Into the Depths – Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty
A Single Shot

May 25th, 2009. Monday, 3:19 am.

It’d been a long night.

And it still hadn’t ended for Slade.

After taking his fourth cup of coffee – bless that old man – Slade decided to make the rounds over the occupants of his home. Wintergreen had thrown in the towel, so to speak, about two hours prior. As Slade came upon Dick’s room, he could see Joey fast asleep at the bedside. The young man had leaned his arms onto the edge of the bed, only to succumb to exhaustion of the night. Thus, his head was resting on folded arms.

All the while, Dick’s sleeping countenance showed nothing of what had happened mere hours ago.

It was at that moment when Slade felt a rush of deep affection for his second eldest. He had grown into such a fine young man. There had barely been any time to reconnect after nine years. There had been a new sibling, one where a relationship hadn’t been formed too much.

And yet, it was like nothing had changed. Joey had risen to the occasion and sat by Dick’s side for hours just watching over the boy. He had done all this without complaint. Joey was heaven sent, there was no doubt in Slade’s mind – if he ever considered such things. Truly, though, the timing had been at its perfection.

They had arrived just in time. Any time after would’ve put a great deal of stress on Wintergreen’s shoulders – not to mention Slade’s nerves. A day before would’ve seemed as if it were coincidence. But, no. Joey and Rose had arrived on the very night that Dick collapsed.

It was such a strange miracle.

Slade turned away and began to walk down the hallway. He needed to check on the other teenagers who had taken residence in the family room. Nothing had blown up, so that was a good thing – no mischief.

Of course, the night was young. Anything could happen.

A few minutes later, Slade had descended the stairs, had crossed the large room of the basement, and was now gently pushing open the door to the family room. He hoped the teens were asleep and if they were, he didn’t want to wake them. There were the soft sounds of breathing – each were fast asleep, thank goodness. After the explanation Slade received from Cyborg about what had happened, it was no wonder they were asleep. What they had experienced had certainly been wearing on the nerves.

Slade took a step into the room and inspected the sleeping teens. Raven was curled on her side, her front facing the back of the couch. Slade could see the side of her body slowly rising in her sleep. He glanced over to see Starfire sleeping upside down, her legs dangling over the back of the couch, with her long hair piling on the floor.

Slade could only raise his eyebrow at that. He’d have to talk to the girl about proper sleeping habits, because that was just a bit too extreme, even for an alien girl. Cyborg was on the floor near her beside the coffee table and hooked up to an outlet, the long, thick cord obviously charging him. He was also fast asleep, his snores light, yet vocal.

That left the youngest of the bunch. Slade glanced around, but for some reason, he wasn’t seeing the young green boy. Then, through the light snores that were coming from Cyborg, there were gentle whimpers lifting in the air. Slade looked for its source, only to find it. He knelt down to see a small green dog curled up beneath the coffee table. He had his eyes closed shut, the whimpers coming through his throat.

Slade let out a soft sigh, knowing he couldn’t leave the child in this condition – Dick wouldn’t. Quietly, he pushed the coffee table out of the way, making extremely sure not to wake the other teens. Once the small puppy was revealed, Slade scooped him up in his arms. There was a small yip at this; the boy seemed to have not noticed Slade’s presence at all. The whimpers became louder, the puppy whining noisily.

“Shh,” whispered Slade, gently patting the back side of the puppy. “You’ll wake the others. Be quiet, child.”

The puppy obeyed, but he still gave off quiet little whimpers; the vibrations sliding into Slade’s arms. He silently walked out of the room, leaving the other three teens to their sleep. He crossed the large basement and came to the stairs, making quick, yet quiet work of them – all along, the puppy stayed in his arms and didn’t try to leave.

Once in the kitchen, Slade set the changeling onto a chair.

“Transform, if you please,” said Slade, his tone soft, but it also required obedience. Slade supposed it was a good thing that Dick was open about how he dealt with disobedience. The changeling always seemed quick to obey. Good thing no one thought to mention to any of them that Slade would never discipline any of the Titans like he did Dick.

As Beast Boy changed into his human form, there were quiet sniffles in the place of the puppy whimpers. The boy’s head was ducked, the sniffles never ending. His thin shoulders were trembling as he made the visible effort to not cry – but he wasn’t succeeding.

Tears were steadily streaming down the child’s face.

Slade sighed, feeling extremely weary. One very sick child wasn’t enough. He also had to have a distraught one as well. These children would be the death of him. It was becoming ever so clearer.

Slade rummaged in the cabinets, searching for the packets of hot chocolate. He was thankful for Wintergreen’s forethought of keeping a hot kettle on the stove at the moment. Copious amounts of coffee had already been consumed by multiple members tonight, but now some hot chocolate was in order. Sugar had that way of calming or exciting children. Slade was willing to take the fifty-fifty chance on the littlest one.

