DC Next presents:
Issue Sixty-Six: The End of the Road
Arc: The Road Back
Written by Deadislandman1
Edited by AdamantAce
Dante Ramon had finally started to nod off despite all his efforts a loud crash roused him from his stupor. He grunted in surprise, bloodshot eyes wide as a doe in the headlights, and forced himself to turn his body towards the source of the sound. He was still in the bed of the Suicide Squad’s truck, still parked in their forward operating base. The rest of the squad had gone to take over the Belle Boys Radio Station across the street, an act done with one singular purpose:
Leak Amanda Waller and Task Force X’s secrets to the world. Such an act would result in the destruction of the agency, and hopefully Waller along with it. Each member of the Squad understood that they may be signing their own death sentences with this act, that the world would still hound and chase them across its vast forests and deserts and oceans, but it didn’t matter. Things could not remain as they had before.
Another crash rocked the warehouse, and Dante yelped in surprise as the force of the impact rolled him straight out of the truck and onto the ground. He had utilized his powers of polarity to rupture an entire mountain, bringing the whole thing down on Waller’s new androids, but the effort had taken a lot out of him. He had been unconscious for days, and had only just recently awoken. His chest heaved and ached, and he clutched it tight as he writhed around on the ground. Looking up and out of a window, his eyes fell upon the radio station, though its front facing walls had been devastated by some kind of force, an object moving at great speeds.
A spark of brilliant orange light drew Dante’s gaze upward, and he watched as one of Waller’s androids brawled with Adella, someone who had saved his life time and time again after almost ending it.
“Oh god,” Dante remarked, staring in horror at the battle. “Oh no.”
Amanda Waller had found them.
Croc let out a yowl of pain as he crashed through yet another wall, kicking up dust and sending shattered chunks of brick everywhere. He tumbled across a hall, slamming into a message board and cracking it apart under his weight, sending paper fliers and pieces of wood up into the air. Coughing, Croc took a moment to get his bearings, hoping to get his sense of balance back before his opponent came for him yet again. An ache rippled throughout his body, traveling up and down his arms and legs like a series of unbearably itchy hives. He had the sense that the adrenaline was dulling at least a little bit of pain, but once that died down he’d be in agony.
But, what was new? He’d been in agony for weeks after falling under a crashing plane back in Russia.
A pair of big feet thumped their way towards the hole in the wall, and Croc looked up to see the massive form of Ethan Avery, better known as Damage. He was less of a person, and more a bundle of rippling muscles, all bursting that the seams with such power that his skin cracked and hardened like calluses just to keep them contained. He towered at least two feet over Croc, no small feat given Croc clocked in at about 8 feet himself. Forcing himself to his feet, Croc stared directly into the ocean of red that was Damage’s eyes. He was still under Waller’s control, his mind and agency stripped from him by a chip at the base of his neck.
He was well rested, while Croc had only managed to find respite in the small gaps between the avalanche of crises the Suicide Squad had endured. Croc’s flesh was hard, his body was tough, but not invincible. He was still draped in gauze and bandages, his body patched up like a leaky pipe. His scales were still cracked or in some spots had flaked off entirely. Even in his prime, this would be a losing battle, but as is it felt like a protracted execution.
Damage glowered over him, and Croc braced for another punch, only for his adversary to brush past him, marching down the hall with an extreme intentionality. Croc forced himself to his feet, glaring at his opponent. What had happened, what had changed? Why was he being spared?
Croc looked down the hall, past Damage, and everything came together. Flag, Tatsu, and Hallucigent were down that hall, hunkered down in the recording booth to deliver the news of Waller’s crimes. Damage wasn’t sent here to cause random havoc, he had a purpose: Assassinate Flag and stop the broadcast.
Emboldened, Croc broke out into a sprint, catching up to Damage in only a few strides. He crashed into his opponent from the back, wrapping his arms around his waist in an attempt to keep him locked down. Instead, Damage twisted around, raised his arms into the air, then brought them down on Croc. There was a distinct popping in Croc’s back and he was slammed into the floor, cracking the tiles and causing this entire level of the building to shake. So close to the ground, Croc could hear the support structure between floors bending and cracking, on the verge of collapse. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at Damage, who prepared to turn away from him once again.
“Oh, no. If you wanna play rough, then we’re playing rough!” Croc growled.
