With Morality Like a Polynomial

Do Those Things Grow In The Fire?

A/N HUGE WARNING HERE

the first two chapters are very innocent compared to what the rest of this story will entail. this chapter is where it starts getting real dark. there are references of rape here that get very close to being depcitions. 

think of your own mental health before deciding to read on.

Bruce considered his grudge against Slade Wilson to be extremely justified. And he was correct in that consideration.

If a case involved the mercenary Bruce wanted to know about it. he did more than keep tabs, he wanted to know if Wilson ever so much as looked at his city or his family.

So as soon as Roy was patched up and recounting what had happened he was on his way to the watchtower.

He swept into the infirmary, Roy was talking with Dinah. He was relaxed and sitting on the infirmary bed, legs dangling off the side. He fixed the archer with a glare and demanded, "talk."

"Bruce," Dinah sighed as she stood, "give it a at least-"

"no," Roy said, "it's fine. I expected it."

Bruce waited.

"I was hired by a competitor of Lex Luthor's, for protection. I didn't know it was Deathstroke who'd be turning up, but I'd told this man I'd protect him, so I wasn't about to turn tail," Roy began, "I tried to fight off Deathstroke, he won out."

"Was it Wilson?"

Roy shook his head, "our theories were correct, Wilson is dead. It was someone else."

"you could tell?" Dinah asked.

"he had one eye too many." Roy snorted, "and a bit more sass, too. Fought differently as well, he was clearly trained by Wilson, but he's got a different body type and build, and he uses acrobatic moves," Roy explained, then took a deep breath, "but he said something weird."

"how do you mean?" Dinah asked, with clear worry evident in her voice.

Roy clenched his jaw and frowned at the wall, "he made it clear he wasn't interested in fighting me, and he was obviously holding back. A lot. A..." he grimaced, "an embarrassing amount."

Dinah patted Roy's shoulder in a pitying way while holding back giggles.

"what did he say?" Batman grit out.

Roy was still frowning, eyebrows knit in confusion, "he said... he said that he was disappointed the league hadn't managed to get Conner out yet."

Batman went rigid. So did Canary.

"he said..." Roy shook his head, but forged on, "that if we managed to get a telepath to him we could wipe red son from his mind once and for all, it wouldn't even be hard, and that the bombs and proximity alerts and trackers that are implanted in him could be removed in an hour tops, would succumb immediately if exposed to an EMP."

Canary blinked, staring at Roy in confusion, "what?"

Batman said slowly, "he told you that?"

"yeah, then he said, 'just something to think about'," Roy huffed, "and kicked me off the roof and into a dumpster."

"lovely," Dinah mused.

Batman looked at her and then Roy, and ran the words through his mind, "why would Deathstroke bother to say that to you?"

"that's what I'm confused by."

"do you know who it is? Does he know you?"

"I don't think so?" Roy ran a hand through his hair.