Batman: Assassin

Chapter 4

Bruce rides back to Slade's warehouse bleeding and covered with cuts and bruises.

"Slade?" Bruce asks.

He hears noises coming from another room. He walks into the room and finds it full of weapons and technology. He sees Slade putting on a mechanized black and orange chain mail suit.

"Hello Bruce. I didn't hear you come in."

"I have come to accept your offer."

"I am pleased to hear this. However, I want you to know that I will not go easy on you. My training will make military boot camp look like a slumber party."

"I am looking forward to it."

"Great! Let's begin."

Slade takes Bruce to a friend with shooting targets.

"What are we doing here?"

"Helping you improve your marksmanship skills."

Slade hands him a rifle.

"Try to shoot to hit the target."

"Are you kidding me? This is easy," Bruce says.

He aims the rifle and is about to shoot.

"Wait a minute. You're forgetting something."

Slade pulls out a blindfold. He wraps it around Bruce's eyes.

"Now try."

"This is impossible. How can I see?"

"Just do it."

Bruce shoots the rifle. When he takes off the blindfold he sees a bullet mark on a tree.

"Well you managed to hit the tree."

"I told you it's impossible. How can I hit something when I cannot even see it."

"That's the point. You won't always be able to see what you are trying to hit so instead of relying on your sight you must rely on your brain and instincts."

Slade wraps the blindfold around his head again.

"This time focus your mind and thoughts. Let your instincts guide you."

Bruce takes a deep breath. He shoots the rifle. When he sees where it hit, he is surprised.

"Good job! Now we can move onto strength training."

Slade takes Bruce to a room filled with weights and treadmills. He spends hours lifting weights and performing conditioning drills. He continues this every morning and evening for several months. Slade also puts him on a strict diet. Slade takes Bruce to a room with punching bags and blocks of wood.

"Let me guess. This is where we are going to enhance my fighting skills."

Slade nods his head.

"This place looks like it hasn't been used for years."

A sad look crosses Slade's face.

"It's been a while since I had a student."

"Were you two close?" Bruce asks.

"You could say that. Anyways let's begin."

Bruce and Slade pick up wooden staffs. They start sparring. Bruce manages to achieve several hits but Slade ends up knocking him to the ground.

"You have to learn to control every aspect of your body in order to make yourself lethal in combat. Otherwise your enemy will start manipulating you. Control yourself before your opponent controls you."

They also practice hand-to-hand combat as well. During one sparring session, Slade grabs Bruce by his arm and flips him over.

"Are you even trying?" Slade asks, looking over Bruce's body.

"I am giving you my best effort."

Slade laughs.

"No you're not. If you were then I wouldn't be kicking your ass."

"Let's do it again."

Bruce and Slade train for months and months.

On January 1st, after a training session, Slade holds out his hand.

"Congratulations Bruce. You have completed your training with me. I taught you everything that I know. Now go and use what I have trained you."

Bruce shakes his hand.

"It's been an honor."

"Why don't you stay here for the night before you head out?"

"Sure."

Later that night, Slade makes a fire outside. He just sits looking at the fire. Bruce sits with him.

"Can you tell me about your previous student?"

"I don't even know where to begin. He was cocky and reckless like you. I thought I could mold him into a good man. His name was Thomas."

"I had a father named Thomas."

"What a coincidence."

"So what happened?"

"We had a falling out. It didn't end well for me," Slade says pointing at his eyepatch.

"Oh."

"So let me ask you something. After you kill Carlos, what are you going to do?"

"Probably head back to Gotham."

"Why would you want to go back to that hell hole?"

"It's my home and I believe that it can be saved with the right type of action."

"Does anything ever scare you Bruce?"

"Just one thing."

"There is something that I want to give you that  will help you in your battle with Ramirez."

"What is it?"

"I will show it tomorrow. Right now you should get some sleep."