Chapter Text
...
Kuro slammed his head against Fyres'. He was done. There was no way he'd allow them to control him any longer. They'd taken his voice, his life, his freedom. No more. It was his turn now. He had the advantage.
Kuro turned to side dodging the arrow meant to go through his shoulder. He met the archer's gaze evenly. That man was in a similar situation. He was there because they had something on him. Kuro had seen the woman held in captivity.
His left hand twitched and the man's head tilted to the side. Kuro's fingers moved again. The man's jaw clenched. His grip on the bow shifted slightly. Kuro grinned and took off into the jungle. Hiding and killing from the shadows was what he did best. The moment you took your eyes off of him, there was no chance you'd see him again unless he wanted to be seen.
...
From what Kuro knew, there was another man on the island. He was staying one step ahead of Fyres and killing off the ARGUS men one by one. It was why Waller sent Kuro, she was tired of Fyres excuses.
Normally he'd have been sent with one of his handlers. But unfortunately they were all either on mission or his back up was came down with an illness. Waller never considered that he'd been behind that. Too focused on the task at hand. Too bad for her. Good for the assassin who'd finally broken through her conditioning at least partially.
Kuro was smart enough to know that if he was caught again there'd be no second chance. She'd ensure he never broke out of it again. Or she'd kill him.
Either way, this was his last shot. And he was going to take it. Find the person that didn't follow Waller and kill see if he was worth working with. If not, kill him and Fyres people. Get off the island. Stay away from Waller.
Not a very solid plan but right now he had nothing and no one. He could survive on his own. It was part of his training to survive in all situations. But he wasn't used to making decisions on his own. He'd been trained from as long as he could remember to take orders. So, he'd make his way to the other guy, find out his deal and then take the decision of whether to kill him or not from him. That was his priority right now.
...
Slade felt eyes on him. It was the kid he'd seen stealing a canteen. At first, he wasn't sure if the boy was a spy. Or if he was sent in an attempt to draw Slade out. But from his dirty and disheveled state, Slade didn't think that the kid was a willing participant in whatever the hell was happening on the island. Not that the boy said a word or even a sound. A damn mouse made more noise than the kid.
It was hard to tell how old he was. He was short. Maybe 5' 8". His body lean but muscular. He had blue grey eyes that belonged on a soldier who'd gone through too many deployments. The kind that haunted a person. The type that Slade saw in his own reflection. Only, Slade was at least in his forties. This boy looked like a teenager at best. Maybe a very young twenty-year-old at worst. He was covered in grime and dirt, his clothes were worn and baggy. Despite the obvious malnutrition, the kid was far from weak.
When Slade tried to grab him that first day, the kid struck out and broke his nose. Then he disappeared back into the woods. Slade didn't see him again for almost a week. Or more accurately what was left of his own camp. By the looks of it, the kid had killed a rabbit a few days prior. Well, the fire was still warm and the bones were picked clean. And the scent of blood was fresh. But there was no sign of the kid. No tracks. No evidence that someone was even there. Except for the dead animal and the fire. Whoever the boy was, he was well trained in survival and stealth.
The next time was another aftermath instead of the kid himself. Bodies of one of Fyres patrols. All of their throats were slit so cleanly, they didn't wake from their sleep. Admittedly he was impressed. Slade had been hunting that group of soldiers for a couple of days. But hadn't managed to get a clear shot. He didn't trust that they were asleep. But apparently, the kid did. And had no problem taking them out while they were vulnerable.
Again, no traces. Nothing to indicate that anyone had been there besides the bodies. Slade had to reluctantly admit that he was impressed by the kid. As long as the boy wasn't aiming to put a knife in his chest, Slade wasn't inclined to attack him.
There was the sound of bushes rustling. The kid was deliberately making noise. Slade kept his gun in his holster, and his sword in its scabbard. He didn't want to provoke the kid. Instead he reached for some jerky he'd recently made.
"You here to parley?" He questioned. "I've got jerky if you're hungry."
For a moment there was no movement. Then the undergrowth shifted and the blonde crept out of the foliage. His hands were empty of weapons. The kid didn't walk closer. Just stayed where he was, watching Slade. Trying to figure him out.
Slade took the chance to further examine the kid. He wasn't injured. At least, not from what Slade could see. He was definitely dressed in the garb that Fyres soldiers wore. He was wearing cargo pants that were tucked into boots. A black undershirt and an equally black jacket over it though unzipped. There was an insignia on the shirt. ARGUS well things certainly made more sense now.
"I've seen the messes you've been leaving. You're good kid." Slade complimented. "You're here on purpose, aren't you? To kill Fyres?"
The boy didn't answer verbally. Just shrugged in response. Slade stood and immediately the kid stepped back. Hands twitching towards his waist. Probably where a weapon was hidden. Kid was tense and obviously didn't trust him. Smart kid.
"I'm not going to hurt you." Slade promised. He held out a piece of the dried meat. "Here, you can have this, on me. You look hungry."
For a moment the boy just stared at him. Head tilted to the side in thought. He didn't move an inch closer however. So, Slade tossed the food at the boy and it was snatched out of the air. The kid's gaze never wavered. And Slade was reminded of a wild animal that was unsure whether to run away or not. It was a unnerving.
The kid sniffed the food, checking to see if it was poisoned or drugged. After a moment, the kid brought it to his lips and bit off a chunk. His eyes lit up the first sign of emotion that Slade had ever seen on him. For a split second, the kid looked his age. But then he was shoving the rest of the strip of food in his mouth and chewing rapidly. Like the next bite of food wasn't guaranteed. Or that he was afraid someone would take it from him. Which was entirely possible on an Island such as this.
"What's your name kid?" Asked Slade.