In a few moments, Slade had a mug of hot chocolate all ready, even with a few large marshmallows for good measure. He set the mug onto the table in front of the boy. When Beast Boy didn’t respond to it, Slade pushed it closer into the child’s view line.

“Drink it,” whispered Slade. “It’ll make you feel better.”

Beast Boy dragged his hand over his cheeks, roughly wiping away the tears. It was obvious that he was trying to stop crying, but he couldn’t. The crying only got harder. The boy dug the palms of his hands into his eyes and began to sob harshly.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” whispered Beast Boy through his sobs. He shook his head as his entire body shuddered beneath the weight of his tears.

Slade couldn’t help but take pity on the poor child. The moments when it became truly clear that they were all just children – especially the youngest here – were always enlightening to Slade; and sobering. Beast Boy was just a little boy, just like Dick was – they all were just children. Thirteen was just so young. To go through something like this, it was no doubt quite traumatic for them.

Slade drew his chair close to the boy and put a hand onto the child’s knee. He patted the leg there gently. There was a soft hitch of breath.

“It’s okay. It’s okay to cry.”

Beast Boy shook his head vigorously, but his body continued to shudder as he sobbed. There were efforts to stop once more, but it was in vain. There was a low chuckle.

“Tell that to Dick,” said Slade, remembering the times that Dick had been sensitive to things. “It’s okay to cry. Get it out of your system.”

But Beast Boy shook his head again. Slade wasn’t sure what the boy was meaning by it. He waited for the child to calm down. It took a few minutes, but Slade continued to pat him on the leg. He knew how much Dick depended on the gentle touch of a hand.

“Shouldn’t cry,” whispered Beast Boy, shaking his head again. “S’not okay, not allowed. But I can’t stop! It hurts too much!”

Then, those sobs started anew. Beast Boy fought against his tears, trying hard to wipe them away, but the flow was too fast for him. There was a little sob of distress at his situation, but he appeared to give up. He kept his face hidden beneath his hands.

“Who told you that?” asked Slade, keeping his tone soft. He didn’t want to frighten the child, but he was disturbed that someone would tell a child that they weren’t allowed to cry. There was another shake of the head; there was a hiccup. Slade frowned. “Listen to me… Garfield.” There was a stiffening from the boy. Slade took him by the shoulders, squeezing gently. “Whoever told you that should just shut up.”

Beast Boy pulled his face out of his hands and stared at Slade in shock. His ears were lifted upward, just as his eyes were wide.

“Everyone cries at some point in their life,” said Slade, continuing gently; greatly amused by the boy’s expressive features. “It’s not a sin. Pain comes to everyone and sometimes it helps to just cry. It doesn’t make you weak. It doesn’t make you any less of a man. It simply makes you human.”

There was a final trail of tears that slid down the boy’s cheeks. Then, there were no more. There was a searching that filled Beast Boy’s eyes, like he was trying to figure out just who Slade was. They turned questioning.

“You, too?” asked Beast Boy. There was a tender squeeze at the boy’s shoulders as Slade smiled ruefully.

“I wonder about that.”

The tears started slowly once again, but there was a soft smile on the boy’s face. They were steady now, his quiet sobs. Slade wasn’t sure what to do any more. All he knew was what he had learned while dealing with Dick. He knew exactly what Dick would need during a time like this. But Beast Boy, or Garfield, wasn’t his son, nor were they close.

Somehow, though, Slade knew from experience with Dick that a hug did wonders for a child.

And that was just what Slade found himself doing for the sobbing little boy before him. He drew Beast Boy into a hug. It seemed so easy to do now. It was so strange to think that here Slade was, comforting this child that wasn’t even his own, but had even been one that he had opposed before. But he knew Dick would be happy.

Beast Boy seemed startled by the gesture. For a long moment, he was stiff in Slade’s arms. Then, he melted. The boy was responding to the hug just as Dick always did. He didn’t return the hug, but he buried his face into Slade’s chest.

Minutes passed as Slade held the boy, not fully aware that he was rocking the child. The previous uncontrollable sobbing had long gone. Now there was only gentle sniffles.

Slade felt a presence in the kitchen  and he looked up to see Joey standing at the kitchen entrance. The young man had a very pleased expression on his face, as if he were proud. Slade smiled at him. The smile was returned.

Finally, Beast Boy slowly pulled out of Slade’s arms. It was noticeably clear that the child didn’t want to leave the comfort. Slade hadn’t ever realized just how much a child needed the physical affection. As Beast Boy rubbed at his eyes and face, Slade withdrew a handkerchief from his pocket and began to wipe the boy’s eyes. Beast Boy looked floored now.

“I think it’s time for you to go back to bed,” said Slade once he was done. He glanced over at the hot chocolate on the table and nodded to it. “Did you want to drink that?”

