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Dick eyed the countless stands and crates as he walked. Weaponry, clothes, technology and things of alien heritage were presented to catch the eyes of customers.
Those customers that were interested in buying wore inconspicuous clothing and hid their faces, talking in hushed tones with each other. A select few didn’t care for discretion, smirking when they got their hands on the goods all while boasting with malice.
Dick kept far away from them. He couldn’t afford to make a scene.
He was here for a reason. Tim, Bruce and Dick had split up priorly to cover more ground while Oracle managed their comms. Cass, Steph and Damian were looking after Gotham in the meantime.
They had tracked down this black market due to it becoming a big problem. New weaponry bad guys used came from this place and there were rumors going around of a supplier that was selling even better equipment using magic.
One of them was supposed to find the rumored supplier, inform the others of the location and buy some of the weapons infused with magic.
Dick stopped in front of a stand, glancing down at the technology on display. The owner of the stand was busy with their supply crates so Dick stepped closer to inspect a pair of handcuffs.
They looked rather interesting. There was a similarity to the handcuffs the Bats used but the cuffs themselves seemed more rugged and tighter. It would definitely hurt to be cuffed in them.
He looked over to the item laying next to it and blinked. Two white rings were placed next to each other on a small red pillow, looking rather out of place.
Dick squinted down at them. There seemed to be a faint glow coming off of them.
He picked the right ring up, turning it over in his hand. From all the time he spent together with the Titans and their magic using teammates he could tell when he was near something magic infused.
Guess he found the rumored supplier they were after.
He looked away from the ring to reach for the other one but his eyes caught upon a large man that managed to pick it up before him. Dick blinked.
Oh fuck.
He frowned, looking up to stare at Slade Wilson. His grip on the ring tightened.
“What are you doing here?”, He hissed, raising his scarf higher to obstruct his face more.
Slade raised an eyebrow at him. “Buying weapons?”, The mercenary answered, glancing at the matching ring he held in his own hand.
Duh. Dick rolled his eyes. “You could buy weapons anywhere else, old man, but you came out here.”
Slade hummed. “I heard the deals are good. I believe you did too.”
Dick narrowed his eyes. He hoped Slade wasn’t after the same thing the Bats were, because if he was this was bound to get tricky.
“I think you should leave before this whole market gets busted by law enforcement.”, Dick stated.
“Leave before I bought something? I don’t think so.”
They stared at each other, both still holding the rings. Dick bit his cheek.
“So you’re interested in buying a ring? I didn’t take you for a ring guy after your divorce.”, Dick commented, slipping the ring he was holding onto his finger as he fiddled with it.
Slade snorted. “I’m not. You seem to be awfully interested in it though.”
Crap. Dick scoffed. “Well a ring is a better purchase than a gun, especially with the limited options here.”
“So you want a pair of them?”
“Might as well.”
Slade tilted his head, looked between Dick and the ring in his hand. He slipped it onto his finger. “Trying to be clever, little bird?”, He smirked.
Dick tried not to growl. “Slade—“
“Are you buying this or not?”
Dick froze. He turned to look at the seller. He couldn’t fuck this up. He wouldn’t let Slade ruin this for him.
“We are in fact.”, He lowered his voice, leaning forward and nudging Slade. “It’s just been decided. For how much are you offering them?”
He could get the ring from Slade after he bought them. The seller eyed them with distrust.
“850.000$”, The seller settled on replying. “For each ring.”
Dick pulled cash out of his pockets, frowning as Slade did so too.
“I can cover it.”, He grit out.
Slade handed the money over to the seller. “Well so can I, kid. It’s only fair.”
Dick couldn’t believe his audacity. He handed the rest of the money to the seller and tried to grasp Slade’s hand to pull him aside while the seller went to put the money away but Slade was a step ahead of him. Literally.
Dick was so fed up with him. He followed after Slade. “Give me that ring, Slade.”, He demanded.
Slade shot him a look. “I bought this one, kid. You have your own.”
