mtl008 Chapter 4565 The Day of Brightest Day (24)
Chapter 4565 The Day of Brightest Day (24)
Chapter 4565 The Day of Brightest Light (Twenty-Four)
Schiller didn't want to ask who he was calling or what he wanted to say, because Deathstroke didn't intend for him to respond. He had already made his decision and started fiddling with the satellite phone, trying to contact his family.
"So, it wasn't enough for you to face both of me at once; you also had to drag your son into it," Schiller said, turning his head away. "To maneuver between two armed factions and complete this plan in the capital of a country under martial law. Is he really your son?"
"I didn't say it had to be this way."
“Your actions have betrayed you,” Schiller said. “You’re just too eager. You’re used to treating young people as your adversaries and enjoying the confrontation with them. That’s why you’ll never be a successful father like Batman.”
“A successful father?!” Deathstroke said as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. “He’s lost his birds more than once. They’ve suffered terribly because of him.”
“But they have a solid, unbreakable relationship that you will never have. Not even with your own son.”
This struck a nerve, actually hitting the nail on the head, so hard that he fell silent. Schiller didn't mean to shut him up this way, but the truth is always hard to hear, and no matter how it's said, it can never be very tactful.
When discussing the differences between Deathstroke and Batman, many people talk about their fighting abilities, trying to compare who is the more cunning tactician. Of course, morality must also be mentioned: one kills for money, the other would never kill. Who is more genuine and who is more noble remains an eternal topic.
Robin, caught in the middle and having connections with all of them, is always seen as strong evidence for a particular argument. Compared to their complex entanglements with Batman, Deathstroke's relationship with them is much simpler; he's merely an adversary.
But in reality, the difference between them and Robin is the easiest way to see their distinction. Batman is good at building long-term relationships, while Deathstroke is not.
No matter how taciturn Batman may be, and how socially awkward he may seem, all the relationships he builds are long-term: with Robin, with the Justice League, and even with the Joker.
In Batman's life, there aren't many fleeting glimpses of people. He's very good at keeping people around, maintaining a stable relationship with them that's neither too close nor too distant, but always connected. Whether it's love or hate, he almost never changes partners.
Deathstroke, however, was different. He started a family early, but rarely stayed with it. He had children, more than one, sometimes as many as three. But they all left one after another, never looking back.
He rarely has long-term enemies. Although he often beats up Teen Titans, it's only because they're special and therefore more memorable. In reality, most of his enemies are those from tedious, boring missions—meeting, dying, and with almost no chance of meeting again.
Few people discuss this difference, and even fewer realize that Batman excels at building long-term relationships, unlike his contemporaries or those with similar backgrounds. Ultimately, it's not a matter of preference, but simply a matter of "ability" and "inability."
Not everyone has the ability to build stable, long-term relationships. And some long-term relationships that they think are stable enough are actually "impossible to break free from," or "not worth the effort to break free from," rather than truly healthy relationships.
No one is born with the natural talent for this, because human genes are filled with hormones that drive fleeting pleasure—the animalistic instinct required for mating. And in the era when this instinct arose, humans were not yet the dominant species; the faster and more efficient the process, the better. This makes establishing a long-term, near-partner relationship counterintuitive.
This requires more skill. Skills need to be learned and honed. Batman's approach of seeking out assistants is the correct way to enter into long-term relationships because he actively seeks them out. Deathstroke and Joseph's relationship is different. Although they are related by blood, what you are at birth is what you are; Deathstroke had no choice.
This proves that the primary condition for building a healthy long-term relationship is selection, not cultivation. Actively seeking out a suitable partner is far more effective for long-term relationships than ignoring the other person, taking a gamble, and then trying to change their mind.
Then comes the "self-centered" mindset: demonstrating your strength, charisma, and abilities to the other party is more important than demanding that they do the same. Batman doesn't hide anything from his Robins. Who he is, what he does, and what abilities he possesses are all perfectly clear to them.
Deathstroke, however, didn't tell his son any of this. Instead, he wanted his son to demonstrate certain abilities, such as the ability to handle danger and accept a life of wandering. He made this a condition. If the other party failed to do so, he would never reveal a single thing about himself. It sounds like he was thinking of the other party's safety, but in reality, he wanted to make a deal.