There was a shake of the head. Slade simply nodded. Then, much to the boy’s extreme surprise, Slade lifted him into his arms and stood up, setting the boy onto his hip. Those green eyes couldn’t have gotten bigger.

As Slade walked to the basement door, Joey reached out to him.

“I can take him,” said Joey, smiling at them. “If you want to look after Dick now, I can take Beast Boy back to bed.”

The young man held out his arms. There was no hesitation. Slade nodded and the boy in his arms was transferred to Joey. The young boy looked thoroughly embarrassed by this point. He wiggled as Joey took him into his arms.

“Hey, I’m not a doll!” said Beast Boy hotly, though his tone was subdued. He was blushing furiously, but Joey only chuckled at him. There was strength in the young man’s arms as he held Beast Boy. Slade patted the boy on the arm and those green eyes looked at him. There were filled with such surprise, as if the kindness he was being shown was an abnormality.

“It will get better,” said Slade in a low whisper. “The pain will get better.”

Beast Boy slowly nodded, still looking stunned by everything. With a final pat on the arm, Slade pulled away. He gave Joey an appreciative glance, before he began to turn to go down the hallway.

“It’s like I’m running a blasted daycare center,” muttered Slade under his breath, but he winked good naturedly at the boy. Beast Boy’s ears flicked, reddening slightly, and he wiggled inside Joey’s arms.

“Hey!”

Amusement played at Slade’s lips as he smirked at the boy. “Or perhaps a dog kennel.”

For a moment, Beast Boy looked surprised by the subtle joke. Then, he let out a giggling laugh. It was more than enough for Slade to turn his back and know that the child was in good hands – and that he had been comforted.

Not bad for an assassin, if Slade did say so himself – which he did.

“Slade,” said Beast Boy, calling out to the man. He waited as Slade turned back around to look at him. Beast Boy blushed slightly, feeling a little embarrassed over what he was about to say. But he felt it was needed. He wiggled once, a little surprised that Slade’s other son was strong enough to hold him without even slipping a bit. Finally, he got his courage up and looked the man in the eye. “You’re a really good Dad. Dick’s lucky to have you.”

Really lucky.

There was a softness that came over Slade’s countenance. It was such a different side to the man, one that Beast Boy hadn’t ever seen before. But, somehow, he knew that Dick had seen it – far more than any of them could imagine.

Slade had once been their enemy. He had once been a great opposer. He had once been the epitome of everything they, the Teen Titans, stood against. But it had all just been an illusion. It hadn’t been the full truth. All along, behind the mask, there had been a man who was a really good father.

It was enough to make one jealous, if Beast Boy thought too hard about it – and he was trying really hard not to think about it.

Once Slade disappeared into Dick’s room, Beast Boy turned his gaze onto the young man who was holding him. He felt embarrassingly little in these arms – Joey was only a few inches shorter than Slade. Not that Beast Boy didn’t enjoy it some. He did, but he was thirteen and much too old to be held like a little child.

“You can let me down now,” whispered Beast Boy, trying hard not to blush. There was a moment where the young man just looked at him. Then, there was a soft smile, somewhat mischievous in nature.

“Naw, I don’t think I will.”

Beast Boy blushed deeply. “I’m not a little baby! I don’t need to be carried to bed. Just let me down and I’ll go.”

Without realizing it, his long ears drooped slightly. He honestly didn’t want to go downstairs to sleep. Even though his friends were all together, there was such friction between them, it was hard to stay around. Cyborg was obviously angry with Slade. But now Starfire was disappointed in him and it was apparent that she was greatly saddened by it. Everything just felt awkward. No amount of silly tension breaking jokes would cut it. If Cyborg could’ve only seen how the man had dealt with Beast Boy tonight. Surely he would’ve seen something special there.

Beast Boy certainly had.

Joey paused again, his features filled with consideration. Then, the young man shook his head.

“Why don’t you come bunk with me tonight?”

“What?” asked Beast Boy, surprised even further.

“Well, everyone’s so uptight and sad about what’s happening with Dick,” said Joey. There was a such a gentleness on the young man’s face. “I don’t think I could sleep without some company with me tonight.”

Long ears perked up.

“What do you say?” asked Joey, his face lifted in a knowing smile. When Beast Boy nodded shyly, the young man hoisted him up higher in his arms. “All right, then. Come on, pup, let’s go have our own slumber party. Good thing I smuggled those snacks in my luggage.”

Beast Boy had to wonder if his skin was going to become permanently red, especially at being called ‘pup’. But he relaxed in the young man’s arms as he was carried down the hallway. Joey turned to the left when he reached the end.

There was a moment where Beast Boy allowed himself to enjoy the moment. The young man was talking and he just listened as he rested his head against the broad shoulder that was provided. There was no one else to see this. Cyborg or Raven would never get the chance to make fun of him for this. So, Beast Boy enjoyed Dick’s older brother – enjoying the feeling of being taken care of by an older, caring brother; secretly wishing he could have something like this.

