"Humph." Slade grunted as he looked at what appeared to be a storehouse. Whatever happened, something caused the contents of said house to spill out all over the streets, enough riches to keep even the greediest souls happy for life.
"What... you already want your payday?" Steve teased as he saw Slade take a look at all the fine wealth that lay at their feet. Ripe for the taking for any one who wanted it.
"Not yet." Slade said as he cast his eye away. "Alright then... well according to my smartphone... we should be going... this... hey kid. You look like you've seen a ghost. What's wrong?"
"I think... I think... I think I just did!" Sanya said in her "matter of fact" voice which... still sounded an awful like Fluttershy on a normal day. In short... Slade and Cap weren't convinced about the fact that Sanya was speaking in a regular tone of voice.
"Just your imagination kid." Steve said as he took a look around. "I see nothing."
"Me neither." Slade said as he checked his tactical vision. There wasn't anyone around in this area.
Anyone... what about anything?
"I don't know about this..." Sanya continued as her tail stood on an end. "I seriously think..."
"Here..." Slade said tossing her the assault rifle.
"You crazy?" Steve asked.
"What? If any of the "ghosts" are here, she can shoot them up!"
"You don't give someone who's about to have an anxiety attack a goddamn gun!"
"Yeah... yeah.... yeah... tell that to half the army." Slade said dismissively as he watched Sanya's cat ears perk in various directions as though she could hear something they couldn't... which was pretty much always the case. "Anyways, let's get a move on kid. If there's a ghost... well you are a witch... so.... maybe some black magic or something will fix it?"
"Doesn't work that way..." Sanya said.
"What... do they at least ride around brooms?"
"Back in the day."
Okay. At least that wasn't a letdown.
"So... once we get home... what are you doing first?" Steve asked as they went down the "road" if you call it that.
"Sleep." Armin said as he held onto his swords.
"Take a vacation." Slade said. "And probably... I'll never look at a Saturday morning cartoon program the same again... nor will I ever read anything by Tolkein EVER again."
"You know... I always wanted what you did for a hobby." Sanya began.
"I like reading... but I swear... I'll never pick up anything written by Tolkein or maybe anything in the fantasy genre ever again. I also like going to this place in Starling city. It's called Big Belly Burger... they have the best hamburgers in the entire country."
"You never seem to be the type of guy who liked reading or eating junk food." Steve commented.
"Yeah... well I do at least a few thousand pushups a day... so it doesn't really matter. Besides, I eat there like once a month. Normally... I am usually traveling cause of... work..."
"Yeah..." Sanya said as she felt as though she heard another footstep. "You ever... well... I dunno if I should be asking this... but..."
"Speak up kid."
"Do you ever feel like you want to... make amends with your family?"
Let's see... Adeline is crazy. Grant is dead. Rose hates him and is living across the country for good reason, and Jericho hates him and is fighting on the opposite side of him, having even tried to stop him on countless occasions during his contracts and probably would put his other eye out if he as much as saw him. So... was that exactly possible?
No.
"Yeah..." Slade said. "Eventually." Maybe when they're all dead... he can probably visit the graves and make peace with them. But until then, he wasn't too keen in having a guitar smashed over his head or getting shot in the other eye. "But about your family kid, you ever think you'll find your parents."
"Of course! When the war ends, that's exactly what I'll do! I know I will! They're both alive and... if we don't give up... we'll see each other again! There's..."
She went on. He stopped listening. Never give up, never give up... never give up...
Why were those words echoing in his head? When was the last time he gave up? When was the last time he'd been contracted to kill someone, and they remained alive? Hell... he even went off to do his own thing and managed to beat the guy in the bat costume. And that guy... that guy was pretty tough. He never gave up on anything.
He realized then... that was a lie. He gave up on many things. Rose. Adeline. Jericho. Grant. His family. He looked back at Sanya who was busy telling them about how her father had written her a song just for her. A rather talented musician. She had a dad that loved her dearly. And here Slade was, father of three... but he would be dad to none of them. He said nothing.
One day... he will make amends with his family. Because that's... that's what a real man would have done right? RIGHT?!
And this was probably why he didn't listen to his conscience.... he looked back at Sanya again who was now talking about her mother. If only Slade had any clue on who his parents was... he might have been able to sympathize somewhat. He'd been raised by his grandparents who were all and all, great people though... they didn't exactly raise him right. (At least from the modern society's standpoint, from Slade's standpoint, they were kinda the reason he was able to get into the army at age 16 and became the world's greatest assassin.)
He looked back at Sanya again, wondering on how much she actually resembled Rose when she was younger. When Rose idolized her father and loved him dearly... yet never received any back.
And here... Sanya loved her father... her dad... and...
Sanya. She was everything he is and isn't. She lost her parents, yet still has them. Is still a soldier at a young age, yet still has a childhood full of friends and a family to find. She has a family who loves her dearly, yet at the same time can never show that love.
And for the first time, Slade actually doubted himself, and began to have feelings akin to those having a mid-life crisis... okay. This is why he did not listen to his conscience too much. It got in the way but still...
He looked over at Steve Rogers, or Captain America as he was called. A soldier in his land, and a hero. He didn't want to be hero, why waste life on helping strangers? But Steve had always lived his life fuller than he had, despite being frozen for 70 years.
Maybe it was time... Slade thought. He recalled that contract that Amanda Waller had proposed to him days ago. Work for ARGUS, and they would wipe any evidence of him being "Deathstroke".
Maybe it was time to accept that contract. Maybe for once... he needed to stop thinking about himse....
It was then he realized what was bothering Sanya. Right behind her... was a skeleton of a man, a knife in it's hands, raised above to deliver a fatal blow.