The sight of his child still having her heart, battered and bruised as it must have been, was a complicated thing for Slade. It was a good thing, it meant she was strong, that even with all the darkness that her life had faced she hadn’t broken, hadn’t lost that indelible spark that made one human. But it was also a painful thing. Because he knew that she would one day leave. Either due to her own exhaustion at killing, or because the otherside better fit her own sense of morals.

It hurt, and he mourned her leaving already. Because Slade knew that he was a bit too far gone to ever really leave behind the life of a mercenary. He cared too little about too much, and enjoyed the thrill more than was safe, to be able to anything else. She was family however, so he accepted it, as he had made the mistake of trying to force his son to be someone he wasn’t. And Slade wasn’t a man who didn’t learn from his mistakes.

But he shuffled all of that to the back of his mind and instead focused on the problem of here and now.

“Sensei works.” Slade would say with a nod, his mind gearing up to formulate ideas. “It wasn’t a deep secret that your mother and I were on good terms with each other. Her setting up a contract with me to take care of you in case something happened wouldn’t be too abnormal.” He would offer up as a cover they could use. It also had the benefit of only two people knowing the truth of the matter being the two of them.

“We wouldn’t even have to change much about our history for it to fit. Covers ‘Uncle’ as well in case you slip up. Habits from other schools where we kept things more hidden” Because it would eventually get out. Better to prepare for it than hope otherwise.

As he was working out if they would need to cover any other immediate topics. A thought occurred to him. Holding that thought in mind he would stand up and check in his new bedroom for a moment, and it seemed luck was on his side. 

Earlier, when he was still working on getting everything squared away with the school, he had passed off a couple of his own bags to the staff to drop off in his room. For the most part there wasn’t anything of significant worth in the bags. Clothes mainly. His gear was still stashed in the car, he didn’t trust anyone that much.

But there was something hidden in these bags that had just become relevant. Tucked away in a disguised pocket Slade retrieved a small jewelry case. Before returning to Jinny with it.

“There has been something I’ve been holding onto for a while. Something that I always intended to give to you, but now can also serve to help protect our secrets as well.” He would say as he handed the box to Jinny. Upon opening the box Jinny would find the very same necklace that Slade had taken from her mother so long ago.

“People are going to assume you have secrets. Because you do, this can be one.” Because Slade was never one to shy away from an advantage. “It was your mothers. I don’t know where she got it, or if it held great importance to her, but she did often wear it.” He’d explain. “So when people go digging, hide it. When they get near it, protect it. And if they earn the right to know more, tell them about it. About those that came for her.”

“People rarely go looking for more secrets once they’ve found one that seems important.” And perhaps the necklace would truly be important to Jinny. It was a link to her mother after all, but for all of Slade’s care for his family, he was still a shrewd man as well.