Chapter Text
Slade looked at Oliver as they went down the elevator in the cave,”I have to thank you for this again Oliver. The trail went cold recently.”
“It’s not a problem.” Oliver replied, he seemed to be the only one slightly okay with Slade being in The Bunker. Felicity seemed to press herself and Curtis as far back in the elevator as possible while John, Dinah and Rene seemed content to try and glare a hole through Slade’s head. The elevator doors slid open as they entered The Bunker. Oliver looked confused seeing Nyssa standing there with her back towards the door and new gear strapped to her person. The red part of her uniform was no longer red, it was a deep rusty orange color. Slade recognized who it was immediately and realized that her being there meant nothing good.
“Oliver, what is your wife doing here?” Felicity asked and Slade had to suppress his bark of laughter.
“Not his wife.” The woman spoke with a Turkish accent with a slight Australian lilt. Diggle raised his gun and pointed it at her back as she turned and faced the team. Her mask was pulled up to her eyes and she hopped over the banister onto the lower level and in front of Slade. She pulled down her mask,”It’s been a long time, sevgilim.”
Slade slowly nodded,”Five years. What are you doing here?”
The woman crossed her arms,”I don’t know where our child is. I’m growing concerned.”
Slade looked past her head,”When was the last time you spoke to him?”
“After Kasnia. He called me to let me know he was okay.” The woman's crossed arms looked less like a sign of irritation and more like she was hugging herself,”I suggest you put down the gun Mr. Diggle, I wouldn’t want to hurt you.”
Oliver and John looked at her in disbelief while Felicity regained the ability to speak,”I’m sorry, who are you?”
The woman looked at Slade and smiled widely, in Oliver’s opinion it brought to mind the wolfish expression Slade wore when he started to cuddle up and give Moira political advice,”Adeline Kane, Slade’s wife.”
Oliver only looked slightly fazed while the rest of the team looked at each other various levels of shock on their face. John and Felicity seemed to be the most surprised,”I’m sorry. Wife?”
Adeline nodded,”Yes, wife. Slade, have you heard anything from him lately?”
Slade shook his head,”That’s why I’m here, for help. What are you doing here?”
“I had business with A.R.G.U.S. decided to pay an old friend of yours a visit.” Adeline sized Oliver up,”You aren’t as subtle as one would think, Mr. Queen.”
John slowly holstered his weapon,”Sorry Ms. Kane, what business do you have here?”
Adeline pulled out a boomerang covered in blood,”I was going to call you Slade, this was left at the embassy with a note attached.”
Slade took the bag and began to examine the boomerang carefully,”This one of Digger’s?”
Felicity shook her head,”That’s impossible he died on Lian Yu, he was killed by a landmine and Malcolm Merlyn.”
Adeline raised an eyebrow in disbelief,”Yes because we haven’t believed Malcolm has died before. A.S.I.S agents don’t go down easy.”
John glanced at Slade,”Tell me about it.”
“Not everyone is Slade, he was the A.S.I.S. golden boy for a reason.” Adeline wrapped her arms around Slade,”Now are you going to help me? Or will we have to do this alone.”
Slade put a hand on her back, the question wasn’t addressed him. It wasn’t a question that he’d help her. Oliver took a deep breath,”We’ll help you. Do you have any additional information?”
“A bit. Along with the boomerang there was a note. I’ve only glanced at the note. It’s what made me want to get into contact with you and Slade.” Adelline pulled away slightly pulling out a folded piece of paper, she unfolded it,”Dear Hayatım, We should get dinner we have something to talk about. Bring the ex, it involves your taitamaiti. Come to The Jazz Playhouse, at 9 o’clock.”
Slade clenched his hand and rubbed his thumb against his forefinger. Oliver furrowed his brow,”What do those words mean?”
Slade’s growled,”Nothing good.”
Adeline took a deep breath and gestured to two black bags on the table,”Guess it’s a good thing I brought you a change of clothes.”
Curtis looked at the two of them,”You just had a spare suit in case he’d be here?”
Adeline looked at Curtis as if he amused her,”Darling, what kind of wife would I be if I didn’t know how Slade Wilson worked?”
