Relationships @ lastvoyages (under construction)
Canon Relationships (DC)
The convenient, if obnoxious ally.
Slade gets along fairly well with Eddie mostly, but there are times his arrogance and conceit get on Slade's last nerve. Luckily, this doesn't happen very often since Slade is pretty laid back, in general. It's only when Eddie starts touching on his core issues (with alarming accuracy, in fact) that Slade starts to get uncomfortable.
He's well aware that the man isn't quite sane (who from Gotham is?) and that he's slipping back into bad habits, but for now, he'll enjoy the perks of "being friends" with a morally questionable Warden.
Edward Nygma | RIDDLER
Alterna-Straw-Boy.
Crane is a source of amusement for Slade more often than not. He enjoys asking the tough questions and making the other man uncomfortable, hence the "Batman" game, which went on for a while. Nowadays, he just tends to watch the man, though, trolling him whenever it seems appropriate.
Jonathan Crane | SCARECROW
Batkid 1.0 AKA The Would-Be Nemesis.
Of all the DC people on the Barge, Dick Grayson is most certainly the one that Slade has interacted the most with as they have shared a long and convoluted history together. However, he is also the one person that genuinely pisses Slade off simply by existing. This is not necessarily because Dick essentially turned his daughter away from him (that in itself is a highly complicated mess) during the Infinite Crisis story line (though it is part of it); it's rather because, even more so than Tim Drake, Dick reminds him of everything he hates about the superhero community and, most particularly, the politics that govern it.
This is because, though they were indeed enemies at the start, there was a brief period where Slade could and did side with the good guys. However, with the deaths of friends and family alike and the advent of the Identity and Infinite Crisis, Slade has found himself increasingly forced to play a roll he never meant to find himself in -- that of the Big Bad, a morally bankrupt supervillain when, in reality, he's only ever identified himself as a mercenary. He hates the fact that he's been caught in the middle of superhero/villain politics, and though he blames himself for plenty of the shit that's happened, he also blames the Teen Titans for dragging him into the cape and cowl world.
It's for that reason and more that Dick Grayson (sometime leader of the Titans) has become the focal point of all his frustration and anger towards the superhero community in general. They know each other well, better than Slade would like even, and even though he isn't proud of what he's done, he'll never admit it or apologize to Dick for the simple fact that he can't afford to break out of Deathstroke persona he's worked so hard to maintain.
Dick Grayson | NIGHTWING
Batkid 3.0 AKA mini!Bruce-in-training.
Tim annoys him. Though they never interacted much in canon, Tim reminds Slade of everything he dislikes about the superhero community. The self-righteous attitude and the imposition of a type of morality he neither subscribes to nor believes in has always rubbed him the wrong way, but it's only in recent years that he's actually become bitter about it. Thus, since Tim is the only real superhero present from their world, he essentially embodies everything Slade has come to hate. Time and experience on the Barge has blunted some (but not all) of the antagonism as they've slowly reached a kind of understanding. Even so, Slade has no intention of Tim a chance to fully understand him (which he doubts the kid wants, anyway).
Despite that, he does respect Tim's capabilities and dedication, though he'll never say it to his face.
Timothy Drake Wayne | RED ROBIN
Daddy Bats AKA King of Robins.
Curiously enough, Slade's thoughts on Bruce are actually somewhat ambivalent most of the time. On the one hand, Slade thinks Bruce is impractical and even stupid about certain things. Gotham is a hellhole, corrupt from its sewers to its spires, and for all that Bruce sacrifices on Gotham's behalf, it doesn't seem to help so much as make things worse so he doesn't really understand why the man even tries.
Except he does.
Though they've rarely interacted, Slade gets Bruce; he knows why he does what he does, even though he doesn't necessarily agree or care to do those kinds of things himself. He's dedicated, and in the time he's known him, Bruce hasn't changed. Slade can respect that, as well as the man's capabilities.
Does that mean he likes him? No, not really. He is, however, easier to deal with than Dick or Tim simply because he approaches things from a less emotional, more utilitarian standpoint. It's why Slade went out of his way to contact Bruce during the nanomites fiasco; he knows the man is capable and less likely to allow past crimes to interfere when practicality is needed. Slade also trusts Bruce to some extent -- not personally, but rather to behave in a certain manner.
It also helps (maybe just a little) that Bruce seems to get him, too. Other people ask why; Bruce just seems to know, and he hasn't forgotten when Bruce called him on his bullshit during Infinite Crisis. He still thinks on it from time to time, though never enough to act on it.
Bruce Wayne | BATMAN
The Failure AKA the Trolltastic Bat!son.
Slade doesn't really care about Jason one way or another. They never really met in canon, and as far as Slade's concerned, Jason is Batman's problem to deal with, not his. Still, his antics do amuse from time to time (such as the mafia game) which is a point in his favor.
Jason Todd | RED HOOD
Drake's friend.
