Me: I should be working. The semester is almost over, and I have so much to do. Finals are almost here, and I am so not ready.
Also me: But I wanna writes so bad!!
Me: Well, it is Easter break so...
A/N: I don't trust google translate, so foreign words will be in italics.
....
19:00 SST
The Island
December 2nd
....
After having to spend several hours dealing with business and management issues among his men, Slade finally had enough time to look at the USB Wintergreen had given him.
He entered his private office and quietly slid the door shut behind him. Wordlessly, he sat down at his desk and plugged the jump drive into his computer. Seconds ticked by before lines of information were displayed on the screen.
Another contract. Great. Just what he needed, he mused sarcastically. He seriously contemplated turning the job down. He needed to keep an eye on his apprentice. But at the same time, with his motivations previously divided from being Deathstroke and attaining Robin in Jump City, his reputation as the world's greatest mercenary was on rapidly thinning ice.
If he didn't make more appearances soon, former contractors might start looking for someone else. Heaven forbid, what if they started talking to Sportsmaster? That pompous twit would never let him hear the end of it. He would take the job, he decided, if only to spite his blond "rival" and his persistent daughter Cheshire.
To keep up appearances and maybe even mess with the Justice League's minds a little bit, he would do it. They would expect him to keep Richard close by at all times or vanish off the map altogether. This could potentially be a very entertaining game. Accept a few contracts across the globe every now and then while training Richard here on the island and lead that irritating Bat on a wild goose chase. Yes, it could be fun to say the least.
Slade typed his acceptance into the computer and patiently waited for confirmation, glancing over the details as he did so. It was a local job in Singapore, and a rather simple one at that. The daughter of a high-ranking Yakuza family had been kidnapped by a rival faction. The Japanese mafia wanted her back safely. Normally, they would do these kinds of things themselves, but it appeared the father was desperate to make sure she came back alive.
It was a cheaper job than what he normally went for, but Slade was in a generous mood. And it had been a while since he had been in Singapore. He wouldn't be gone more than a few hours at most, so Richard wouldn't be able to get into too much trouble. Maybe he could assign him kitchen duties with Wintergreen?
No, that was true torture. He would only do that once all other options had been tested.
A beep from the computer signaled that the confirmation had been made and that the payment had been transferred into his offshore account. Slade nodded to himself and stood up, making his way out of the office and to his personal quarters. It was time to get ready for work.
As the mercenary strode down the halls, he paused outside of Richard's room. His enhanced hearing made soundproof walls less than adequate in their design, and this led to him overhearing an...interesting discovery. He could hear Richard chanting the words Slade sometimes heard that goth girl Raven use, and was that sniffling?
"Raven, come on. Please hear me...," he heard Richard choke from the other side of the door, "Azarath Metrion...come on, Rae! I need you!"
Was the boy trying to reach the empath? Was that even possible? Slade honestly wished he could explore the theory more, but he was pressed for time. He would have to visit it later.
Slade quickly changed into his Deathstroke uniform and made sure his belt and holsters were equipped. He could feel his thoughts drifting from his mission to his apprentice, and once again he wished he didn't have a job tonight. Robin never cried easy, and this was the second time within twenty four hours that his emotions had gotten the better of him.
Slade tried to push those thoughts out of his mind as he marched into the kitchen to grab a quick cup of coffee before heading out. Unfortunately, the room was occupied by the only man alive who could read him.
"What's the matter?" Wintergreen asked as he looked up from the supper he was cooking undoubtedly for Richard.
"I could hear Richard crying out for the magic girl Raven. I think he was trying to reach her through some sort of enchanted means but wasn't having much success."
"He was bound to try some way to reach his friends. Why does it bother you?"
Slade rubbed a hand over his goatee, helmet tucked under his arm and feeling a lot heavier than it used to, "I would like to look into it more, but I have a job tonight."
As the mercenary explained, a knowing smirk graced the Brit's face. Slade never liked that look. It always spoke of trouble.
"What?"
"You're worried about him."
"Well, he's hardly acting normal. I think I'm allowed to be concerned about my apprentice's wellbeing," he retorted defensively.
"Sure sure. Whatever you say. You are the boss after all," Will waved dismissively.
Slade growled under his breath and clipped on his helmet, coffee forgotten, "I shouldn't be gone longer than a couple of hours. Just...make sure he doesn't do anything stupid while I'm gone."
Will saluted sarcastically as Slade strode out and called after him, "Can you pick up some chicken rice and chili crab on your way back?!"
"I'm not going grocery shopping, Will!" he shouted back and casually rolled his single eye. Maybe it was for the best that he went out tonight. He wouldn't have to put up with his snarky butler for a few hours, and he wouldn't have to deal with an overly emotional Talon.
