Son of Deathstroke

Plans in Motion

The assassins were gaining on him. Not much longer, and they would be upon Renegade, beating him within an inch of his life. 

It was all part of the plan, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

As he reached the arranged rooftop, he stopped dead in his tracks. He drew his katana and faced his pursuers.

Renegade would be beaten, but not without a fight.

The first assassin struck. He deflected the blow, then cut the tendon inside their elbow. They wouldn't be rejoining the fight anytime soon.

He blocked an overhead strike with his katana in one hand as he used the wrist guard on the other to deflect two shuriken thrown at his abdomen. He twisted around, kicking the blocked assassin in the stomach and launching two explosive discs at the range attackers. There would only be hand-to-hand combat here.

As he fought, he realized that he would have to lose eventually for the plan to succeed. He hated to, but he started letting them land blows, slowly at first, until eventually, he wasn't letting them. 

He couldn't stop them.

Finally, after a long struggle, Renegade fell to his knees. The only remaining assassin fell upon him mercilessly, pummeling him, beating him.

It was all part of the plan.

That didn't make it any less painful.

xXx

Deathstroke watched as the last assassin disappeared from view. As a mercenary, Renegade had been through all manner of difficulties. As an orphan, he had a hard time connecting with others. But as the apprentice of Deathstroke, he had endured beatings, being used as leverage and bait, and interrogations, all before his fourteenth birthday. But Deathstroke had never wanted any of these things to happen. And now, he'd hated seeing his apprentice reduced to just another contract fulfilled. But it was a necessary evil. 

It was the Plan.

But as Deathstroke stared at his apprentice's still form, battered and bruised, the mercenary hoped he could live with himself once all this played out. And that his apprentice could.

xXx

Batman cautiously approached the still figure on the rooftops. Whoever it was, they didn't seem to be doing well, but his sense of caution overruled his sense of urgency.

As he drew nearer, it became clear that the figure was a boy dressed in costume. Batman rolled him over onto his back and saw that it was the upstart who had made his move in Gotham while the dark knight was preoccupied. After another moment's thought, he realized that it was none other than the apprentice of Deathstroke.

Without another second of consideration, Batman scooped up the young mercenary in his arms and carried him off to where he could be treated safely.

xXx

Renegade's head shot up. For a moment, he feared that he was on the Table again. But he quickly realized that the Table didn't have pillows, sheets, or a heartrate monitor. He was strapped down in much the same way as he would be were he on the Table, with his wrists and ankles in straps with another over his lower abdomen, but these were padded.

He pulled slightly against the restraints as his eyes roamed around his surroundings. Standard medical equipment. Two clocks exactly in sync. One door. No windows. Two other beds. And a security camera pointed right at him.

He set his head down with a smug grin. That meant they would be in to see him any minute now.

Sure enough, not thirty seconds later, Batman walked in through the door with his usual glowering demeanor. 

"Heya," Renegade greeted him. "How's the Dark Knight been holding up? Oh, nice job exonerating yourself. I thought I did a decent job of framing you. Actually, I did do a decent job. You just ruined it."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "That was you?"

"Yep. Add it to my charges: Framing the Caped Crusader. Not that it'll make much of a dent in my sentence. I've probably already got, what, three hundred years? Not that I'll be in juvie very long. They have terrible security."

"You wouldn't be going to the Juvenile Detention Center."

"Oh? Do you have another place for troubled teens like moi?"

"Belle Reve."

Renegade's face paled slightly and he lifted his head abruptly. "But I'm just a minor! That can't be legal!"

"Just skimming over your record, you have committed four different kinds of murder, you've broken into and stolen from more museums and banks than I'd care to count, you've hacked into every government database most people can think of, and you've stolen a hundred and thirteen people's identities. And those are just the things you've done on your own agenda."

"A hundred and fourteen. You forgot the Prime Minister."

The eyes narrowed again. "Needless to say, the vote was almost unanimous. You are too much of a threat to be sent anywhere else."

His head sank back down on the pillow. While he was proud to be considered that big of a threat... Belle Reve? He'd been involved in capturing a decent number of the inhabitants there, whether they knew it or not. It was purely elimination of competition, but he still was involved. And even if he hadn't been involved in their arrests, he still had plenty of rivals that would be more than willing to make him disappear.

He would be lucky to last a day in there.

Before he could say anything, Batman spoke. "There is an alternative. We could use someone with your criminal and technical know-how on our team."

He suddenly remembered the Plan. Feigning ignorance, he asked, "The Justice League? They have you."

"Not that team. Keep in mind that if you do join, you'll be closely monitored so you don't escape. And you'll spend a week working with me first so you at least understand the principals of its inner workings. But you won't go to prison."

"What team, then? The Navy SEALs?"

"That will be disclosed if you agree."

"And what if I do, then? Will I have to wear one of those probation anklets?"

"We will be keeping track of you, yes. But you will gain more privileges the more you cooperate." Seeing the teen deep in thought, he stood up. "I'll give you some time to think on it." He left, leaving the mercenary alone with his thoughts.

Not that Renegade had any considering to do.

xXx

Finally some PLOT! It's about time! 

Sooooooo, I'm assuming you guys will want Birdflash. No guarantees for that, but there's a decent chance of its (slight) presence. What I'm wondering is: Is there anything else that you people desperately want that I might not put in otherwise?

Me out.