“That’s not—!”, He cut himself off with a sigh. “Slade. I’m not in the mood for one of your little games.”
In the corner of his eye he could see the supplier pack up the stand.
He had to report back to Tim, Bruce and Oracle. Actually that was something he rather wanted to focus on.
“You know what? You can have it for now.”, He shook his head and turned to find a spot where he discreetly could contact his team.
He didn’t spare Slade another glance as he walked a few steps forward. He took another step, hand reaching up to fiddle with the comm.
Dick gasped as pain coursed through him. He froze in place, hand raised as the pain seemed to radiate from his finger that wore the ring. What the fuck?
He gripped the ring trying to pull it off to get the pain to stop, but it wouldn’t budge. Even worse it seemed like his feet had a mind of their own as he backtracked his steps, the pain easing with each step until he was walking on his own.
His back hit something and he glanced upwards, breathing heavily.
Slade looked back at him. Their hands grasped the others, rings clacking.
“What…?”, Dick breathed.
He pulled away from Slade, his eyes wide.
He took a step back, then another.
“Kid.”
Dick took another step. Pain shot through him—a hand grasped his—and the pain stopped. Dick blinked down at the sight of the rings sliding against each other as Slade held his hand.
This was a painfully annoying predicament the two found themselves in.
Dick glared up at the back of Slade’s head.
“You simply exist to make my life harder.”, The hero grumbled, still trying to pull the ring off his finger, but it stayed stuck. No matter what he tried it wouldn’t budge.
“I’m not the worst of your problems, kid.”, Slade responded. Ugh. Dick wanted to throttle him.
They found out rather quickly that the rings bound them together and if they weren’t near each other they would cause them pain. Dick felt like he had gotten scammed.
He looked around him for any signs of Bruce or Tim. Something—definitely the magical rings—seemed to interfere with his comms so he had to seek out the rest of his family the old-fashioned way.
Convincing Slade to come along hadn’t been easy either, but to get these rings off their fingers their best bet was to get some help.
Dick sighed in relief as he spotted Tim and nudged Slade to follow after him.
“Timmy.”, Dick huffed, grasping his brother by the shoulders to pull him aside. “I’ve got a problem and some information.”
“Dick? I’ve been trying to contact you—why didn’t you answer?”, Tim blinked at him and then behind him. “Uh and what’s Deathstroke doing here with you?”
Dick grimaced, looking away. “I found the supplier, bought a magical ring from them while Slade snatched the other and now we’re bound together? Don’t tell Bruce that though. I just need Oracle to contact a magic user, preferably someone that won’t tattle on me.”
He really didn’t want to deal with Bruce’s judgement or having Slade any near Bruce.
Tim looked between them and at the rings. “For real? Damn.”
Dick nodded. “Tell her to send them to my safe house near that park with the pond.”, He added on as Tim relayed the message to Oracle on their private comms. “The stand is probably gone at this point by the way, they packed up the moment we bought the rings.”, Dick added on.
“Bruce won’t be happy to hear that.”, Tim commented.
“I will give him the rings after we get them off—“
“You mean you will give him your ring.”, Slade chimed in. Dick’s left eye twitched.
“I swear to everything I believe in I will chop your finger off.”, He threatened under his breath. “Do you seriously want to keep that ring, Slade?”, Dick asked.
Slade shrugged. That bastard simply shrugged. Fucking—whatever!
Dick grunted. “I will give Bruce my ring after I get it off, alright, with explicit instructions to not put it on.”, He told Tim.
He tapped his foot against the ground. “We’re leaving now. If Bruce asks about my whereabouts tell him I got eloped or something. I’m putting my trust into you to deal with the old man.”, While Dick dealt with another old man. Oh how fun.
Tim gave him a thumbs up.
Dick pulled his scarf off as they left the market, running a hand through his mused up hair. “We’re going to one of my safe houses to wait this whole thing out like I said.”
Slade grunted, side-eyeing him. “Not your apartment?”