He did hope there were some good snacks, though.

ooOOOOOoo

May 25th, 2009. Monday, 3:59 am.

Slade sat down onto the edge of the Dick’s bed. For a long minute, he just watched the sleeping form that was curled beneath the covers. There was a sense of relief that passed through Slade’s soul as he saw the slow, gentle lift that indicated steady breathing.

With a sigh, Slade twisted on the edge where he sat, placing his back against the wall. His legs extended the length of the bed. As Slade folded his arms and leaned his head against the wall, a tired exhale ran through his entire body.

Only this child would make him exhausted.

With Joey watching the youngest Titan, there was no one to watch the youngest Wilson. A touch of amusement lifted against Slade’s mouth as that thought crossed his mind. Dick still was a Grayson in name, but he very much was Slade Wilson’s son. With the friction between the Titans – well, mainly the eldest one – it pulled Slade out of the idyllic setting that many times arose with Dick. He was reminded of just who Dick was; well, not that he had ever forgotten. How could he?

Well, there was nothing to do about it. No matter how much Slade tried, his mind was at its peak in its exhaustion. Without even realizing it, Slade’s eye had closed. All too soon, he was asleep at Dick’s side.

ooOOOOOoo

May 25th, 2009. Monday, 11:04 am.

Slade woke with a start. It was a few moments before he realized where he was. He groaned softly, rubbing his face into his hands. With a glance at the clock, he was surprised to see that it was well into the morning – in fact, it was only an hour before noon. Good grief, he had slept hours in this uncomfortable position.

Oh…

That creak in his back was definitely confirming this fact. Being immortal didn’t always fix those things. With another low groan, Slade stretched his stiff limbs. He stilled instantly when he felt movement at his side.

Two dully lighted eyes of a crystal blue color were looking up at him.

Slade had never been more happy to see those eyes then at that very moment. He turned slightly and stroked the boy’s bangs. He was disturbed to feel the heat from Dick’s forehead; his skin damp.

“Dad,” whispered Dick, turning slightly beneath the covers. “Dad…”

“Shh,” said Slade, slowly stroking through the black locks of hair. Dick’s eyes closed briefly, a wave of peace running through his expression. “It’s okay, I’m here. You’re very sick. Just rest.”

The boy had a fever. There was no doubt about it. Where he got it, now that was the worrying factor. Had it been through Slade’s mistake? Had the direct contact of Slade’s blood into the boy’s system created further sickness? Or was this a continuation of what was happening before?

Slade was torn between which problem he rather deal with – his own failure or an outside attack.

However, the instant effect that the pure version had had on the boy was enough to tell Slade that it wasn’t that which was causing the fever. That only meant the attack on Dick was renewing once again.

Slade had to do something before it was too late.

“Dick, listen to me,” whispered Slade, leaning down close to him. The boy’s eyes were faded with sickness, but there was a deep intelligent light within them. The boy was aware of his surroundings, just simply extremely ill. “I need to leave for a bit. I’ll come a little later, all right? Someone will always stay with you, though.” There was a pause, before Slade felt to add in a low whisper, as if anxious someone would overhear, “You’re not alone.”

The emotions that played across Dick’s countenance were powerful. There was a mixture of relief and worry. A hand snaked out from beneath the blankets and reached for Slade. Hands connected. There was a squeeze from Dick.

“Wait…”

Slade did as the boy asked, unable to deny the child anything. Dick’s voice was weak and filled with an underline pain, as if simply existing was difficult.

“Kuroi… she’s… she’s all alone.”

“Shh, all right. Everything will be all right, son,” said Slade, watching the dim light in Dick’s eyes with great worry in his heart. He hadn’t ever seen Dick look this fragile before. His face was pale, his eyes were halfway closed, and there was a sheen of perspiration on his face.

And someone was doing this to him.

“No, Daddy,” whispered Dick, his eyes clenching together once, before he looked back at him. The boy’s voice had grown even weaker. Slade felt his breath catch at the softer title of endearment that Dick used. “Kuroi, don’t forget… The others… they don’t know…”

“Shh, all right, all right,” said Slade, clasping the boy’s overly warm cheek. “I’ll get her. She’ll be fine.”

Dick closed his eyes. There was a soft sigh and he tilted his head toward the hand that was cradling his cheek. His breathing deepened and he was once again sleeping. Slade didn’t remove his hand, feeling the heated flesh there.

Then, silently, Slade got up from the bed. He tucked the covers up to the boy’s chin, carded his hand through those black bangs once more, before leaving a soft brush of a kiss on the damp brow. A soft whisper fell from Slade’s lips, one that hadn’t been said for many years, but now had become second nature due to this very special child.

I love you.

