As she spoke, he tried to take deep, calming breaths. It would be so easy to kill her now, before the time was right, and he couldn't allow that to happen. But when she mentioned Shado, it was like something had snapped inside of him. His hand caught her other cheek just as hard as he had the first time, but this time, the single blow didn't seem like nearly punishment enough for what she had done. In one swift, fluid motion, he drew a dagger from his belt and held it out just long enough to see it before he went to work.<br/><br/>The blade drifted across her stomach slowly, just beneath her shirt. As Slade reasoned, the flash of red would make the moment all the more dramatic when Oliver arrived. He worked the knife with precision, causing a wound that would hurt, but not do any significant damage. The last thing he wanted was for her to bleed out when the moment became too much. Oliver's final fate wouldn't be rushed.<br/><br/>There was a faint chime in the distance that distracted Slade before he could strike again. "That's the proximity alarm I had installed after Queen abandoned this place. Your knight in shining armor seems to have taken the bait. Let's see if he likes the decorating I've been doing to your skin." Slade had never really found pleasure in pain before, but the idea of making Oliver watch her bleed had a certain appeal to it. It wouldn't bring Shado back, but it would certainly avenge her.