The blonde gave him a dry look and pointed to his throat. Then he shook his head. Mute then. Oh life was going to be interesting with this one. Before he could asked any yes or no questions the kid's head shot up. It was as if he was hearing something. Then he was gone suddenly.
What the hell? What had that been about?
Chapter Text
...
Slade blinked at the body. The man was quite obviously dead. A slit throat being the cause and he suspected the kid to be the culprit behind it. Given that Slade hadn't heard any nearby gunfire recently, the kid caught this person off guard. He looked to have died a couple of hours ago at most. The kid had likely moved on then. If he was smart he wouldn't stay nearby in case more patrol came looking for the dead soldier.
A quick check of the body's pockets showed nothing useful. No identification or information on the camp. The radio that was clipped to the man's shoulder had already been destroyed. Nothing to work with to contact help. Slade decided to press forward in the hopes that the kid was still around. Or that he'd at least left a trail. He wasn't sure why he was so eager to find the boy. He should only be looking out for himself now. He'd already been betrayed once since coming to this godforsaken island. He did not intend to allow it to happen again.
Maybe it was because of the kid belonging to ARGUS. Amanda Waller and her group were a special kind of evil. They didn't hesitate to use whatever tactics to get their way. Even if that meant kidnapping and killing innocent people. Given the training the kid had, it must have begun years ago. He was probably taken from his home and family. Trained and conditioned until the boy was completely obedient to what Waller wanted. That was the part that disgusted him the most.
No child deserved that. It made him think of his own boy. Joey would turn eighteen this year. And the thought of his son being forced to do the same things that the blonde did, sickened him. So, maybe that's why he was determined to find the kid.
...
It took a week to find him. Slade had to admit, the kid was damn near impossible to track. More often than not, Slade was the one found. Sometimes he was just there without warning. The blue grey eyes staring at him with an unnerving intensity. That was how it was today. One minute, the kid wasn't there, the next, he was. Crouched on a tree branch like a cat.
"Mother fucker," swore Slade, "How are you so silent?"
The boy grinned at him. Little bastard. He'd done that on purpose just to screw with him. Well two could play at that game.
"You know kid, I'm pretty sure you could sneak up on an ant and scare the shit out of it," joked Slade and the boy's grin grew, "how about you come down here and join us mere mortals?"
For a moment, Slade was sure the kid was going to ignore him and go back to whatever he was doing. He tilted his head to the side and stared at him. The grin was gone in a blink of an eye. Replaced with the blank expression that was unnerving him. He was used to dealing with soldiers, not spies or assassins. This was his first experience and the lack of emotions was unsettling.
Finally though he slowly approached. Slade didn't react. Just waited for the blonde to get closer. Once the kid was a couple of feet away, did Slade make a move. In an instant the boy had a knife in hand and his stance shifted to a fighting position. Slade didn't draw his gun or unsheathed his sword. Instead, Slade held out the rabbit leg that'd been cooking and was only recently done.
"Here," said Slade, "it's better fresh."
Again, the kid was still, unmoving, unflinching. Then, just before Slade was going to give up and eat it himself, the blade was replaced. And the boy took the offered meat. He examined it carefully, checking to ensure it was cooked properly. Then he dug in with a wave of his hand that Slade took as a thank you.
"Your welcome," replied Slade, and the boy smiled, "Where did you come from kid?"
The kid didn't answer him verbally. Just shrugged and continued eating. Until there was no meat and only bone. He looked a little mournful at the loss of the food. But he didn't beg or demand any more. He was used to taking what was given and not asking for anything else. Slade wondered where exactly the boy came from. He doubted Fyres would bring a kid in on this shitshow of an operation willingly. So, he had to have either stowed away, or was sent in. Both were dangerous in their own way.
"Are you able to speak at all?" questioned Slade and the boy shook his head and touched his throat.
Right where the vocal cords were. Something had happened to them. Meaning the kid would have to write or use ASL in order to communicate. He didn't look like he had anything to write on. And Slade didn't have much to offer. Maybe a small notebook. It wasn't ideal but it'd work in the short term. He handed the pad to the kid and a pen. The blonde accepted both with a suspicious look.
"What's your name kid?" asked Slade and the boy's brow furrowed, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But I'm Slade Wilson. Australian Special Forces. Or at least I was."
KURO was written. He hesitated before he added. ARGUS.
"Okay Kuro," nodded Slade, "Why are you on this hell hole?"
The boy looked at him, then the ground. A strange expression crossed his face. He almost looked lost. The blonde began to shrug, then stopped. Finally, he picked up the pen and notepad. FREEDOM. Was the word on the paper.
This was what the kid considered freedom? ARGUS had done some serious damage to him then. Slade didn't think it was possible to feel worse. But the kid proved him wrong. His heart ached for him. Though to the kid, this had to seem like a blessing. Here, he was free of ARGUS. Which meant, it was ARGUS who was backing Fyres. Of course they were. It just added another reason to hate the bitch that ran it.
"I've got to say that's a pretty shitty idea of freedom," commented Slade, and the boy's lips quirked, "But I suppose it's better than wherever you were before. I intend to get off this godforsaken island. I have a plan but I need another person. You in?"
Kuro's brows furrowed in thought. Slade couldn't read his mind. Had no idea what the boy was thinking. He could guess that the blonde wasn't used to making decisions or trusting people. Kid had no reason to believe him and every reason not to. He would probably need time. For now, they had time. There was about three weeks to the next supply drop. If they were going to get off the island, that was there best chance.
"You don't have to decide right away," assured Slade, "We have time to prepare. Just don't take too long."
Kuro's brow smoothed and he looked at the trees. His hands twitched and his jaw clenched. Whatever he was thinking, had to be unpleasant. Then he stood and returned to the forest leaving Slade alone once again.