If he was to accomplish one thing today, it would be to prevent Damage from destroying the Squad’s plans. Raising his fists, he slammed them into the fractured ground, and the entire thing splintered and whined before eventually caving in, causing him and Damage to fall downward alongside the falling debris and concrete.
Tatsu brought her sword low, keeping it at the right angle before thrusting upward, hoping to skewer the android where it stood. Instead, the android moved with the blade, keeping just out of reach before bringing its food downward towards her head. Tatsu twirled the blade, bringing it up as well to block the attack, but the force of the kick still rattled her body, the power of the attack traveling all the way down to her feet and causing her to slide back a meter or two. Raptor, waiting in the wings, lunged for the android and slashed at its back, only to cut through a thin layer of flesh that hid four inches of solid material. The android whirled around, looking to clock Raptor with a sideways swing, only for the vigilante to jump back just in time.
The two of them had managed to corner this android before it could accomplish its task, which Tatsu assumed to be a mission to locate and destroy the server room before Waller’s private information could be leaked. There were more adversaries than this attacking the radio station, but they had to leave those opponents to others. This was their quarry, and they had to do their best to keep it from reaching its destination. At present, the three of them were fighting in a hallway, keeping the android occupied, but in many ways it was a losing battle. They had been unable to seriously harm the android, and they were only able to try and redirect it rather than trap it.
But the trick was wearing thin, and the android, for as little agency as a walking reconstructed corpse could possess, knew that. Raptor leapt at the android, hoping to score a big hit against its head, but instead the android dove under him, avoiding the attack and bypassing him as a barrier. Cursing under his breath, Raptor gave chase, with Tatsu close behind him as the two raced to catch up with the android, who was already halfway down the hall. Curiously, it was electing to run rather than fly, likely because flying would’ve taken more effort to maneuver in these small spaces than using its legs.
Spotting a door leading to a set of stairs, the android burst through, then peered down towards the ground floor. Raptor raced for it, Suyolak bared, and lunged for the android, only for his target to step to the side. Raptor let out a grunt in surprise as he fell straight down the shaft, catching himself two floors down on an arm rail. Tatsu raced forward, sword primed, and thrusted at the android with Soultaker, careful not to put too much of her momentum into the effort and trusting the sharpness of the sword to do the work for her. The android, already straining itself to avoid falling like Raptor, could do nothing as she plunged her blade deep into its chest, sending them both careening over the side.
Bracing for impact, Tatsu and the android landed on the ground floor, cracking the concrete beneath the both of them. Tatsu gasped as the air was knocked from her lungs, rolling off of the android while clutching her sides. She had probably cracked a rib at the very least, but that wasn’t going to stop her. Taking a deep breath, she began to push herself to her feet, only to freeze up as the android began to do the same. Its movements were jerkier now, uneven, and a couple of sparks flew from its mouth. Despite that, it rose, its movements still strong. Despite the sword embedded in its front, it marched onward, batting Tatsu to the side before breaking through the door.
Raptor cursed again, leaping down to the ground floor and landing with a roll. He raced up to Tatsu, helping her to her feet, “The server’s just down the hall, hurry up!”
Tatsu didn’t bother replying. Instead, she took those words and used them to fuel her. She and Raptor raced after the android, catching up with it just as it began to knock down the double doors to the server room. Crashing into it together, the three of them tumbled through the doors and into the server room, landing in a tangled heap on the floor.
Adella let out another battle cry as she collided with the android, striking it in the head with a blazing hot punch. The android spun back, head under legs as it tumbled through the air. Adella had hoped that such an attack would knock it right out of the sky, but instead the android reoriented itself, keeping its flight and sense of direction before charging her once again. It crashed against her, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her downward. Heat radiated off of her body as she intensified her flames, but the android would not budge, even as the hot burning coals that made up her skin scorched its hands. She screamed as the android slammed her into the street, dragging her along and scraping at the molten rock on her back.
The people on the street cried out in surprise, rushing to avoid becoming collateral damage. Hallucigent had been working hard to maintain the illusion that there was a simple fire alarm, but brawling with an android outside was likely making that illusion infinitely harder to maintain. Still, this android hoped to destroy the radio station antenna, and that simply wouldn’t do. Adella wouldn’t let it ruin the Suicide Squad’s plans.
