Chapter three
The day it all went wrong was an ordinary Wednesday.
That's what Slade hates the most.
He got no warning. There was nothing that hinted that his Da was going to what he did.
Nothing.
He had just arrived at the school gate , ready to pick Wade up and he wasn't there.
He had , as a sane person would , panicked.
Wade's teacher was suprised to see him. She said that their Da had come to pick Wade up , saying it was an emergency.
That was Slade's first and only warning that something was wrong.
He turned around and sprinted back home , ignoring the concerned teacher behind him.
As he ran , his mind whirled. Up until this moment he had doubted his Da even knew were Wade's school was. Da had never been particularly intetested in Wade before , only seeing him as a burden.
So why the hell did he come to collect him from school???
It just wasn't adding up. It felt like someone had disconnected the wires in his brain.
He opened the door to his house with such ferocity that it's a miracle it didn't shatter.
His Da was hunched over the table.He hadn't looked up despite Slade's dramatic enterance.
There was a stack of cash was in front of him , along with many bottles of beer.
Wade was nowhere in sight.
"Where is my brother," is the only thing that Slade could say.
His Da looks up from the table. He actually has the audacity to smile at his eldest son , whilst his other one is missing.
"He's with his new owners. Brat's finally pulled his weight and much more," says his Da as his eyes greedily drop back to pile of cash .
Slade may have dropped out of school but he was a smart kid. He could connect the dots.
The startling amount of money.
His brother's unexplained abscence.
Owners.
His Da had sold Wade.
His Da had sold his brother.
His Da had given Wade , the most innocent child that ever lived , to only God knows who???
What if they hurt him? What if they killed him?
Wade was probably terrified without him.
Slade had to fix this and he had to do it fast.
"Who did you sell him to?" he asks , voice trembling. With fear or rage , only God knows.
His Da looks up to squint at him.
"Why do you wanna know," he asks with suspicion.
"Just want to know who Wade's going to be spending the rest of his life with," says Slade , slightly hysterical.
His Da grunts.
"A bunch of whackjob scientists came round , looking for a guineu pig for one of their 'experiments'. It's too late now to be any of your concern. Now be a good lad and get me some cold beer," his Da says , gesturing at the fridge.
Slade is frozen.
Their going to experiment on his brother.
He generally doesn't have time to watch movies , but he's watched enough to know that human experimentation never ends well.
Oh God. He's got to do something!
He can't volunteer to take Wade's place. What if he dies and thus leaving his little brother all alone.
Maybe he can buy Wade back. His savings aren't nearly enough , but what if he gave them his savings plus the original cash they paid?
He looks down at the small fortune lying on their kithen table.
With some luck (and some slight conning) , that might just work. But how to get it past his Da though?
"Didn't you hear me lad?Get me a cold beer!" his Da snarls at him.
It suddenly occurs to Slade that fate has given him a perfect oppurtunity.
The question is , dare he risk it?
"Now , lad!!" comes his Da's shout.
For Wade he would risk his entire world , which is exactly what he's about to do.
He goes to the fridge and opens the door but he doesn't take one of the beers in the front.
No, he reaches right in the back and pulls out a bottle , identical to all the others in appearance. Only , Slade knows the deadly secret inside.
He tosses it to his Da and the he runs to his and Wade's shared bedroom.
He starts packing.
He doesn't rush. He takes his time. After all he can only leave when his Da either falls unconcious or croaks.
He's not exactly sure how long the poison will take.
He had made the fake bottle after his Da had hit Wade so severly he lost a tooth.
Slade had bern angry but more importantly he had been scared.
He had poured rat poison and many other chemicals that were labeled 'do not consume' into an empty beer bottle and then expertedly sealed it up.
He had kept in the fridge , hoping that he would never have to use it. Unfortunately , hope can easily be crushed.
Thirty minutes later he walked out of his room. He carefully did not look at where his Da sat , eyes vacant and mouth foaming.
He tucked all the cash into a duffel bag.
Slade Wilson walked out of his childhood home , jaw set , shoulders hunched and with two duffel bags.
He did not look back as he left town. Not even once.
He instead looked forward and only forward.
He had a good idea where Wade was.
There was only a few places in these parts where you could do anything 'sciencey'.
He was headed to the closest one.
He was going to get Wade back.
No matter what the cost.