Regressing For The Enemy

Chapter 21

Slade POV

  Seeing the boy so meek and humbled was enough to slightly soften even the man of stone. It reminded him not of his oldest Grant, but of his younger son Joey. A soft spoken boy with a love for the arts. Shaking away the saddening thoughts of the past, Slade chided himself for thinking that way. After all, Dick was a soldier, a combat tool in training, someone meant to be his successor in this world when it all went to shit. It was worthwhile to have Richard look up to him as a father figure, in order to fully gain his trust in the arena, but Slade was never supposed to view him as a son. But as the guileless boy stared into him, Slade couldn't help but feel a paternal surge forming in his chest for the younger boy in front of him. 

  "Truth be told, you are in trouble. Or- at least- you were supposed to be." Seeing the fear flash across Richard's face, Slade softened his tone. "But being the merciful martial arts master that I am, I have decided to give you an alternative." Richard relaxed slightly at that, if only slightly. "I noticed at dinner how you tensed at the thought of being spoon fed by Mr. Wintergreen. Why is that?" Richard frowned, looking downwards. "Dickie, I can promise you with certainty, your shoes  do not withhold the answers  you seek." Slade surprised himself with the nickname. How easily it slipped from his tongue, as if it had belonged there from the beginning. Dick seemed stunned at the nickname as well, although he only showed it for a moment. 

  "I just- I think it's kind of embarrassing to be fed like a baby when I'm not one." "I don't believe that." Dick's frown deepened into a scowl, but given the circumstances, his features failed to carry as much weight as he would've liked. Instead, Dick seemed to give the appearance of an angry kitten. "I don't believe that there wasn't a part of you leaping for joy when Wintergreen held up that spoon." Dick's kitten glare increased ten fold. "You dun know me." Slade let himself mitigate the situation, his muscles loosening, allowing a gentle smile to grace his features. "Oh? I don't, eh?" Slade teased. "What's your favorite blanket in the whole wide world?" Dick looked to the floor again. "The one Mamă gave me. It's got a circus print with elliephants and clowns and stuff on it." Reaching around Dick, Slade pulled out the blanket in question from inside the toy chest behind Dick. "You wouldn't be referring to this  blanket, now would you?" Dick gasped in evident shock. "Yes I would." Dick reached out to grab it, but stopped himself short. "May I has it, please?" Slade refrained from correcting the boy on his grammar, instead choosing to appreciate the great improvement in manners. "Yes you may." Slade gently placed the comfort material in Dick's arms.

  "Now, Dick. To go back to the point that I was making earlier." "The one about the spoon?" "Yes, child. The one about the spoon." Slade cleared his throat. "You yelled at not one but both of your teachers this morning and then proceeded to degrade and shame yourself; neither of which are acceptable behaviors." Slade started out in a strong and stern tone of voice. "But," He paused. "After careful consideration, I believe I know why you were acting out in the way that you did." Dick looked up, surprised at his master's words. "You do?" Slade smiled for a moment, nodding his head slowly. "I do, Dickie. You were embarrassed about regressing in front of me. You've seen me as an enemy, a hostile and a crook. But if you are to truly be my leading foot forward in the world, I think we are going to have to learn to trust each other a little better. Don't you think?" Dick wanted to tell Slade he didn't want to be his apprentice and that he definitely was a crook, but decided he'd rather not be the one to ruin the kind moment between the pair. 

 "Yes, sir." "So I've decided that instead of a punishment on the naughty step for your impropriety, I've decided that a trust exercise is much more appropriate for the night." Dick felt a dry lump of spit at the back of his throat. "What kind of twrust exewrcise?" Slade almost seemed nervous for a split second, but the moment was too short for Dick to be sure. "I've prepared a concoction of cut fruit and crushed Oreo pudding as a snack, and I want you to allow me  the ability to spoon feed you with no additional assistance or resistance. Meaning, no grabbing the spoon, no wiping your face of spills and no leaning forward or away when I'm attempting to feed you. Are you comfortable with that?" Dick looked flushed for a moment, but the idea of being spoon-fed like a baby was suddenly making him feel very small. Something that made him very malleable at this stage, Slade noted. Dick slowly nodded before reaching forward and clinging to the side of Slade's knee similar to a baby sloth. The older man merely chuckled at Dick's antics, considerably amused. "I'll take that as a yes."