DEATHSTROKE vs. J.S. (part 3): Battle of Wits

            In Slade’s relaxation he was admiring his perfectly displayed trophies. Plotting for his next move against the J.S., he was receiving a call from his contractor.

“What do you want, Christoph?”

“Slade,” his voice was concerned, “you won’t believe what news I have for you.”

Slade didn’t say a word, after all that has just happened something new had caught his train of thoughts. Sternly Slade replied, “What is it?”

“Lex Luthor just contacted me. He wants… he wants a type of meeting with you.”

“I have a strong feeling that this is about Superman.”

“That’s what I was about to say, if you’re actually going to go through with this, please tell you’ll go prepared. The man’s rich you know.”

Smirking, Deathstroke hung up the phone with a last comment, “If I wasn’t so much of a big client of yours I’d think you actually care about.”

            Setting the phone upon the table beside his chair, he drank the last of his cup as he continued to admire his new collection. Slade got up to pour another glass, but as he did he stood in front of the concealed glass frame that held Superman’s head from decomposing.

“You see here, boy scout, I’ve already won. All your precious friends are dead, I’m just giving those little pigs more time than they deserve.”

            Slade began walking around all the trophies he saved. “I may not have anything from your precious Tinman or Manhunter, but I don’t need trophies from them. They’re nothing compared to the true prizes. After all, I’ve already beaten the symbol of hope, the world’s greatest detective and an Amazon.”

            Lifting his glass to his mouth he drank with his victory.

 

(The next day.)

            Christoph and Slade pulled up to LexCorp. In a moment of silence they both looked up to the height of the tower. Just before Wilson reached for the car door, Christoph put his hand on Slade.

            “Are you sure you don’t want me to go in with you?” he asked with a slight grin.

“Already told you, no. Stay in the car in that ally, wait for me there.”

            Slade pointed towards an ally as he got out of the car just as Christoph looked back to him with one last question, but Slade was already entering the building. Approaching Slade was an employee and a group of security. As the female employee hung up her phone she greeted Mr. Wilson.

            “Hello, I’m-“

“Hi,” Slade interrupted as he kept walking through the building.

            “… Right,” she replied. “Well, Mr. Luthor has been-“

“Expecting me, I know. Sorry for my delay.”

            “Actually,” the employee stopped his path. “You’re here ahead of time. I can see you’re eager to be here, but please step to security before proceeding. All employees and guests to LexCorp must pass through the metal detectors before they are officially welcomed.”

Sternly Slade looked to her, “Do you pause every time you speak?”
            As he took off his belongings that contained metal, his phone began to ring. Reaching for it he apologized for the inconvenience as he answered the incoming call.

“Hello... Yes… Of course it’s on,” Slade glanced toward the employee and security. “Well cancel the recording… Just do it… Is it canceled…? Good, I’ll be home soon… Bye.”  

            Slade put back his phone and smiled as he continued through the procedure. “Have an elder back at home, old folks,” he sighed, “Am I right?”

            He was then scanned for any metal left on, he was clear. Wilson was then escorted towards the elevator where he was then taken to Lex’s office. Noticeable was how many guards were around for his “visit”. Before the employee had open the door to Lex’s office, she opened her mouth and said,

            “Here’s his-”

“Office, thanks for the tour I think I can take it from here.”

            Entering the office, Lex greeted Slade. “Hello there, Mr. Wilson. I hope you didn’t have to go through so much trouble to get here?” Lex shook his hand as he assured his security guards that everything will be fine and they may leave.

            “So, tell me Mr. Wil-”

“Just a word of advice, if you plan to take me down you’ll need a lot more of those guys to get the job done. Oh and sonny, don’t call me Mr. Wilson.”

Lex poured two glasses for each other as he glared at Slade. Handing his guest his drink, he walked towards the window wall that revealed the city. Lex took a deep breath just before he sighed, faced Slade and asked,

“So tell me, my old friend, why is it now you decide to kill Superman? You had all the opportunities before. Your acceptance from the Justice League of Doom, the times you’ve confronted him, and the times I’ve tried contracting you. Why? Why now?! Was it not enough for you?! Did I not have enough money rewarded?!”

Slade took a seat at Lex’s desk as he sipped the drink; looking to Lex as if he was a half-witted, senseless, bald chimpanzee. Sighing, Slade took another drink as Lex angrily set his glass down. Sitting straight, he decided to make contact with the witless mammal bestowing him.

“Well, you see here, Lex, it isn’t about the money. It’s never about the money, not to professionals like me.” Slade stood up as he walked to the side of the desk, taking another sip to his drink. “I’m a warrior and a warrior is honored and praised, loved and feared. Most of all, a warrior is respected. That’s the real importance. How else can I become praised, honored, loved, and feared without any respect? With the respect I had before, my assassinations would fear when they hear my name, they’d coward in my presence. Now? I just ripped the main muscle from the Justice League. Can you guess the respect I now have from my prey?”

Slade drank from his glass as he observed Lex finishing his. For a moment there was silence, Luthor poured his self another drink from a different bottle. Trying to be kind, Luthor gestured if Slade would like to try that bottle as well, but Slade shook his head. Giving his guest a full glass of the first bottle, Lex began to act more upset.