Slade, now Deathstroke, strode outside and made his way to the helicopter already fueled and ready to fly. The pilot waved to him as he climbed inside, and soon they were in the air. It would be a short flight, seeing as how the island was less than ten kilometers away from Singapore, which was plenty of time to look over the finer details of his assignment one more time.
The chopper ride was calm and largely uneventful, but Slade could feel the timer start when they touched down on a helipad residing on the roof of one his bases in the capital city.
He had already received coordinates from the girl's father about possible locations her abductors could be, and it was now just a matter of finding the right one. Without a word to his pilot, Slade ran and leaped off of the building, firing a grappling hook at the last second and swung to the next building, gliding from rooftop to rooftop.
A smirk grew beneath his mask. Birds and bats weren't the only ones who knew how to fly.
It took only a few minutes to reach the first potential hideout, an abandoned apartment building in the slums. Slade landed on its roof and laid his ear to it, enhanced senses acting like an advanced listing device. His gray-blue eye gleamed in satisfaction as he made out bits and pieces of conversation.
First try, he thought and stood to his full height, calculating a plan of entry. He would have the element of surprise, but he needed to locate the girl first. She was his top priority tonight.
20:13 SST
The Island
December 2nd
Richard had tried for hours to find some sort of connection to Raven, but after yet another failed attempt, he decided to call it quits for the night. Instead, he showered and changed into something more comfortable, grateful that his outfit hadn't been picked out for him again.
By the time he finally slipped out of his room, all signs of emotional upheaval had been swept behind an impassive mask. Richard silently padded into the kitchen, not surprised to find Wintergreen laying a full plate down on the table. But he also noticed that only one place was set.
"Where's Slade?" he asked. Sure, the man had given him a free night for some strange reason, but he kind of expected him to be there for supper.
"Slade has some business in Singapore tonight. He should be back by tomorrow at the latest."
He couldn't explain it, but Richard felt something in his chest tighten at the fact that Slade had left the island without him. He felt himself frown and glare down at his food.
"So he kidnaps me, drops me off in who-knows-where, and then just leaves me?" he asked. Wintergreen got the feeling that the question was rhetorical as Richard more or less stabbed his food.
He either has great faith in this prison's security or no faith in my ability to escape, the teen thought sourly.
"What kind of job? Theft? Murder? Torture?"
"Rescue actually," the older butler replied smugly, not bothering to hide his satisfaction at the "hostage's" gobsmacked expression.
"I'm not joking," Richard snapped.
"Neither am I."
Richard couldn't believe it. Slade rescue somebody? The mercenary never seemed capable of doing something considered heroic. The guy was the epitome of evil in his mind.
He did save you from falling off the roof that one time, a little voice in his mind reminded him.
That's only because he wanted me as his apprentice, he shot back.
He didn't kill you when you injected yourself with the nano probes. He didn't even hesitate to release you.
Again, apprenticeship. I'm more useful alive.
He helped you beat Trigon.
Out of revenge for almost killing him, Richard mentally groaned, Every good thing he does has a selfish motive behind it.
And something about that irked Dick. Slade had the potential to be a hero, but he wasted it on being selfish. He was probably getting paid for this rescue, and that was most likely the only reason he had left.
"Who's he going to save?"
"A young daughter of the local yakuza. The father was getting desperate, from my understanding."
The teen nodded and picked at his food, still lost in thought.
"I thought the yakuza would handle something like that themselves?"
"Normally they would, but Slade was the highest chance at the girl's survival. I'd bet my bottom dollar that there will be a war in the city once she's out of harm's way. I'm surprised that you know what the yakuza is."
"There's a strong family in Jump City. They don't cause a lot of...major trouble, so the Titans don't really have to deal with them."
"But you do?" Will asked, now intrigued.
"I've made peace with them, and we've reached an agreement," he shrugged, clearly not willing to talk about it.
Yeah, Dick wasn't about to explain how he managed to make a treaty with the local Japanese mob.
Wintergreen gave him a studying look, but the old man dropped the topic and allowed the boy to finish eating. Once his plate was almost empty, Will gave him a second helping without being asked.
"Uh...," Richard paused, not sure how to take the gesture.
"You are too skinny, boy."
Dick frowned and crossed his arms, "I'm an acrobat. I'm supposed to be skinny."
"But not like you were on the edge of starvation," the Brit retorted, pointing his ever-present ladle at him.
Dick rolled his eyes and resisted the fond smile tugging at his lips. He used to have the same problem with Alfred always telling him he should eat more. A sigh escaped his lips, and he reluctantly started on his second helping. If there was one thing he learned in Wayne Manor, it was that a British butler always got what he wanted.