Slade left the room with only a final glance back. With every stride he took down the hallway, he felt his temper rise. Someone was deliberately attacking his family once again. It was infuriating. The absolute fury bubbled to the surface before he even stepped into the threshold of the kitchen.

There was a medley of sound in the kitchen, but Slade didn’t notice it. He didn’t even think about going to his room and suiting up – which would have been a better option. Being suited up meant having a bigger gun.

And there wasn’t anything more that Slade wanted to do than to put a bullet through the attacker’s forehead.

The sound in the kitchen died as Slade made a beeline to a drawer in the kitchen. He ripped it open, the miscellaneous items crashing against the wood. Slade dug inside, twisted a knob, and lifted the bottom of the drawer. The items fell to the back as he pulled out the hidden object.

There were a number of weighty gasps.

“Slade, what on earth are you going to do with that?” demanded Wintergreen.

The bottom of the drawer was righted, before it was shut. Without looking at the table, which was full of six occupants, Slade shoved the gun into the belt of his pants. He strode past the group, once again not taking a single glance back at them. As his hand touched the handle of the kitchen door, Slade paused.

“Will, I need someone to be with Dick at all times. I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Chairs scraped against the ground, words of protest collided with one another, all just as Slade strode out of the kitchen and into the main room. But Slade didn’t care about the chaos that he was leaving in his wake. At that moment, all he cared about was inspecting the Tower. If the enemy was still there, then he or she was going down.

And he’d do it with a single bullet.

Slade was forced to stop, however, when he heard a single voice above all the others.

“I’m coming with you.”

The gears clinked. The lighting in the main room was dim. Slade whirled around and glared at Cyborg. The teen’s unnatural eye glowed ominously in the lighting.

“Slade, just where do you think you’re going, armed no less?” asked Wintergreen, before anything else could be said. The old man had his hands on his hips. The doorway to the kitchen was crowded as everyone stared at Slade. The hardest expressions to endure were the ones on his son and daughter.

For crying out loud, what was the big deal? He was just carrying a gun out the door. Was that so earth shattering? He was Deathstroke, blast it. Why was everyone making a big deal about this? There was someone attacking his family. Look at the foolishness of the past and surely one could see why Slade was walking out the door with a gun!

The silence was awkward.

“Slade, really, nothing good will come from needing that gun,” said Wintergreen finally. The irritation peaked and there was a low scoff.

“Just because I’ve retired,” began Slade with a low growl in his throat. “It doesn’t mean I’m not the same person as I’d been before.”

“I’ve been saying that since the beginning,” said Cyborg, his tone dripping with insolence.

“Which you’ve made abundantly clear,” snapped Slade. He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Well, you’re not leaving without me,” said Cyborg hotly. “This is Tita—”

Both Raven and Starfire placed hands onto Cyborg’s arm, just as Slade was about ready to strangle the boy. This teen was extremely lucky he was part robot.

“Cyborg, that’s enough,” said Raven, her flat tone rising with strength. Then, she dropped her voice lower. “Remember what Starfire said last night?”

“Please, Cyborg, you must stop—”

Cyborg pulled out of their reach and Starfire stopped midsentence. “I remember,” he said shortly. “But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna let him—” He jabbed a finger towards Slade. “—go off on his own without one of us.”

Starfire looked hurt. Those monochromatic eyes were filled with endless pain, something Slade hadn’t seen with the girl. He wasn’t sure what she must’ve said, but it was apparent that it was being ignored.

It seemed that this enemy also had the ability to cause discord. Or was it just the circumstances?

“Yes,” drawled Slade, with no patience to remove the viciousness his tone began to take. “Since I suddenly need a little boy to babysit me.”

“Slade, please,” said Wintergreen, looking appalled.

“Shove off, Slade!” shouted Cyborg, bristling. Those words echoed inside Slade’s mind, almost reminiscent of another angry boy, who repeatedly shouted those same words not a few months ago. “I don’t trust you! Who knows what you’re planning or what angle you have here. Do you honestly think I’m gonna let you do whatever the heck you want? You’re nuts!”

Nostrils flared.

Well, the patience had been spent. There would be no more now. The only way it would be restored was once Dick was out of danger. But that wasn’t happening with no action. Slade was done. He was done with no action. He was done fighting with this brat. He was a reasonable man – or so he thought – but this obnoxious, irrational teenager had just spent the last reserves of his patience.

Slade ripped the buttons open at his wrists. One of the buttons broke off and lightly tapped against the floor. He roughly rolled up his sleeves and pulled at the button near the collar at his neck. Then, he opened his arms open and gestured to Cyborg vigorously.

“You want a fight?” demanded Slade. There was a sharp intake of breath from the old man, while everyone else looked startled by this development. “Well, have at me!”

“Slade—”

“Shut up, Will!”

Cyborg stood in front of the others, his mouth open slightly, as he stared at Slade in shock.

