The Demigods Land in Gotham

Chapter 13

Slade sighed.  "Teenagers are so rebellious."

Percy sighed. "Another crazy dude. Would it kill someone to put a nice stranger on our path?"

Percy shifted his steps. He was examining the newcomer.

"They wouldn't know what to do with you," Annabeth muttered.

Percy looked over to Death stroke (Slade). "My girlfriend says that normal people can't handle me. Isn't that rough?"

"I know that you kids are not normal.  If my estimation is right you kids would be up in smoke.  And I am never wrong about timing."

Annabeth started studying him from the tips of his head to bottom.  He was wearing professional gear and carrying a sword.   He stated he was never wrong about time which implied a profession.   But a profession in what exactly.   Professional assassin came to mind.  

Slade was carefully watching them.   The kids did not have singe marks of a fire.   They were not afraid of him.   He was death stroke.   A mercenary for hire which includes killing and bodyguard duty.  

Slade already knew that they were not normal.  No normal kids would have villains after them unless they were wealthy.  That was the problem, figuring out who they were.  

No normal kid would talk casually in front of a man with swords.   They were either idiots or have combat experience.

The ways the kids eyes shifted around said experience though.   The blonde haired girl with the grey eyes was measuring him up.

The dark-haired Italian kid seemed to be staring into his soul.   He looked grumpy.

The boy with the sea-green eyes was looking like he had no situational awareness, but Slade was a professional.   He knew when an opponent was sizing someone up.

Then there was that Hispanic looking elf-kid.   He was twiddling with something.   It could prove dangerous.   No, these were not normal kids. 

Slade felt a burst of something in his chest.   The tingly sense of excitement.   Oh, maybe he could play around with these kids.

"So kids, want to hop in my van. I got free candy?" Slade had meant to say that as a joke, but Percy chimed in.

"Is it blue?"

Annabeth was done with her boyfriend. She looked over at him and wondered what was going on inside his head.

"Dude," Leo said.

Slade sounded scolding as he spoke. "Didn't someone ever teach you not to go inside a stranger's van?"

Percy shrugged. "Well yes, but whoever kidnaps me usually regrets it. How many times have I been kidnapped?"

"Starting from the age of twelve and still happening. Hmm, lost count."

Percy shrugged. "See, there is no point in resisting at this point. Just go in and get the candy and runaway."

Slade Wilson was a mercenary for hire. He always got the job done, and was known for being merciless. The only soft spot he had was kids. He had kids. Trained them. Then watched as they turned their backs on him. Grant was gone. Left him. He trained him too good.

Now, there was something edging on him ever since the Joker started in on a mission to capture kids associated with Batman. Slade knew something was wrong. With these kids or with the situation, yet here he was trying to figure out what was going on.

Nothing made sense. He had never heard of these kids until now. Then they show up saying they get kidnapped all the time. That meant they were important enough to be targets. But why was the question.

Why were the kids targets? Did they have some special powers. Were they lab experiments? Is that why Batman was investigating them?

Slade did not know who these kids were, but he knew of them. The way they interacted with them suggests that they were trained. By who was the question.

The kids were also mistrustful. Despite Percy mouthing off and causing a headache to Slade and Annabeth it was clear that it was a ruse used to lower the guard. Slade had seen it all the time. People acting like they were idiots in order to let them let their guard down. No one was that dumb, and certainly not this kid.

Slade had to make a decision on what to do. He had not come here expecting to find them. No, he came here in order to do a job.

"Just go already," Slade said.

He didn't want to let them go. He wanted to know who they were. Maybe he could train him. Maybe they would not turn against him like his children had. That thought had been digging a hole. Later, he told himself.

Percy smirked in victory. "Wise choice."

Annabeth looked over to Percy with an exasperated look.

They were in a close relationship. When a couple was very nice to each other it suggested something novel. They were not comfortable enough to be brutally honest with each other. They were testing each other out.

Slade watched them all. He needed more information. He needed their weaknesses. Their strengths.

Clarisse took a menacing step forward. Slade grinned. That would not intimidate him, but it was cute. "Get out of here," she said.

"Creepy," Leo said.

Percy looked over to Slade. "Stop smiling like that."

Slade disappeared.

"No one say anything until we get into a secure location," Annabeth said.

Slade might have done a ninja trick to make himself go away, but that did not mean he was gone. No, Annabeth thought he was still watching. Maybe someone else. People were too good at hiding. It was a growing list of concerns they had to deal with.

They didn't argue. They didn't know where they were so they went straight to get out of this place. Where it took them was a guess, but they had to start somewhere. That was how it was like for most of their lives; move forward even though they did not know where they were going.

Annabeth saw the crazed look in Slade's eyes and knew he was going to be a problem in the future. They would deal with it. She needed to make plans.