He is not sure what to make of her, actually. In general, he doesn't give her much thought, and he honestly doesn't understand why she seems to care about his well-being so much. They're not friends (to his mind, anyway), and his background with her heroing buddies has been poor so it strike him as very illogical.
Who knows if that will change.
Cissie King-Jones | ARROWETTE
Drake's friend 2.0.
Another one he is aware of, but doesn't pay much attention to.
Stephanie Brown | BATGIRL
Everyone Else
The ex-Warden AKA the Quintessential Clone.
Jason is, basically, exactly like Slade in every way. The stoic tendencies, the ex-military background, the badass assassin thing, and the loss of loved ones all make Slade feel as though he's looking into a mirror -- granted, Jason is a lot younger and hasn't been through as much crap, but if he lives long enough, Slade figures it will probably come.
Things are different now, of course. Jason is no longer his warden, and that makes things a little awkward to say the least. Strangely, Slade doesn't actually hold it against him. There is that perceived failure to help him on Jason's part, but maybe, Slade reasons, it's for the best. They're too alike, but maybe now, with the strain of Warden-Inmate status gone, they can be easy-going around each other instead.
Jason Bourne
Emo Kid with Shiny Powers.
Sylar is, in a word, obnoxious. From day one, Slade felt as though the other Inmate was trying to manipulate him into some kind of corner and uncover secrets he had no right to. That Sylar has no real conception of personal boundaries has been a source of constant annoyance and frustration -- or at least it was, while they were talking.
From the little Slade has picked up on Sylar's past, he understands why the man is the way he is -- insecure and unwilling to form any kind of real attachments. On some level, he even sympathizes with it since he has the same problem. However, he just doesn't have the patience to deal with a personality as needy as Sylar's, which is why he has no regrets about the other man severing ties.
Sylar
Sexy Goddess of the Stars.
Even after the Aztec invasion where Slade ended up being sacrificed to appease her brothers, Slade really likes Coyolxauhqui. Given the hell he went through with his own ex-wife, he almost expects any relationships he forms to blow up in some way, and that incident was no different. He forgave her pretty quickly for that, and not just because she fits the "badass lady" type he has going on. She gets him, and that's a rare and valuable thing.
As such, he cares about her, though he is very careful not to let it develop past that point. Fun, respite, and pleasure is all he really expects, and that's good enough for him.
He would miss her, though, if she ever left.
Coyolxauhqui
Military Sparring Buddy.
Slade's first encounter with General Chang was a sparring match, and since then, they've done so on a few other occasions. He respects the Klingon, as well as his skill and military background, but it wasn't until the General advised his younger self during a flood that he realized the feeling was mutual. It helps, of course, that they're essentially braintwins; neither of them want to graduate for much the same reasons. He's found a kindred spirit in the General, he feels, and that means a lot.
General Chang
Warden #3.
The pairing is new so he's not quite sure what to make of her, yet. That she's isn't intimidated by him is a point in her favor, but given he knows next to nothing about her, he's not inclined to set the bar on a standard of behavior.
T'Pol
Jackass of Snakes, Science, and Tech.
Before the nanomites takeover, Rex was just another inmate to Slade. Noisy, sometimes whiny, but the collaboration on the super soldier serum put him in the "useful allies" category for a while. Unfortunately, Rex then felt the need to shoot him full of nanotech. This backfired, of course, as Slade's already messed up body chemistry allowed him to resist the mind-controlling aspect of it, and Slade nearly killed Rex for it in a fit of rage.
Now, he's mostly over it and has resolved to ignore Rex as opposed to seeking vengeance. He will, however, do much worse than what happened in the engine room if Rex ever pulls a stunt like that again.
Rex Lewis | COBRA COMMANDER
The Mad Dog.
From Day One, it's been pretty clear that Hoffman is quite a bit less than sane. That his crazy reminds Slade a little of Terra probably isn't a good sign, but he offered to help him, anyway. He doesn't expect too much of the association, but he does plan on teaching Hoffman discipline and how to put a leash on the beast.
Mark Hoffman
Those Who Left
Alterna-Not!Bruce AKA He-Who-Never-Removes-His-Cowl.
Slade actually kind of likes Owlman, though really, it's more of an appreciation for his capabilities and intelligence than anything else. It helps that Thomas is basically Batman-gone-bad since Slade and Bruce are similar character types, just with different morals.
Of course, there are a few things he finds "off" (read: ridiculous) about his fellow Inmate. Namely, the whole "nothing really matters" hang-up (which he finds silly) and the refusal to take off the cowl. The latter he understands more than the former, but for the most part, he thinks Owlman takes himself way too seriously and needs to lighten up.
Thomas Wayne, Jr. | OWLMAN
He's a fake.
Or at least, that was Slade's initial impression. After interacting with him, though, and seeing him in action, the similarities between the Joker he knows and this "other" became more readily apparent. With that realization came a certain measure of wariness, but not much else.
JOKER
The Shark Guy.
'nuff said.
Warren White