Chapter 100: The Colony (2)

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"Because, really, if there's no loyalty, what's the point of a partnership?"

- Rachel Brosnahan, (Miriam 'Midge' Maisel)

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<{Unknown Warehouse, Gotham}> 

<(Bruce Wayne POV)> 

"Shit... ah, fuck... where-where am I?" Deathstroke who was lying on a makeshift medical bed suddenly woke up with a start as he groaned in a bitter voice. "You-you fucking shot me, you psychotic butler... I bet you are feeling really proud of yourself, right?" He almost growled in anger when he noticed Alfred standing a few feet away from him. 

"I actually am and very much so. Thank you for asking, Mr. Wilson." Alfred answered with a small, relaxed smile on his lips.

Currently, we are in a secret warehouse that Wayne Enterprises owns. It was one of the many locations that I let Slade use as much as he wanted to effectively complete the project, I gave him. It was quite a big underground warehouse, filled with all the facilities one could possibly want for a team of a hundred or so people. So, Slade and his entire team were now using this location as their primary base in Gotham. 

After Alfred shot Slade, they didn't have too much time to escape since Cortana had alerted different authorities already and they were on their way. Slade had taken care of the CCTV cameras by himself even before his 'attack', so their identities were at least safe. The only thing they needed to worry about was that they were not traced or captured by anyone. So, I had immediately ordered the assassins to escape to their base with Deathstroke while I myself stayed back to calm the cops and the press down.

The group seemed quite subservient and didn't argue with my decision at all, quietly escaping with Deathstroke while leaving with me the location of the exact warehouse where they were staying. In fact, when I gave them the order to retreat, they accepted it so quickly that it didn't even look like they had tried attacking me just a couple of minutes ago even if that attack was just a prank of sorts.

Anyway, after I was done spinning up a false but believable story about the remnants of Penguin's man trying to kill me under their imprisoned boss' order to increase their gang's influence in Gotham, I and Alfred quickly went to the location of the warehouse to visit Deathstroke and that had led to our current situation.

"You are a cruel monster you know that you Brit demon," Deathstroke grumbled through his teeth while looking at Alfred who didn't look even the least bit bothered by his insults. "You still think this butler of yours is a good human being kid. He shot me with a gun straight at my heart even after I said that I wasn't trying to kill you. I would have died if I were a normal human." Slade defended himself while blaming Alfred.

"No, he didn't try to kill you. He shot you using a particular gun I call the lawgiver, a gift from me on Alfred's last birthday. The gun can store different types of ammunition together and shoot whatever type of bullet is required at the moment. What he shot you with was a High-voltage stunner bullet. When shot, it is supposed to break some of the target's bones, stun them by scrambling their nervous system, and then knock them out cold for a day at least. You on the other hand recovered in just over an hour with perfect health. So, I am pretty sure, that he didn't try to actually kill you." I explained while gesturing at the gun Alfred was holding in his right hand like he still wanted to shoot Slade a couple of more times.

The gun looked like any standard submachine gun but had a little more toyish design. It had a display screen to show the type of ammunition that was being used as well as the types of ammunition available to the user. Also, the trigger looked slightly more futuristic since there was a fingerprint scanner in there to make sure that only Alfred and any person whose prints are registered in the gun's database can use the gun.

Also, the muzzle of the gun looked a little weird since it was designed in such a way that no muzzle flash or sound was allowed to escape from the gun during shooting.

[{Image}]

"... Okay, you have to give me one of those," Deathstroke uttered in a trance as he looked at the gun in Alfred's hand like he had fallen in love all over again. "Unless, of course, Alfred decides to give that very one to me as an apology."

"No, you have to work for your own if you want one," Alfred stated with an impassive look on his face while tucking the gun that I had brazenly copied from Judge Dredd, back inside his butler uniform. 

Getting a blunt rejection, Slade looked at me with some hope on his face. He looked like he really liked the idea of using such a gun.

"Would depend on your answers for the questions I ask you next," I responded as I took a small chair and sat directly in front of him. "So, why did you attack me, or if I were to believe you, why did you go to such lengths to play a prank on me?"

"*Sigh* You told me to train a force that you could use in your security company. I did. I call them... the Colony. They are a group of 200 soldiers, well 300 if you count the young ones who are still undergoing training in the Sahara. They are trained in almost all modern and traditional warfare techniques in the harshest of environmental conditions. They are the most dangerous armed or unarmed force on the planet... and yes, they are even more capable than the League of Assassins in certain regards while being completely loyal to you of course." 

"They tried to kill Bruce on your orders." Alfred gently reminded him from the side.

"Also, they lost to me in battle, and I wasn't even armed," I added.

