Regressing For The Enemy

Chapter 23

Robin POV 

  Shifting in his seat, Dick tried to form words of comfort to soothe the man in front of him. Logically, he was torn between feeling pity for Slade and feeling repulsed at the graphic nature of the man's past. On one hand, Dick was sickened at the thought of Slade trauma bonding with a boy he didn't even know through the eventful death and mutilations of his children. Slade needed professional medical help and a lot of relationship counseling, this much was true. But coming from a boy who quite literally dawned a bird persona to avenge the death of his parents through the help of his maybe-sorta adopted bat-father, such information would probably  come off as slightly hypocritical. But on the other hand, hearing how Slade had struggled getting into the army, had a tough home life, genuinely fell in love, made mistakes, and even considered ending it all out of grief, sobered and confused Dick. It painted the man in a new shade of humanity that Dick hadn't seen from him before. What if Slade's violent tendencies and restlessness were a result of the experimental testing altering his brain chemistry? Was Slade really just a sick man learning how to 'love' again? Should the army have put in better regulations to stop tragedies like Slade's from happening instead of shutting down the experiment and pretending nothing ever happened? What if the chemicals used to 'enhance' the soldiers had been given to a wider testing audience. How many lives would have been lost and how many would have ended up as cold killing machines? Who's fault would it be if something like that were to happen? 

  "Slade, I-" Dick gripped the sides of his suit, his knuckles turning white with pent up emotion. "I'm sorry that happened to you. You didn't deserve that." Slade's eye widened for a moment, before he turned away. "Everything that happened, it was my fault Dickie. You shouldn't feel sorry for me." He chuckled, weakly. "It wouldn't do either of us much good, would it?" Dick shifted his gaze to his lap. "No, sir. I guess it wouldn't." "Besides, I'm not the only one with a dark past, am I Richard?" Dick felt a chill run down his spine at Slade's words. Dick knew that Slade knew most of his backstory, but to admit it out loud seemed different. It seemed more personal that way. Reaching his slender fingers to the tip of his mask, Dick held his breath. Slipping the protective material away, Dick let his mask drop to his lap. An audible gasp could be heard from Slade, but Robin couldn't bear to meet his gaze. "I guess we're both full of surprises tonight, aren't we?" Glancing over to check his expression, Dick was surprised to see the older man removing his own layer of protection. The man was pale, but his face was filled with various age spots and scars to indicate years in the sun. His hair was whiter than Wintergreen's and he had a goatee to match it. His lips were thinly pulled together as a gentle smile. "You're eyes are bluer than they said." Slade remarked. "Your hair makes you look super old. Like- ancient old." Slade laughed at that. "You better watch it. I'll send you to bed in that pudding soaked suit and let you prune overnight." Slade threatened playfully, but there was no malice behind it. 

  Pulling out a long sleeved, flannel, adult one piece, Slade handed it over to Robin before turning around so he could change. Dick quickly did so, thankful for the privacy. Slipping into the suit, and zipping it up, a sneaky idea popped into Dick's brain. While Slade's back was turned, the boy silently stalked forward, taking full advantage of this limited opportunity. Suddenly springing forward, Dick lunged at Slade's sides, attempting to shock him. However, much to Dick's disappointment, before he could reach his opponent, Slade was turning around, grabbing Dick and flipping him up into the air. Catching the younger boy, Slade launched a fury of pinches and pokes to Dick's sides and tummy. "I turn my back for one second and you think you're the king of the world, huh?" Dick squealed and kicked, his little legs flailing in the air. "Hohow dihid youhou knohohow?" He giggled out. "Little Dickie, I know everything." Swinging Dick up onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, Slade began to twirl around in circles. "Just like I know it's past your bedtime." Kicking his little legs in the air, Dick whined, fully in headspace at this point.