“Well?” shouted Slade, his arms sharply flicking once; the gesture inviting a fight. “You’ve got a problem with me, don’t you? So, get over here and talk with your fists! I’m sick and tired of dealing with your childish crap—” Cyborg flinched furiously at the term. “—and I’m done with this. You want a fight, well, little brat, you got one.”

Slade pointed a finger at the boy’s face.

“Be warned, though,” whispered Slade, his tone dropping to an ominous one. “I’ll not hold back. In one shot, you’ll go down. I don’t care if you’re Dick’s friend. I’ll wrestle you to the ground if I have to; I’ll hack into your programming and shut you down if I have to – if I have to knock you out, so be it.”

Cyborg’s eyes narrowed.

“So, you show your true colors now.”

There was a groan from Raven, while Slade nearly felt like screaming in frustration – a sensation he hadn’t felt in his entire life. Ever.

“Are you deliberately being obtuse?! You don’t get it!” shouted Slade, his voice reaching a volume that made everyone in its hearing distance flinch. “Have I not made one very important fact clear? Dick might die! Don’t you even care about him? Do you have metal in your brain?! Good grief, I’ve never met anyone so stubborn or, blast it, idiotic – I’m not sure any more – than you!”

There was a sharp exhale of breath as Slade ran a hand through his hair in agitation. There were a few moments of silence to this and he calmed. He took a deep breath, before his tone softened.

“Look, Victor—” And at this, there was a suck of breath from Cyborg. There were a number of reactions to the use of the boy’s real name from the remaining two Titans. “—I don’t want to fight with you, but you leave me no choice. You want a fight. Fine. Bring it on. I’ll take you down without hesitation, because I don’t have time to deal with this. Dick’s life is at stake here. If you want to gamble with something else, then go ahead. But my son’s life is off limits.”

Slade looked at the teen in the eye, his stance hardening.

“Otherwise,” continued Slade, his voice hissing slightly. “I suggest you plant that stubborn, idiotic metal butt of yours in a kitchen chair and think about someone else besides yourself.”

There was no answer to that. For once, Cyborg appeared that he had nothing to say in retort. His glance had been torn from Slade, his head ducked to stare at the ground. His body still stood there, waiting to fight and argue again, but it was obvious that he was also wavering.

“I can’t figure out what your problem is,” said Slade, shaking his head as he continued. “You’re looking for something. What more proof do you need from me? I stopped being Deathstroke. I’ve given Dick every freedom he wants – barring stupidity, of course – and every freedom when it comes to his hero work, despite the daily heart failure I get from it. I even gave up my time to train a bunch of annoying teenagers – no offense – for his sake. Everything I do, everything I’ve done now has been for that boy.”

There was a glimmer of pride within a pair of green eyes. Joey’s expression truly made Slade feel that he was finally doing something right by his family for once. If Joey approved, then that really did mean something – it meant that finally Slade was getting this.

Even Wintergreen had an approving lift to his features. The youngest Titan, Beast Boy, held an expression of awe, while Raven looked touched as well. The only one who still didn’t seem to quite get it was Cyborg.

What more did this child want?

“Do you love him?” asked Cyborg, his voice quiet now.

“I gave up everything for that boy; what gave it away?!” demanded Slade incredulously, nearly shouting once again. “What further proof can I offer but through my actions? Yes, I realize that previous actions have attested otherwise, but since the point I decided Deathstroke was done, I have done nothing if only it were for that child.”

Slade shook his head, feeling all his emotions die in his chest. He didn’t need to prove anything to this boy. Yet, he was still talking and wasn’t stopping any time soon.

“If that’s not love, then I’ll never know true love.”

The silence that reigned over the group was absolute. Slade turned away, not wanting to see any more expressions. He needed to take care of the enemy, for Dick’s sake. He needed to save his son. This was the only way to do it.

No matter the sacrifice, Slade would do anything to protect Dick.

He wanted his son to be well again. He wanted to hear that laugh, hear that soft giggle of delight, hear that voice filled with happiness – once more, he needed to hear all that once more. He wasn’t ready to lose another son. He would never be ready.

No matter how inevitable it was.

“…D–Dad?”

Slade sucked in his breath and whirled back around. The group had parted from the doorway, revealing Dick. He was clutching at the doorframe with all his energy. It was clear that it was taking all his strength just to stand there. Starfire and Joey came to the boy’s side immediately, each grabbing him at one arm. There was a sigh of relief from Dick as he allowed himself to be supported.

“Dick, you must go back to your bed,” said Starfire, tears filling her eyes. “You are very unwell.”

It was brief, but Dick’s eyes glanced over at her. There was an appreciative look in his gaze, before he moved it onto Slade. Almost instantly, Slade was striding forward – passing by Cyborg – and was holding Dick steady from the front. The boy pulled from the two who were supporting him and clung to Slade.