"No matter how capable, they are still humans. Realistically speaking, there is no way that they can take on enhanced people like me, or especially Bruce with his monstrous physique unless they can find a way to snipe him from miles away with some special bullet that can penetrate his skin, muscles, and bones while completely negating his healing factor... Also, they are very good soldiers but not as great as assassins since I myself am more of a soldier and mercenary instead of being a ninja assassin." Deathstroke explained with a visible tick on his forehead. "As for their loyalty, tell them to do something, Bruce. It can be anything. Just order them." Slade stated with confidence.

"Fine... kill yourself," I said as I looked at the soldier closest to me.

The moment he heard my order, he immediately took out his revolver, put the muzzle on his forehead, and then without the slightest bit of hesitation, tried to pull the trigger.

"Wait! Give me the gun." I stopped him and took the gun from his hands to examine it. After a few seconds of examination, I didn't find anything wrong with the gun. It was loaded too. He really was going to shoot himself in the head just because I ordered him to.

'Just how the hell did Slade train these guys?' I wondered to myself as I discreetly took out the bullets from the revolver and then handed it to another one of the colony members standing nearby. 

"Shoot Deathstroke in the head," I ordered.

The second member too didn't hesitate. Even without knowing that the gun wasn't loaded, he aimed the gun at his former teacher and pulled the trigger but fortunately for Slade, it didn't shoot. "It's okay. Go back to your position." I commanded. I had verified that Slade was speaking the truth. He had done exactly what he charged me so heavily to do. He had created a terrifyingly loyal and powerful force that was only faithful to me. But that didn't mean I was happy.

Deathstroke whose eyes had gone cold and cautious for a few seconds exhaled in relief as he chuckled at the scene. "For a few seconds, I almost thought that you were serious there."

"Brainwashed?" I ignored him and asked without mincing my words too much. My face had a very serious expression plastered on it right now, one that clearly stated the fact that I don't like brainwashing others for my gain.

"... Depends on how you view it. I mean, before I answer that question, we have to ask ourselves what even is brainwashing. There is subtle brainwashing everywhere in society. From big brands and companies brainwashing their customers, government brainwashing the public, or babies brainwashing their parents with their cute looks and annoying cries for food. Everyone uses some form of brainwashing to get what they want." He tried to make his cause.

"I don't like messing with people's minds." I rigidly declared with a frown on my face.

"I didn't mess with their minds in any way. I am a soldier, not a shrink. What I did was just follow the same thing that any country does to its soldiers, make sure that they know for whom and why they are fighting. They know that each and every one of them is alive today because of you.

They know that you are the reason that they got a life beyond the orphanage, why their sisters and brothers can lead happy lives of their own, and why they can do something meaningful with their lives. Before they were just human livestock that would sooner or later be a victim of this cruel world but now, even though you decide their fates, they can at least fight for it... Also, they were already loyal to you even before my training. After some certain choice words from me, they just doubled down on that decision." Slade explained while giving a powerless shrug.

"I can believe that. Master Bruce does have quite a rather captivating and magnetic personality. The Wayne charm is quite strong in him, just like his father." Alfred for some reason supported the mercenary with a small nod of his head.

"... Okay, but if they are going to work for me, I'll at least try to make sure that none of them gets hurt," I voiced out after understanding that I wasn't going to win this argument now that Alfred too supported Slade.

Also, the colony members didn't exactly look like emotionless brainwashed soldiers like you would expect. They just looked like normal soldiers, only with more determined faces. I could actually understand their thought process. As Slade said, they were just probably incredibly thankful to me for supporting them and the orphanages and wanted to pay me back by helping me. In fact, that was what I wanted too.

But Slade somehow had taken that thankfulness to a whole new level. To them, I was now equivalent to a king or an emperor. They were prepared to kill or be killed for me. Of course, they still didn't know about my secret as the Dark Knight yet and I didn't intend to tell them as well. 

"You mean you are going to give them some of the wonder drugs that you pumped inside our friend Alfred here to keep him so young and handsome?... And yes, I do know that it sounds a little gay, but I don't care." 

"I don't judge people's sexual orientations and I am sure neither will Young Master Bruce. It is not what a gentleman does." Alfred responded with a small smile tugging on his lips. "But I am grateful that you think I am handsome although I am afraid, I cannot go on a date with you." Alfred teased at which Slade just harrumphed.

I could not help but giggle at their antics. Both Alfred and Slade had grown really good friends over the years. Despite the regular banters and childish arguments, it could even be said that the two were best friends. Weird friends but best friends nonetheless.

"I was not really thinking about any biological serums, drugs, or steroids. I actually had something different in mind..., something quite unique." I ominously said with a smirk as I remembered a certain anime with animal-powered humans and terraforming ugly-ass cockroaches.

"... By the way, do I get a gun like Alfred's now?" 

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