Slade nodded an agreement,”I am a man of simplicity.”
Oliver made a noise of amusement, and nodded towards the back of the Bunker,”You can change through there. Dinah and Rene will go with you.”
Slade went to follow Adeline towards the back of the bunker as Oliver grabbed his elbow and began to whisper to him,”Are you going to ask her about the thing Kane told you back in Kasnia?”
Slade nodded minutely,”But not now. She wouldn’t have come here if she didn’t think Joe was seriously in danger. If I ask her about Grant and she doesn’t want to tell me, I could lose her.”
Oliver didn’t necessarily agree with Slade’s plan but he understood where he was coming from, it wasn’t dissimilar from the situation Samantha put him in. He let Slade’s arm go,”Alright. Be careful.”
Slade stared at Oliver carefully,”....Oliver, I’ve been doing this long enough that it’s second nature at this point. It’s not me you should worry about.”
Oliver raised his hands defensively, before allowing Slade to go about his business. Slade went to the back room grabbing the bag off the table. Felicity sat down in the roller chair and rubbed her legs,”Slade’s wife seems nice?”
Diggle crossed his arms,”I don’t trust her. I know Slade is different from when you first met him on Lian Yu, but she seems utterly calm around him. On a good day Slade is ten times more dangerous than Malcolm Merlyn, and the woman who is totally at peace with that and dressed in league gear? She’s hiding something.”
Dinah pursed her lips,”Rene and I will keep an eye on them.”
Oliver nodded in agreement,”Get changed, You two will be in the restaurant. Curtis, Diggle, and I will follow and watch from the outside. You two don’t go in unarmed. We stay on comms at all times, and in constant communication with each other and keep either Adeline or Slade in your eye sight at all time.”
Adeline was pulling her hair out her tangle of braids and was wearing a low cut red dress and red heels. Oliver could tell that she was quite obviously unarmed, it was meant to lull people into a false sense of security. Slade however had a shoulder harness with two guns holstered while he readjusted his tie and slid on his sports jacket. Diggle decided to poke at Slade just to see what happened,”Carrying her gun for her Slade?”
Adeline’s eyes bore into Diggle,”I don’t need a gun to kill people, but they do help.”
Slade looked at Adeline’s dress,”You see her hiding anything in that dress?”
Rene and Dinah went to go change into a more formal look so the could blend in to the restaurant, Adeline smiled at Slade mischievously,”Only national secrets, my dear.”
Slade returned the grin and looked amused. Oliver sighed and handed Slade and Adeline ,”I was just telling Dinah and Rene this, but you’ll stay on comms the entire time, and keep them in your sights at all times.”
Adeline nodded in understanding,”Sure thing. Do you have a safe place I can keep my other son?”
Oliver and Slade looked a little shocked at her candidness, Oliver seemed to recover a little quicker than Slade did,”Yeah, you can use my apartment.”
Adeline pulled a phone out of her bag and began to dial a phone before looking up at Slade, her voice was soft,”Can- Can we talk about this after?”
Slade nodded,”Of course.”
Adeline smiled slightly relieved and began to speak in another language,”Grant, seni almaya gidiyorum. Kardeşini bulmaya çalışırken bir iş arkadaşımla kalacaksın.”
Adeline seemed to nodded in the response on her phone while Rene and Dinah came back in a suit and a black dress with cutouts on the neckline. Adeline hung up the phone and glanced at Slade,”You ready?”
“Always.” Slade rubbed his face.
Slade sat with Adeline as they pulled in front of the hotel, he glanced out the window sizing up the building,”Classy place.”
Adeline nodded, before sliding out of the car,”The only perk of being a diplomat.”
Slade shifted slightly as he continued to stare at the window, Oliver looked back at him from the passenger seat,”You okay?”
Slade shrugged,”I’m sure she had her reasons for not telling me but……”
“You worry about what they are?” Slade nodded as Adeline came with out of the lobby with a kid in a dark hoodie,”I think she was probably trying to figure out what was best for both of you.”
Slade opened the door as Adeline and Grant slid into the car, Grant pulled his hood off and Slade was taken aback by how much Grant looked like him, Kane had his mother’s blue eyes and her open temper. But Grant’s eyes are a dark brown with a curious glint to them,”You find Joey yet?”