“So what you’re telling me is that you didn’t accept my allegiance because you didn’t find ‘respect’ out of it?!”

            Slade drank from his glass a few times before he sat back down and replied.

“No, I didn’t accept you ‘allegiance’ because you wanted Superman’s death out of rage, revenge, because you felt like a helpless chimpanzee that couldn’t get the banana down from the tree.”

            Lex took his seat at his desk as began to glare at Slade, gripping at the glass in his hand. Kindly, Slade smiled to Lex as he poured himself another glass, “I apologize, old friend. I went out of hand there. Why did you summon me to your corporation?”

            Taking a breath, Lex began to ease off.

 “I invited you hear to chat, celebrate the deaths to the gods among us.”

            Slade reclined to the back of the chair as he raised an eye and took a drink.

            “Is that so,” he asked. “I assume you are quite fond of my new contract?”

“Yes, I was enjoying my fine program that I watch everyday until you interrupted. I was about to complain, but then I saw the Batman was tied from fleeing, I thought it was a scheme. You really put on a show there. Not to forget you blew out the damn watch tower up into oblivion! I was hoping you could tell me what happened between those two moments?”

            Slade smirked as he set his glass down. “I’m unsure if you’re trying to give me respect at the moment, but I guess I might as well tell. Superman tried killing me in his rage that blinded his wits, I beheaded him. Wonder Woman put up a worthy fight, unsure on news reports, but I shot a harpoon through her bracelets as she deflected my bullets.”

            Lex unfolded his hands from the clutch that held them together as he blankly looked to him, “That’s it? There’s nothing else?”

            Slade shook his head as continued to his drink. Luthor took out a pen and checkbook as he began to write on it, from his recline Wilson watched his own name written out.

            “Well, Mr. Wilson, I’ll have you suspected that wasn’t the only case why you’re here. I want whatever you took from his corpse. I heard what was taken; I want whatever you have to offer.”

            Instantly he began to laugh as he told him no. Angrily Lex pushed the bottles off his desk and leaned over the table.

            “Listen up! There was poison in that drink of yours! That antidote was in the other bottle, and I have the only other antidote in this building! You can either die or you can accept this check and give me what is rightfully is mine!”

            Slade cocked his head as he took another drink from his glass. Lex slightly moved back as he glared with confusion. Wilson set his drink back down as he shared another laugh alone,

            “You see here, Lex, I’m a mercenary; an assassin, a warrior, a terminator. I’ve drank many poisons till I became immune, sharpened my tastes to know tasteless poisons. I knew there was poison in there from the start. I guess you aren’t as intelligent as they say…”

            In rage, Lex called in for his security guards. As they all began to block the doorway, Slade ripped open his dress shirt and jacket to reveal a harness with two pistols, between that was his under armor from his Deathstroke suit. He made first fire, killing half the guards. He forced his body through the glass. Falling from the building, the gun fire stopped. Just as he was falling at the buildings mid level, he took off his dress shirt and jacket, revealing a slim backpack ready to be in use. He then took out his phone while pulling the strap to the parachute.

            “Christoph, I’m on my way down… Wouldn’t have been so long if you had listened that the detectors were still on… Yes, I do appreciate your help… He only wanted one of my trophies… I’ll be down soon, Christoph.”

            Just as Slade was nearing the ground, the police were heading to LexCorp. He reached the ally safely and just before the cops was there and quickly they made an escape.

            “Was it really necessary for Lex to call the cops,” Christoph asked with panic.

            “Well,” Slade began off, “I did make a fool out of him, ruined his plans, killed a few of his guards and broke a window. But its fine I’ll get the cops off us on the highway.”

            Blankly, Christoph stared at Slade with burning eyes. “There’ll be a blockade on the highway!”

            “Exactly,” Slade exclaimed as he revealed weapons from the back seats. “I’ll make an example out of the blockade that they should stop the pursuit.

            With fear, Christoph put trust in Slade as he drove to the highway. It didn’t help that two choppers were on their trail. Christoph was worried, but Slade was anxious. As they continued to the plan, they noticed the blockade on the highway and two other choppers waiting for them. Cowardly, Christoph spoke to his friend.

            “This isn’t at all what we had expected!”

            Patting Christoph on the shoulder, Slade smiled to him as he replied, “I’d say. After all, we arrived at LexCorp six minutes early.” Christoph glared to Slade for joking during the situation, Slade took his hand off his shoulder and picked up a firearm from the back and fired to half the left blockade, blowing up the vehicles and making a path. As Christoph drove through the debris, Wilson dropped high explosive grenades at the vehicles to his right.

            Just as they blew up, Slade ordered for the car to be stopped.

“Are you crazy?!” Christoph replied.

            “STOP the car!”

            Coming to a halt, he obeyed his order. Slade stepped out the car, holding a heavy gun in his hands and shot down the two choppers above the bridge. Pushing through the rubble and debris was more law enforcement and Slade shot and blew up their vehicles and men. Instantly came charging the two other choppers as Wilson sat back in car and sniped one of the pilots from the back window.

            “Drive,” was the new order for Christoph just as the two helicopters collided and blew up on the bridge.

            “You think barricading their blockade will stop them?!”

“Do you hear anymore sirens? No. Last time we ever go to a client without mentioning pay first, right?”