People will eventually realize that relationships that require you to suppress and hide your true self to maintain a superficial peace can never last. They are more like a kind of poison, making you suffer painfully but not bringing you the emotional comfort you want.
Last but not least, in long-term relationships, evil far triumphs over vulgarity. Batman is often criticized for being too controlling, too cold in his expression, or too mystical. But these very flaws are precisely the anchors in the strong relationships he has, because criticism and complaints are better than silence.
Deathstroke and his son had almost nothing in common. Their daily lives revolved solely around family, not around ideals, beliefs, or good versus evil. The former might seem acceptable, but it wasn't.
Many seemingly trivial matters discussed in daily life are actually clashes of philosophies. Some people spend money lavishly because their philosophy is to enjoy the present; others are overly frugal because they feel responsible for the future. These are not mundane, ordinary conversations. The truly ineffective family communication is precisely when "parents play the role of parents, and sons play the role of sons."
They lost all social identity, stopped discussing career and studies, and did not truly express their own ideas. All they did every day was repeat, "I am your parent, so you should do this" and "I am your child, so you should do this."
What truly makes a family stable and healthy never lies outside the family itself. The personality shaped by society, the philosophies that give rise to that personality, and the paths chosen based on those philosophies are all crucial. Those trapped in their family identity will never achieve a healthy family.
Batman is Batman in his family, and Robin is Robin in his family. So, while members come and go, the Bat-family remains stable. Deathstroke is the father in his family and demands that Joseph only be a son, which nearly destroys their relationship.
Schiller's advice to him was the shortest path to reverse this situation—to return to your family as a death knell.
You can lie, you can hide, you can even meticulously plan and stage an exaggerated performance. But you must break free from the role of father and allow your son to be not just a child, but an explorer and investigator, an observer and audience member, and even a judge.
However, the Schiller who just left chose to obscure the truth with fabricated theories; while the Schiller who remains doesn't like to dissect deep emotional logic. This makes it all sound utterly absurd.
And because Deathstroke hadn't left a good impression on Schiller, his rare, direct hints of the truth were treated like a personal attack. Deathstroke, hurt by the revelation, didn't ponder its deeper meaning. Schiller, too lazy to speak, also remained silent.
They quickly got busy again, because the Red Sea was now teeming with all sorts of strange and unpredictable vessels. They encountered several patrol ships; some they could fool, others they couldn't. They even changed ships twice before finally managing to reach the north.
They were not far from Cairo, and both of them were exhausted. Even the cyborg Deathstroke was physically and mentally exhausted, not to mention Schiller's still-unrecovered hearing and throbbing shoulder blades.
Once they entered Cairo, they both felt they needed a good rest. It was obvious that another fierce battle was yet to come. And considering Deathstroke's desire to stage his family drama, things could become even more complicated.
The good news is that the turmoil in Hegada hasn't spread to Cairo yet, and Cairo hasn't become even more chaotic. The bad news is that Cairo was already chaotic enough.
Parisians call it Little Rome, and Romans call it Little Cairo. These three cities are the three main hubs for thieves. Old Europe is more business-oriented, and Gypsies have a high racial advantage; Africa is more athletic, and targeting children makes it easier to succeed.
Although they hadn't come from an airport or train station, they looked far too much like out-of-towners. They hadn't walked far before they were surrounded by children demanding US dollars. These kids were truly desperate for money. Even Deathstroke was somewhat exasperated; he was already dressed like this, yet people still came up to him asking for money.
What angered him even more was that Schiller, who seemed more normal and easier to talk to, was all alone. Deathstroke turned around and saw Schiller, who had taken off his glasses, looking in his direction.
"Damn it," Deathstroke cursed inwardly, "no wonder they're all coming for me."
The children, like cubs with sharper intuition, reacted more strongly to Schiller's gaze. Adults, on the other hand, might have felt a chill run down their spines and scattered like birds, none daring to approach. They'd rather rob Deathstroke than witness Schiller's eccentricity.
Deathstroke, of course, ignored them, knowing that giving them money would only attract more people. He was big enough to easily push the children aside.
He was about to leave when Schiller stopped him and said, "If you really intend to act according to my script, you'd better start getting into character now. How do you convince your son that you are a powerful mercenary forced into a corner but still with a conscience? The answer lies in these details."
So Deathstroke lost $3000. He really should have brought some change. Before long, his reputation as "the sucker in armor" would be known throughout Egypt.