Adeline ran a hand through Grant’s shaggy hair,”Not quite yet, when was the last time you heard from him?”
Grant shrugged, and began to fiddle with the book in his hands,”Couple of weeks ago. Said he was in Gotham, said he’d maybe swing by Starling when we were in town.”
Adeline rubbed her knee and glanced over at Slade,”Sounds about right. Just, you’ll be staying with Oliver’s son, William for a few days until I find Joe, Okay?”
Grant’s nose was already shoved into his book and he dismissively nodded. Adeline put an hand on his shoulder,”Don’t worry about him he’s been in worse positions.”
It sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more then Grant.
Slade looked at Adeline, she was still beautiful and lethal. It was hard not to immediately fall back in love with her, she had a sort of power and grace. But that was hidden underneath the boiling rage that she was being consumed with. Slade reached for her hand and she tangled their fingers together as he squeezed it reassuringly,”Hey.”
Adeline met Slade’s eye and he saw what the anger truly masked, worry and fear, fear bordering on panic,”It’s going to be alright.”
She took a deep breath her voice soft enough so that only he can hear,”I can’t lose him again Slade. I don’t have it in me to attend another funeral of someone I love.”
Slade tensed at that, he knew him being declared KIA on Lian Yu was tough on her, and what happened back in 2012. She preferred to bottle up her feelings then showing them openly when she wasn’t with close friends. It made her hard to read at the best of times, and impossible to work with at the worst,”If you’re searching for him he’ll be fine. Addy, it’s going to be alright.”
Adeline sighed, rolling her shoulders and loosened her posture, she was more tense then Slade initially realized,”He reminds me of you, you know.”
Slade remembered the easiest way to make her relax was to make her laugh or at least smile. Take her mind off what was stressing her out while allowing her to maintain focus on the mission,”Dashingly handsome?”
Adeline’s lips twitched for a second, before her mood plummeted further,”Borderline suicidal.”
Slade swallowed and decided to file away her comments for later, reassess, regroup, refocus. Slade cleared his throat and smiled at her,”So, about those national secrets. Mind showing me?”
Adeline bit back a scoff of laughter, and returned his grin,”You’re a spy, I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
There was a gagging sound on the comm line from Oliver,”I just threw up a little bit.”
Slade laughed as the car pulled in front of the jazz club, and opened the door allowing Adeline to climb out of the car. Rene and Dinah were already in the building, they hadn’t seen Digger yet.
Slade put an arm around Adeline’s waist and smiled, his voice was barely above a whisper but loud enough for the comms to pick up,”How about when we finish with this we go back to your hotel room and you can show me some of those secrets?”
Adeline knew the game Slade was playing, and decided to play along,”As long as you’re cooking I could be persuaded to share some of them. Maybe that one about you and the-”
There were more gagging sounds and Oliver’s voice was strained,”I honestly think I’m gonna be sick.”
Felicity sighed,”Can we keep it PG people?”
Adeline and Slade entered the club and immediately pulled her to the dance floor ignoring Felicity’s comment. Adeline pressed herself against Slade as he put a hand on her back and her hand rested upon his shoulder. Slade looked around for Digger, Slade felt like he was being watched and not by Dinah and Rene who were sitting at the bar pretending to be on a date,”Addy?”
Adeline was looking over Slade’s shoulder and froze slightly as her eyes settled on Digger,”I see him. He’s on his way over.”
Slade kissed her cheek,”Don’t worry. I’ll shoot him if I think he’s taking to long.”
Adeline pulled away and raised an eyebrow,”Not if I tear him limb from limb first.”
Slade jerked his head in a nod and buried his head in her neck, Digger walked up to them and cleared his throat,”Slade. Ms. Kane, may I have this dance?”
Slade and Adeline pulled apart, Slade shooting Digger a nasty look before letting Adeline go and walking to the bar and ordering a rum. He sat next to Dinah and Rene as Digger pulled Adeline close to him, Adeline’s spine was curved backwards like she was trying to pull away from him and her arms frozen like she didn’t want to touch him. Felicity strengthened Adeline’s Comm so that they could hear what Digger was saying to her.