Grabbing the android again, Adella lifted off straight into the sky, hoping to take this thing as far away from the station as possible. For a few seconds, the android failed to get a good grip on her, allowing Adella to carry it at least a few dozen meters. It thrashed and writhed, but despite it all, she refused to let go. Her hands were locked together, ironclad like chains, inseparable. Unable to break her grip, the android instead grabbed her by the head, wrapping both hands around the upper half of her skull, and began to squeeze. Adella felt a horrible pressure on her temple, as if her brain was slowly losing connection to the rest of her body. She didn’t think this thing could crack her skull open, but her brain wouldn’t take very well to being squeezed. If she got put to sleep all the way up here, the antenna and the rest of the squad would be helpless.
She needed a different approach. Instead of remaining up in the air. Adella instead flipped upside down, taking the android with her as she began to dive back down towards the ground. She was losing focus now, her eyes were glazing over. Like a candle being snuffed out, Adella struggled to stay awake, but she had to crash somewhere, do as much damage to the Android as possible.
Then, without warning, she finally collided with something, a solid layer of concrete. She and the android crashed through before landing in a crater on a concrete floor. Adella coughed, clearing the dust from her throat as she looked around, only to realize that she had taken this thing just across the street from the Radio Station.
She was in an empty warehouse, empty except for one truck and one very bewildered Dante, who stared back at her in surprise.
“Shit,” Adella remarked. She hadn’t meant to put Dante in danger, “Dante I—”
Dante’s eyes widened, “Look out!”
Adella turned around, only for a foot to slam into her throat, forcing her back onto the ground. The android stared at her as it kept her on the floor, putting more and more pressure on her until her throat was forced shut. She choked, mouth agape, but she could suck in no air. The android made sure of that.
“Jesus Christ man, will you hurry up,” Hallucigent said, face slick with sweat. “Can’t keep this shit up for much longer?”
“The data’s not ready yet!” Flag shouted. “I can’t just start saying things without context!”
The colonel and his illusionist sat together in the technicians room, right next to the recording booth. Tatsu had locked the two of them inside, determined to do her best to repel the assault. This left Flag, frustratingly, as the person destined to tell the world what Waller had done, what he had done. That couldn’t be done until the data was ready, until the broadcast was ready, and Hack still had a few minutes left before that could happen. She’d been silent on the communications line for a while, but Flag chalked that up to need for focus rather than anything else. He wouldn’t consider an alternative, he didn’t want to consider the alternative.
Grimacing, Flag made his way into the recording booth, positioning himself in front of the microphone. He hated this, spending what might be the last moments of the Suicide Squad isolated from his teammates, locked in a box waiting for the execution of a plan that might never come to fruition. He had no power over this situation, not anymore. All he could do was trust in his squad.
A part of him feared that they would fail without his guidance, without his help, but another part of him felt strangely at peace. He knew them well, better in some ways than he’d known his own flesh and blood family. He trusted that when it came down to the wire, they would pull through.
But that feeling wouldn’t last, as his optimistic thoughts were interrupted by the screech of loudspeakers. They startled him, and as he looked around, he realized that there wasn’t just a loudspeaker in the technicians room, but also the halls outside owing to the fact that he could hear their audio from multiple sources. They were probably dotted across the station.
The voice that came from them shook him to his core.
“Hello, Colonel Flag,” Waller said, her voice crackling over the speaker. “Or rather, it’s just Mister Flag now, isn’t it?”
Croc groaned as he forced himself to his feet, shaking the rubble off his body. The hall was filled to the brim with dust, creating an artificial fog that covered every inch of the air. Dazed, he stood up, only to find himself dwarfed by the shadow of an even larger silhouette. Damage glared down at him, eyes burning with base intentionality that you’d rarely see in a human being. Everything about him screamed one thing:
You are a threat to be removed.
Croc grinned, “Got your attention now haven’t I?”
Damage surged forward, swinging in a wide arc to try and clothesline Croc, but Croc ducked under the attack. He wasn’t used to being the smaller adversary, but in this situation he had to use it to his advantage. He couldn’t afford to take hits from Damage, especially in his wounded state. Damage threw out more swings, more punches, at points making craters in the floor and knocking down entire walls, but Croc continued to duck and weave, skirting around Damage as well as someone as his size could. Every so often, he’d thrown in a slash or strike, though not with any intention to do any permanent damage. He couldn’t have Damage lose interest in him, he had to keep poking the bear.