But as he ate, an itch in the back of his mind started to form. How long would it take Slade to rescue the girl? Would he get into any fights? When would he get back? Blue eyes flickered up to the clock resting above the squat fridge, wishing he could will the time to pass. At least if Slade was here, he knew he wouldn't be messing with anyone or potentially finding some way to hurt someone.
"Slade will return soon, but I doubt he's going to be back in time to join us for dinner tonight. Now, stop worrying and finish your food."
Dick glared at the buffler smirking to himself. Something was wrong here. Wintergreen knew more than what he was letting on.
"I wasn't worried about him," he seethed, "Slade can take care of himself just fine. It's the other guys I'm worried about."
Will chuckled, "You are right about that. But even so, eat up. Then you will be free to explore the compound."
Dick scoffed but said nothing. He ate quickly and rinsed his plate in the sink. The man fed him, the least he could do was be polite. Without a sound, he vanished from the kitchen with a small scowl on his face.
I'm not worried. Slade's fine. What I need to do is find a way off this island and get back to the League or the Titans, whoever I find first.
.....
20:37 SST
Singapore
December 2nd
....
Slade had managed to find a fire escape to a window looking inside the room where the girl, who looked to be no more than seven or eight, was being held hostage. Her arms and legs were bound, and her mouth was gagged. Short black bangs covered her face, though tear tracks could be clearly seen, even from her seat in the corner.
The room held five men, fully armed, and a single, older man sat at a desk along the same wall the girl was sitting by.
"He has less than hour left," the assumed leader stated in thick Malay, "Let's hope he spends it wisely, right?" he asked the girl. The child looked up, and her shoulders wracked with fresh sobs. Deathstroke's eye narrowed.
Noiselessly, he drew his katana and counted from three to one. He would have to be fast. When the mental countdown ended, he crashed through the window. Without hesitation, the men fired at him. Slade redirected their bullets with his blade with practiced skill and precision, reflecting their own shots back at them. Three men fell after initial contact.
Slade was blur as he cut through the two remaining men. By the time the leader blinked, he had the point of a very sharp katana poking him in the nose.
"How much were you ransoming her for?" he asked.
"Two-two hundred thousand," he quaked. Beneath his mask, Slade sneered.
"You owe that to me now. Have it ready by the end of the month or what happened to your men will happen to you," he ordered coyly before his tone turned cold, "Now get out of my sight."
The man nodded and scrambled to get out of the door, tripping over one of his men as he did so. Once the door slammed shut behind him, Slade sheathed his sword and turned his gaze to the little girl shivering in the corner.
"Sakura?" he asked softly. She nodded, crying silent, frightened tears as she did so. "Do you understand English?" he asked slowly. A jerky shake of her head was her reply.
"Can you understand me now?" he asked in Japanese and this time was met with a nod.
"Your father sent me. I'm here to take you home," he said gently and began untying her. Once her arms were free, she threw them around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder.
"Th-Thank you. Thank you," she hiccuped. Slade scooped her into his arms and stepped out of the window he had crashed through and on to the fire escape.
"Hold on to me tightly," he commanded, and she tightened her grip. With one arm around her middle, he used his free hand to fire a grappling gun. Sakura gave a small shriek as they launched into the air and buried her face into his chest as he raced along the rooftops.
Minutes ticked by before they reached the helicopter, and Slade never released his hold, only moving to adjust the light burden in his arms when they took off. They flew above the city unnoticed and soon arrived on a building in the nicer side of town. An entourage of well-dressed, yet heavily armed men awaited them.
Slade stepped out calmly and set the girl down on the ground. Sakura hugged his leg out of thanks one more time before turning around. Soft green eyes widened as her eyes made contact with the lead man in an expensive gray suit.
"Daddy!" she cried and ran forward. The man knelt down with arms outstretched. He grunted as his daughter collided into him, and he pulled her close in a tight hug.
The yakuza member looked up, his gaze meeting that of the mercenary's, "Thank you," he said in English, "Thank you for returning my daughter to me, Deathstroke."
Slade nodded but said nothing more, and the man understood that. He climbed back into the chopper but looked over his shoulder to see the father and daughter waving at him, and he couldn't help but give them a two-fingered salute in reply.
"Anywhere else tonight, sir?" the pilot asked.
"Drop me off at the apartment on Cairnhill Rise. I need to complete one last thing before we go back."
"Roger that, sir."
He may have said that he wouldn't do any grocery shopping, but Wintergreen would kill him if he came home empty handed.
.....
A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. And just for any clarification, the Yakuza is also the known as the Japanese mafia or mob. I tried to make it clear in the chap, but just in case there was any confusion, that's what that was. I've had sort of a fascination with them ever since I started watching Hawaii Five-O. (Highly recommend that btw).
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this update. Please let me know what you think so far. And remember, I'm always open to suggestions and constructive criticism. Thank you all so much for your support!