“Dad… what’s… What’s going on?”

“The real question is, what on earth are you doing out of bed?” said Slade, his voice low and soft, yet there was a blend of chiding within.

“I heard yelling…”

“Yes, well…” started Slade, feeling uncomfortable. The last thing he wanted was to add worry onto the boy’s shoulders. Knowing Dick, he would take it very personally if any of them were fighting. “We were having a very… loud discussion.”

There was a breathless chuckle from Dick. Never had Slade heard something so beautiful as the child laughing. To see it in the middle of his sickness was a miracle.

“Those are scary,” whispered Dick, giving Slade a tiny lift of his lips. Though the color in his eyes was dim, there was the gentlest of twinkles within.

A prominent Adam’s apple bobbed once.

The boy’s skin was warm to the touch, too warm to be healthy. His hands, however, were colder than ice. It was chilling to feel. Then, all the strength left the small body, dimmed eyes rolling back. Dick fell forward, just as Slade stopped the descent and lifted the child up into his arms. Dick felt so light, yet his limbs were heavy and limp. The boy rested his head against Slade’s chest with one of his arms draped over his stomach.

“You foolish child,” whispered Slade. There was a soft smile on the boy’s face. Amusement flooded through Slade. The child was more than pleased to be carried at that moment, it would seem.

Silence was the only companion as Slade walked back to Dick’s bedroom. He could feel a few of the others following him. He carefully placed Dick onto his bed, pulling the covers out from beneath him and lifting them to his chin. There was a moment of gentleness that crossed Dick’s face as he opened his eyes slightly to look up at Slade.

It was brief, however – so painfully brief.

The boy’s expression contorted, just as it had before when the attack had come on. Then, Dick screamed.

“Will!”

Slade knelt onto the bed and grabbed boy’s wrists, afraid that he would start thrashing wildly again. Dick arched his back, just as he screamed again.

This time, however, Slade could hear words.

“No! S–stop it!”

The poor child didn’t have long to be in agony. A second batch of a sedative was injected inside his flesh. The energy faded from Dick’s body and Slade loosened his grip. Just as the boy’s eyes slid closed, there was a whispered, “Thank you, Dad.”

There was no doubt in Slade’s mind now: someone really was attacking the boy.

“Someone needs to stay with him at all times,” said Slade, pulling away from the bed. As he turned away, he noticed that Starfire and Rose came to the bedside. Wintergreen looked exhausted and beyond worried now. Slade wasn’t going to stick around to talk about his plans to the old man, though. He turned away completely.

“Slade, where are you—”

“I promise not to do anything rash, Will,” said Slade softly. Then, his tone became serious. “No one is to leave until I come back.”

In a single stride, Slade left the room. He had a job to do.

ooOOOOOoo

May 25th, 2009. Monday, 12:18 am.

Slade’s latest decision was only going to cause more friction between himself and the eldest Titan. But the situation called for it. Slade was willing to sacrifice for this, both his sanity and time. He didn’t care if he had to fight with the stubborn teen, he didn’t care if he had to strap Cyborg to a chair, he was going to do this.

Cyborg was excellent in the ways of technology and his work was certainly above PHD holding professors, but the teen’s security systems in the Tower were sorely lacking. It barely took Slade two minutes before he had the front door opened and every system to recognize his presence as guest within the Tower.

Normally, the Tower allowed his presence, due to Dick’s modifications, but apparently, someone – who shall remain nameless, no matter how much he was being the most exceptional stubborn child Slade had ever met – had locked him out completely.

“Blasted brat,” muttered Slade, as he entered the main hall of the Tower. With a few minutes of work, Slade had upped the security and now had the entire Tower in lock down. He allowed the interior to remain open to give him free reign, but as to the actually leaving the Tower, that wasn’t going to happen unless Slade allowed it.

If the enemy was still in the Tower, he or she wasn’t getting away.

Now, the first order of business was to get the cat.

Slade, never in all his life, imagined he would think such a thing.

The Tower was quiet. It was odd to Slade not to hear any life within these walls, but it did make his job similar. He certainly didn’t need Dick underfoot at a time like this. He also didn’t need a fight with the boy over this. It was a good thing the boy was asleep – more like knocked out – in bed.

He found it mildly interesting that he knew his way around the Tower. He’d become a regular visitor, after all. He had been a part of their lives more now – even with the hostility from Cyborg.

Now the Tower felt devoid of life. It made Slade even more infuriated with the enemy. How dare he – probably a guy, in Slade’s opinion – disrupt these children’s lives. How dare he attempt to harm them in such a way.

Slade dutifully forgot that he had once been in that position.

He made his way to Dick’s bedroom, watchful for any suspicious movements in the shadows. There was nothing out of the ordinary, beyond the unnerving quiet. There were no echoing sounds, nor anything that would put Slade on full alert.