Dick scoffed. “And have Bruce come by to check on me? Yeah no.”, He walked towards his disguised motorcycle and put his helmet on. “Hop on.”, Dick told Slade as he started the engine, straddling the seat.
Slade took a seat behind him, his hands coming to rest on low Dick’s waist. Dick shot him a look.
“A bit higher perhaps?”, He grit out.
“Scared I will fall off?”, Slade smirked.
“More like I will purposely shove you off if you don’t.”
Slade chuckled and repositioned his hands. Dick glanced at the ring on his finger. He looked away and drove off.
He took a few turns and pulled into a parking spot near the apartment building where his safe house was in. He unzipped his jacket and pulled his helmet off, shooting Slade a look.
“Try to be discreet.”, He warned the mercenary as they walked the stairs up to his address. He could practically still feel the warmth radiating off Slade.
Once inside Dick closed his eyes and sighed. Slade looked around.
“Cozy.”
Dick snorted. “Shut up. I haven’t really furnished this one.”
They looked at each other for a few moments. Dick bit his lip.
“The ring.”, Dick started. “What do you want in exchange for it?”, He dared to ask. The silence between them was making him fidgety.
“You want it that badly?”, Slade asked in return, raising an eyebrow at Dick.
Dick shrugged. “I can’t exactly let you keep it.”
Slade huffed out a laugh. “Would you fight me for it?”, The mercenary asked.
Dick narrowed his eyes at him. “I would if you won’t hand it over after we get them off.”
Slade looked him up and down. Dick rolled his eyes at the obvious taunt.
“A favor.”
“Huh?”
“You can get the ring if I get a favor in return.”, Slade told him.
“Getting it off you isn’t a favor enough for you?”, Dick retorted.
“Getting it off, no. Getting off on the other hand—“
“Slade.”
Slade chuckled. “Don’t look at me like that, little bird. You want the ring, right?”
“I do.”, Dick replied. “But—“
“And I want a favor in return.”
Dick grit his teeth. “You know what? Fine! A favor it is.”, He faked a smile and muttered under his breath. “Bastard.”
Someone knocked on Dick’s door and Dick turned around to answer it, sighing as the door opened by itself and John Constantine stared back at him.
He took a look at the hand that Dick had raised and barked out a laugh. “Congrats to the newlyweds, I guess.”
Dick shot him a glare. Slade crossed his arms over his chest.
“Tough crowd today. I take it the vows weren’t good enough?”, Constantine hummed as he took Dick’s hand to inspect the ring better. “Or the honeymoon got canceled?”
“Constantine.”
Constantine waved them off. “These rings are fickle things.”, He whistled. “Wilson, come here. I need to take a look at yours too.”
Slade sighed and let Constantine take a look.
“This might hurt a bit.”, Constantine laughed as he grasped both their rings.
Dick tensed. “What—“
He gasped as pain shot through him and he fell against Slade, who grunted from the impact and caught him.
“—The hell.”, Dick frowned at Constantine, who held the rings in between his fingers.
“There. I definitely need a cigarette now. These things are an energy zapper. Don’t stick your fingers into unknown things.”, He handed the rings to Dick, who stared down at them with wide eyes.
“I will be taking my leave now.”, He informed the both of them as he lit a cigarette, glancing between the two with a smirk pulling at his lips. Dick wrinkled his nose.
“Uh, thank you.”, He raised an eyebrow and then bid Constantine goodbye, pocketing the rings somewhere safe in his safe house. This had been relatively quick.
He turned to look at Slade as soon as Constantine was gone. “I’m throwing you out.”
Slade snorted. “I will be seeing you, little bird.”
For the favor. Dick rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You won whatever. You should know that you suck.”
He shut the door in front of Slade’s face as Slade laughed at his comment.
He leaned against the doorframe and sighed as he heard the comm in his ear. Guess it was working again.
“Yeah?”, He answered it.
“Why did Tim tell me you eloped?”, Bruce questioned in a gruff tone.
Dick deactivated the comm. He had enough today.