"Of course, it's for you, you fool," Joseph looked at him and said, "You've completely ruined my graduation trip."
Deathstroke opened his mouth, not even knowing what to say, let alone where this was coming from. Shiller, however, remained calm, as if he had already guessed it.
"Stay away from him," Joseph said, "Or I'll ruin it."
Shiller gracefully stepped back a few steps, and Deathstroke glanced back at him. Shiller shrugged somewhat helplessly and said, "Obviously, your son has chosen a stronger and more effective way to declare his warning to me—stay away from you, otherwise he'll ruin my mission objective."
"My God, Joseph!" Deathstroke turned back to look at his son, "What are you doing?!"
"Come with me," Joseph said, then he turned to Shiller and said, "The two of us leave, and the mural will be yours. Otherwise, I won't let you have it."
"Don't be impulsive, boy," Shiller said, looking at him, "I never intended to harm your father. We are partners."
Joseph furrowed his brow, showing some confusion, and said, "How did you..."
"What happened?"
"You don't look that dangerous anymore. But that may be a disguise, too, I'm not changing my mind. If you can't let us leave, you don't get this thing."
"If you don't mind me asking, how do you plan to ruin it?"
"There's no need to ruin it, just ensure you don't get it. You know my abilities. You can't transport it back to America complete, with everyone against you."
Meanwhile, as the two spoke, Deathstroke's brain finally started to work. He remembered what Shiller had once told him.
"Your kids won't choose you, they'll stand on the side of the rules and use them against you—if you hadn't come here, hadn't met me, that's how it would be."
Deathstroke looked at Joseph again, enlightened. He finally understood what Shiller had done—he made Joseph stand by him, unconditionally, without reservation.
Deathstroke practically wanted to hold his head. Is this right?
His rationality was telling him it was right. The kids wouldn't choose to stand by him because they didn't want to go into the jungle or let Deathstroke disrupt their safe home.
But that didn't mean they would just watch their father be devoured by a Godzilla in the jungle.
Deathstroke's kids weren't completely indifferent to him. Rather, they had the most basic humanity. Even strangers in danger wouldn't be ignored. While sometimes they might use small tactics, they weren't cold-blooded.
Otherwise, Joseph could have easily orchestrated some chaos on the plane to secure a landing slot. It would have been an easier and less tiring method. But he didn't do that, proving he still had basic conscience.
The same goes now. If Deathstroke really plans to return home as Deathstroke, letting all the neighbors know his father is a killer, or outright committing some crimes, breaking their peaceful lives, Joseph would decisively take him on.
But now, Deathstroke is with something incredibly terrifying, seemingly on the brink of being devoured, or already devoured. What Joseph should consider is how to pry open Godzilla's throat to get his father spit out.
Admittedly, this tactic works very well. Joseph is practically eager to stand together with Deathstroke. Deathstroke also has to admit, he enjoys this feeling. His son is striving to stand up to protect him, despite appearing very much like a behind-the-scenes manipulator—though, to be fair, he truly is.
Deathstroke has to start pondering how Joseph managed this. It's not easy. Considering his ability to easily read people's thoughts, as well as spiritual control, it's not too surprising he pulled it off.
First, he controlled Lady Siwa, leaving Hayven without support. Then spiritually controlled him to open the safe house and removed the mural. Next, he orchestrated a heist of Hesingnag, confined in the museum's basement, finally using Hesingnag to transport the mural to the Tutankhamun exhibition in the museum.
To be honest, if Joseph hadn't disrespected Mysterious Power enough and researched the mural, causing a leak of Strength, and if the Justice League hadn't provided technical support, they might not have found it so effortlessly.
Deathstroke's focus, however, was peculiar. He looked at Joseph and asked, "You went to the Red Light District? Joseph, you'd better not have been engaging in prostitution. I warn you, it's illegal and very unhealthy..."
The arguing Shiller and Joseph both halted. The vast museum was silent enough to hear a pin drop. Shiller sighed and said, "Shouldn't you ask how he found Lady Siwa?"
"Wasn't it due to his companions' interest in the Red Light District, deciding to take a venture there and coincidentally bumping into her?" Deathstroke voiced his speculation, "Of course, I understand, teenage boys are always interested in this sort of thing, breaking the rules feels thrilling, I felt the same when I was young..."
"Slade Wilson!" Joseph roared, "You went to prostitutes when you were young, I'll tell mom!!!"
"I didn't!!" Deathstroke exclaimed, "Those who wanted to sleep with me could fill the entire Mississippi River, why would I..."
"So you really stuffed them into the Mississippi River?" Shiller was only interested in that.
The three of them quarreled individually but somehow managed to respond to each other's lines. Ultimately, Shiller couldn't tolerate their family ethics drama anymore.
"Enough!" he shouted, "Feel free to take him away, I don't need him anymore! Just give me the mural!"
"Hey, you can't just abandon me!" Deathstroke shouted after, then turned to Joseph and said, "Your dad isn't a Crystal Ball displayed in a showcase, ready to shatter with a touch. You can't interfere with my friendships, it's simply reversing the heavenly order..."
"You believe he can be your friend because you can't see his true nature, but I can!" Joseph roared, "It's for your own good!"
"This should be me telling you, I'm your father!"
"You hardly seem like one!"
"Well, I am!"
Seeing them argue over this again, Shiller had enough. He pulled out a Revolver and fired, "Bang!" A shot like that, Joseph was taken aback, and his brain buzzed. Seizing the opportunity, Shiller tried to pin him down.
Seeing Shiller attack his son, despite knowing he just aimed to subdue him, Deathstroke instinctively rushed over to push Shiller away. Shiller grabbed hold of his arm, attempting to slam him to the ground, but Deathstroke refused to go down, and the two wrestled each other.
During the struggle, Deathstroke accidentally crashed into the mural behind them. It fell over with a roar, kicking up a cloud of dust on the ground, while its glow intensified ever more.
Suddenly, the sky outside became dazzlingly bright. Shiller and Deathstroke turned to look in that direction to see a brilliant meteor streaking across the sky, descending toward the southwest.