Regressing For The Enemy

Chapter 22

Slade POV

  "Dickie, as I'm sure you already know, I've made myself well  aware of everything to do with you and your past. From bugging your suit to paying off some of Gotham's less finer fellows, I have made your business, my business." Dick outwardly cringed at the thought. "And for good reason." Slade added. "You see, I have been looking for an apprentice for many years." He paused, deciding his next words carefully. "Ever- ever since the death of my first born and attempted assassination of my second." Dick's eyes widened in shock, leaning forward in his seat in interest. "I told you that we should get to know each other a little better if we want to work together, so I think it's only fair you know the outcome of my affairs and how it all came to be. But you must make a promise to me. A promise to never speak of this information in front of anyone excluding Wintergreen and I. And I don't mean any promise, I mean your word as a man of God." Slade was quite the opposing figure to any sort of churchly matter, so to hear him refer to a God was quite a surprise to Dick. Dick somberly nodded, sitting up straight and steady, prepared to take the information to his grave, even if it meant hindering his escape. It was strange to see Slade in such a vulnerable position, and it sobered Dick. "I promise sir." Slade nodded slowly, before a dark glint came to his eye. "Good. Because if I ever find out that you have spoken of this conversation to any  of your little Titan friends, I can assure you, Richard Grayson and Bruce Wayne's identities would be plastered across every billboard in this god forsaken city in a matter of minutes. Not to mention, the incredible punishment you would receive would leave you out of commission for months." Dick didn't speak a word, knowing Slade's tale was true. "Yes, sir." Dick swallowed the lump at the back of his throat, heat coming to his cheeks at his own reticence. Had he always been so compliant? Nevertheless, the cloud over Slade's eye faded, as he sat adjacent to Dick. 

  "It all started when I was a teenager. Young, reckless and itching to prove myself. My home life was never the best. With a heavy handed drunk of a father and a mother who was too frightened for her own safety to care for her children's,  I quickly learned that it was my job as the oldest to provide everything my father lacked. When the army started enlisting, I knew it was my chance to do something for myself. Rather than wait another two years in that squatter's refuge, I lied on the form and got in early. The army was tougher than I thought. Training camp felt like hell on earth. I was smart to the mouth and slow on my feet. It took rigorous training and an innumerable number of sleepless nights before I was up to speed with the rest of the crew. But I didn't stop there. I kept working, kept pushing until I started catching the attention of some of the stronger guys in our unit. It was then that I was taken under the wing of one of the strongest, most majestic,  beautiful women the world had seen in our time. She was my squadron leader and trainer for guerrilla tactics for the army at Camp Washington. Her name was Adeline. Adeline Kane. It was under her guidance that I truly began to master army life. It was William and Addie that kept my ass in line and set me down the straight and narrow. Eventually, I had earned up enough of a reputation, that my commander started taking an interest in me. Being younger and fitter than most of the other recruits meant I was the prime tester for this new super serum that was still in the experimental stages. In the short term, it worked like a dream. My speed and strength grew exponentially, but the side effects included bursts of rage, itchiness, mood swings, unsteadiness and irritability. None of which were high quality traits for a soldier. In the long run, it left most of us testers in a crazed enhanced mania, a good majority of which would eat their gun in the field. The experiment was cancelled and the serum destroyed. Those of us that survived the side effects were honorably discharged from the army, but I wasn't satisfied with that. I tried to settle down, I really did. I had two kids with Adeline; Joey and Grant. While Addie was off saving the world, I had the pleasure of staying home doing nothing. But it wasn't for me. I started looking into some shady dealers around town and after a few simple tasks and errands, I quickly found myself dealing in the mercenary business. Mostly wealthy aristocrats that dealt in the internal slave trade. Fucks who didn't deserve the air we breathe. Grant, my oldest, would often beg to go on my "business trips". And once he'd gotten old enough to hold a blade, I began teaching him self defense. I also tried my best to teach my youngest, but he never really took much of an interest in it. Joey, he was more soft spoken, like you. Grant however, it didn't take long before I was taking him out on missions. We were the criminal vigilantes that were willing to take care of the trash once and for all. But soon, the agency started getting a little too comfortable with their requests. There was a million dollar bid for whoever could successfully capture the head of the leader of the Teen Titans. I turned it down, but Grant. We argued about it endlessly. All he could think of was what the money could do for our family. I tried to explain that it wasn't about the money, but he took the job behind my back. He was planting explosives around the tower when he tripped a wire and blew himself up. Having failed the mission, the missionary came for blood money. They slit Joey's throat. He lived, but his beautiful voice was lost forever. I went mad with anger when I found him sitting there in a pool of his own blood. I killed everyone. The women, the children, everyone associated with the organization. Adeline came home after the war to find one of our children learning sign language, barely holding himself together. The other no where to be seen. I tried to explain what had happened, that it wasn't my intention, that I had been foolish and begged her for forgiveness. She flew into a rage and shot me through the eye. I healed, thanks to the effects of the super serum, but I lost my ability to see through my eye. I ran from the love of my life, not that I could blame her."

  Dick stood silenced, afraid that even the slightest shoulder twitch would stop Slade from continuing his story. He wanted to learn it all. Why Slade was the way he was. When Slade finally seemed to slow, Dick looked up, trying to analyze his face through the mask. "And what happened after that?" Slade darkly chuckled, looking down at his lap. "Well, for a while, I considered ending it, knowing that I'd lost everything. And there was no one to blame but myself. But then I started getting requests for missions again. And I realized that there was really one thing that I was good for anymore. I took any job that came my way. A young girl paid me her life savings to get rid of a pesky ex-boyfriend that was stalking and harassing her endlessly. Some foreign diplomat paid me to off a cartel rival of his. An elderly lady paid me to find her husband and deliver him a letter to come home. That's where I found Wintergreen. Nursing the tail end of a bottle to the head. We talked and drank till we were inebriated with spirits. Speaking of old stories and army tall tales. He had taken up mercenary work as well, after the war and found himself itching for work around town. It seems that civilian life suited neither of us very well." "So why didn't you make Mr. Wintergreen your apprentice, sir?" "That old fart?" Slade laughed, disrupting the depressing aura that had gathered around them. "No, no. Wintergreen was my partner, but there wasn't any trick in the book that I knew that didn't come from either Wintergreen or Adeline." Slade sobered once more, the smile fading from his face. "But it quickly became lonely. I missed Grant. His smile, his mouthiness, his spunk, his laughter, I missed everything about him. But I couldn't ever replace Addie. There was no other woman that I would be willing to try and settle down with. Especially considering how terribly things ended the first time around. But as time passed, whispers of a new Teen Titan came around. A spikey haired boy from Gotham city who quickly became the new leader of Titan's tower. He was strong, witty and obedient. Although I doubt the last one was particularly true." Dicks face was red at the compliments, but smiled as Slade bumped his shoulder with the back of his hand. "It was then that I realized if I ever was going to get someone as my apprentice again, it was going to have to be the best of the best. And the best of the best was Robin. Was you, Dickie."