Which was precisely why he was doubly alert and tense. Despite the innocence that the Tower seemed to permeate through its halls, Slade’s gut was telling him that there was something off. His instinct was going crazy; it was positive that the enemy was still in the Tower.

Slade reached Dick’s bedroom, the door sliding open at his arrival. The lighting was dim, its only source streaming through the window in the second section of the room. The door slid closed automatically behind Slade.

Suddenly, a streak of black raced forward. Slade tensed. There was a fraction of a second where he almost went for the gun at his hip. Instead, he hesitated. A moment later, something leapt into his arms. Relief flowed through Slade. The soft, furry creature trembled. Then, mewling broke the silence.

Slade sighed and stroked the fur of the kitten. “All right, calm down, furball,” he said. “Your silly master is sick right now.”

Bright blue eyes blinked up at him. The creature mewled. Slade raised an eyebrow at the kitten.

“Why on earth am I talking to a cat?” muttered Slade, shaking his head. “It’s not like you can understand me.”

The mewl that flooded the room sounded strongly like an indignant protest. Those large cat eyes were filled with intelligence. There was another sigh, one deep of longsuffering. Slade patted the kitten’s head and received contented purring in return.

Slade walked around the room briefly, ready to drop the kitten and go for his gun if need be. However, while he looked around, the creature had been more than content to nestle in his arms. Without even realizing it, Slade was cradling the kitten.

He looked around the joined rooms once more, before returning to the door. Seeing the bedroom of Dick had brought a wave of nostalgia . It wasn’t exactly a pleasant one, since the last time Slade had been in this room had been when he’d kidnapped Dick to be his apprentice. It was strange to see these rooms again and have a much different perspective.

Slade left the room. He needed to stop wasting time. His son was back home and counting on his father to protect him, even if he didn’t know that Slade was doing this.

Time passed as Slade visited the other bedrooms. Soon, he began to visit the other rooms within the Tower. There were a lot of unused rooms as well. Really, it was honestly like a hotel. They could’ve housed many people here.

Finally, Slade came across the medical room. Immediately, he noticed the frozen form that was Terra. There were tears petrified on her face. The fear was written throughout her expression. Slade was not happy with the girl. He was angry that she had betrayed the Teen Titans, especially Dick. He was frustrated that his son just trusted her so easily, when she had been an enemy from the beginning.

It made Slade want to be more controlling over Dick’s safety, though he knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t cage such a free bird.

But he couldn’t hate the girl. She was no older than Beast Boy, making her younger than Dick. She was another child, just a little girl. Though her mistakes had been large in their consequences, he couldn’t hate the child. But that didn’t mean he was ever going to trust her again.

Something squishy nuzzled against Slade’s leg. The kitten extracted herself from his arms a moment later and jumped to the ground.

What Slade saw gurgling and nuzzling against his leg was not a normal creature – nor was it an attractive creature. It was larger than the kitten. It looked like a giant bug – one that would’ve sent most into sickening shudders.

This must be that mutant moth thing.

Slade grimaced. “You do realize you are quite the ugly monstrosity?” The large larva gurgled happily at him. It seemed that Dick’s previous notions that this thing – Silkie, had he called it? – would try to eat the kitten were unfounded. The kitten immediately created the hierarchy between them, it seemed, and Silkie appeared satisfied to maintain it.

Slade rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “Good grief, I’m becoming a blasted errand boy for a zoo.”

The two creatures played happily with each other. The kitten purred loudly, while that squishy larva thing gurgled some more. Who in their right mind would name that worm ‘Silkie’? Good grief, someone in this Tower was insane. Slade watched the two for a minute, denying any thoughts that Silkie might have some attraction – it was a ‘it’d grow on you’ sort of thing, he supposed.

No doubt about it, the kitten was far cuter. Why the boy named her Kuroi, Slade had no idea.

Slade took one more glance around the medical room. He was going to have to bring Terra back home. They couldn’t afford anyone getting into the Tower and taking her away, nor could she be allowed to be by herself. She could unfreeze without any interference and leave without anyone knowing.

When that girl woke up, Slade was going to have a long chat with her.

Suddenly, the kitten hissed. The larva whimpered. A chill went down Slade’s back and he felt the unmistakable feeling of someone watching him. He tensed and withdrew the gun in an instant. His eye narrowed as he stared at the darkness within the room.

Something flickered within the shadows.

Joey had been right. Someone had been attacking Dick. There was an enemy and there was no possible way that Slade was going to let this person go without a fight.

The kitten’s back was erect; her fur rising as her eyes gleamed with fear. Silkie whimpered, curling up next to the kitten. Kuroi hissed at the shadows, just as Slade took a decided step forward, the gun poised and ready to fire.

The shadows consumed him, leaving the other two occupants of the Tower to wait in fear for his return.

A single shot blasted through the Tower.

ooOOOOOoo

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