“Hello Adeline. It’s been awhile.”
“Where is he?” Adeline hesitantly put her arms around Digger but Dinah noticed that her body language was wire taut while when she was dancing with Slade her body language was loose and they seemed to be in their own little world while keeping track of the mission. Slade and Adeline reminded her of her and Vincent and that made her feel heart broken for what her and Vincent lost, the time they lost. The parts of them that they lost.
“Just one song. Then we talk about Joe.” Digger replied, his voice sickly sweet. Adeline let out a growl,”Hush now, Addy, you wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt Joe. I have some questions I want you to answer.”
Adeline made a pained noise and Dinah watched as Slade stiffened, moving towards her before stopping himself,”Fine then, ask away.”
Digger and Adeline began to sway slightly,”I’ve known the both of you for over twenty years but I never understood what attracted you to him.”
“I’m not hearing a question, George.”
Felicity’s voice came over the line,”I’m sorry, George?”
“My question is, how the hell did he snag a woman like you? We know he isn’t the most intelligent person on the earth. He didn’t come from any money. So the attraction must be purely physical.”
“Allow to put it in terms you’ll understand, George. Slade Wilson is twice the man you are.” Adeline left the comment open enough for anyone listening to form their opinion.
“Even Wade would’ve been a better choice. He could’ve provided for you.” Digger looked up from Adeline and looked Slade dead in the eye,”Wouldn’t of had to deal with that nasty temper of his, and sure Wade would’ve been sleeping with someone else…. Unless, oh you’ve been sleeping with him for awhile haven’t you? Though I realize that as I’m saying this I am setting Deathstroke after me.”
Adeline’s voice took on a deep growl, reminiscent of Slade’s natural tone. The song the band was playing drew towards a close,”I assure you it’s not Slade Wilson you should be afraid of! Now. Where. Is. My. Son.”
Digger pulled away from her and held up a flash drive before pressing it into her hand. Digger pressed a kiss to her cheek, the same place where Slade kissed her earlier that night,”Didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?”
Adeline snarled at Digger as he left and caught Slade’s eye before jerking her head towards the door so they could head back towards the bunker. Slade looked at Rene and Dinah before heading out after Adeline.
Slade watched as Adeline paced by the car, she was looking frazzled,”Addie? You okay?”
Adeline gave Slade a brief glance, reminiscent of a deer in the headlights, before glancing back at the flash drive in her hands. Her hands were trembling, just barely. Slade took her hands and the flash drive from her,”I’m fine. We need to find our son.”
Adeline was lying to his face, but Slade was willing to let it slide just this once,”Come on then. Felicity can find what’s on the drive.”
Slade watched as Adeline sank into one of the roller chairs and buried her face in her hands. Oliver stood awkwardly between them Felicity and Curtis were busy hacking the drive while Diggle, Dinah, and Rene went home there was nothing they could do for now. Oliver rocked on his heels before speaking,”So Digger implied somethings….. Care to elaborate?”
Slade didn’t look at Adeline,”There’s nothing to elaborate on. He’s pushing her buttons.”
Adeline made a clicking sound,”Not exactly, nothing. Your brother isn’t my favorite person at the moment.”
“You have a brother?” Felicity asked looking up from the computer screen.
Slade waved off the question,“Addy, what happened?”
“He made a few passes at me after your funeral.” Adeline rubbed her thighs.
“That’s not all is it?” Slade edged closer to Adeline while still giving her her space,”Addy, what’d he do?”
“He knowingly gave Joe faulty information.” Adeline wasn’t telling the whole story but it was enough to make Slade suck in a breath. Giving a spy faulty information was one thing, but to knowingly do it was the same as signing a death warrant.
“Does Joe know?”
Adeline nodded,”But Wade doesn’t know he knows, it’s what pushed Joe into the darkness.”
Slade reached over and put a hand on Adeline’s shoulder, she slid her hand over his. Felicity cleared her throat sensing the tension in the room,”Took us a few hours but we got in. The coding on this is good. Almost unhackable.”
“How. How did he trick you into marrying him?” Slade asked his voice curious while slightly amused,”He’s an idiot.”