only been in his dreams.

It felt as if his very heart had stopped.

“It’s from Joey,” whispered Slade, looking back down at the letter. “He said he’s now going to the Academy of Art University this June for the summer semester. He said he’s going to move to Jump City for easy commute.” Slade’s tone dropped even more as emotion decided to overpower his senses. “He said that he and Rose will be visiting over the summer.”

His twenty year old son and his sixteen year old daughter would be visiting him after nine years of absence. The emotion that bled through Slade was far too powerful for words; the writhing, twisting of his heart at the very thought of being able to see them face to face after such a long time, completely electrified and intoxicated every segment of his soul.

His little ones…

Not so little any more, though.

Such time lost. But Slade couldn’t allow himself to lament. It was stunning how much Dick affected his life. So much had changed simply through one choice on Slade’s part – bringing that boy here to be his apprentice. Yet somehow everything had changed, like a domino effect. Through that young, bright eyed boy, Slade gained not only a new son, but his other two children would be returned as well.

If only…

If only he’d have thought of all this just a little sooner. Then, perhaps, he’d be the father of four.

But Slade wasn’t going to think on the past any more. He had a precocious fifteen year old boy on his hands that needed to be watched over and protected; whose heart was gentle, young, tender, and ever so full of endless love.

Perhaps, Slade would also be able to be in the lives of Joey and Rose now as well.

The future truly did seem all too bright now. It was almost blinding in some ways. Slade suddenly felt the need to get himself a decent pair of sunglasses and an excellent substitute for a good stiff drink – it appeared as if rainbows and sunshine were about to fill his life.

Good grief, he was doomed.

“You know, Slade; being the father of a fifteen year old hero will be quite troublesome, don’t you think?” asked Wintergreen through a chuckle.

Slade snorted.

“If you told me seven months ago, that I would become the father of the Boy Wonder himself, I would have sent you to a psychiatrist in a straitjacket,” said Slade with a shake of his head. Wintergreen chuckled some more; a knowing light entering the old man’s eyes.

“Quite. Which is why I waited until now to tell you.”

Slade stilled as troubled confusion began to fill his mind. He narrowed his eye.

“And just what do you mean by that?”

“Oh, please, Slade,” drawled Wintergreen lightly. “Do you honestly think you could’ve reached this point without my poking and prodding?”

What on earth…

“You planned all this, didn’t you?” breathed Slade, raising his eyebrow. “You wanted this the whole time, didn’t you? Having Dick and I reach the point of father and son.”

“Well, of course. And I tried, you could say,” said Wintergreen, his features completely lifted into a knowing, wise smile. “Looks like I succeeded, too. Quite well, if I do say so myself. You did the work; I merely pushed you in the right direction. Well… I might’ve had a little help with that, too.”

A gentle, lilting giggle lifted through the air; completely hidden from ears.

There was a longer moment of silence between the two men as Wintergreen rustled his morning newspaper while he turned a page. He lifted his cup of coffee to his mouth. Slade could only watch his old, yet amazingly wise friend for a few moments; taking in all what that meant.

“Will.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you,” whispered Slade, slowly wording the gratitude over his lips.

An aged smile graced Wintergreen’s mouth.

“Anytime, my old friend. Anytime.” 

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