Damage arched his back before charging at Croc, who promptly dove to the side, causing the massive creature to plough right through a wall and onto the street on the outside. Rushing to keep pace with him, Croc slapped him on the back of the head, a gesture Damage would surely find insulting if he still had the capacity to be insulted. Instead of responding to the attack through retaliation, Damage instead raised his fists high, fingers tight and knuckles white, his muscles practically bursting at the seams with power. Then, he brought them down, and the following impact ruptured the street up and and down the entire block. Chunks of asphalt snapped and cracked, sent up into the air in human sized chunks. The few civilians who had remained nearby went flying as well, knocked up into the air a couple feet before hitting the ground with hearty impacts. Croc himself found himself tossed into the air, but instead of landing, Damage thrusted his arm forward and caught Croc by the throat, squeezing tight.
Croc grunted in surprise at the gesture, and as Damage lowered Croc to his knees with one hand, he raised his other arm, priming a closed fist.
“I know I can’t hear you Flag, but truth be told, that doesn’t matter,” Waller said. “Nothing you have to say is worth hearing. It’s never been particularly smart to boot. I’m not missing much, but I did just wanted to leave this message for you, something to take with you once I make this place your grave.”
Hack yelped as Tatsu, Raptor, and the Android all tumbled into the server room. She grabbed her laptop, then scrambled behind one of the server rows, sweat running down her face as the Android tossed Raptor in the nearby wall. It raised its hand, reaching for one of the servers in hopes of tearing it down, only for Tatsu to slam her elbow against the hilt of her sword, anchoring it and the android against the ground. In response, the Android kicked Tatsu in the chest, sending her tumbling out into the hall.
The android clawed at its back, trying and failing to grab and dislodge the Soultaker sword. After a moment of futile effort, it instead rocked itself back and forth trying its best to cut itself free of the sword’s grip. Raptor leapt at the android again, jamming Suyolak in its back, only for the Android to force itself upward, slamming into his face with the back of its skull. Stumbling back, Raptor hit the wall again, then slid down to a seated position, unconscious. Digging into the ground, the Android crushed the flooring around Soultaker, freeing itself. It stood up straight, then began to march for the servers.
Roaring in defiance, Tatsu rushed the android, grabbing Soultaker by the hilt and using it as a lever to spin the android around, moving alongside the thing to stay at its back. Then, she pulled it out of the android and began to cut it. Her blows were not precise, nor pretty, but none of that mattered to her. She cut with speed and power, putting everything into her strikes while placing herself between the android and the servers.
The attacks did no permanent damage, and despite her efforts, the android drew closer and closer. She was putting every last ounce of energy left into this, but it was only delaying the inevitable. The seconds ticked by, each passing fraction of a moment spelling doom as the android approached.
Flag trembled with rage as Waller taunted him over the speakers, his fury trapped inside with nowhere to unleash it.
“You have to understand, people can’t be trusted to make their own choices most of the time. They need a guiding hand, but it has to be invisible. Nobody likes being told what to do after all.”
Adella intensified the fire surrounding her body, creating a swirling inferno around her and the android. The heat seared the flesh off the android immediately, atomizing the material and sending it up into the air in ashes, yet the harder material remained, and that was all it needed to remain functional. It pressed harder, and grabbed its leg, turning the heat up as much as she could. The material grew red hot, but did not budge. She wanted to melt this thing down into sludge, but it simply wasn’t happening. Its material proved too durable.
Dante reached out, weak as he was, and began to search for something, anything he could pull on. Maybe if he cracked this thing open, the fire could snake inside, wreck something truly important, but he was still too weak. He could only bend its exterior plates just a little bit, but not enough to create any sort of opening.
“The truth is, the world doesn’t need you, Flag. In fact, it’s better off without you and your posse of thieves and murderers. What it does need is me, that invisible hand,” Waller remarked. “And rather than let your lackeys leech off of the state, I had the brilliant idea to put them to use. A little intimidation here, a dash of a false promise there, and we have something that can change the world for the better.”
Croc’s head was knocked back as Damage broke his nose, then it was knocked back again as Damage fractured three of his teeth. The punches came in a perfect wave. A moment of intense pain, followed by a second of reprieve before the next strike came. Blood ran down Croc’s face, but he hadn’t let sleep take him. His only goal now, trapped in Damage’s clutches, was to stay awake for as long as possible. Despite the sheer pain of each blow, Croc found that the impact had started to wind down. Each hit felt less and less intense, an element of the shock his body was now going through after taking so much abuse.
Still, the corners of his vision were growing dark. He was starting to lose feeling in his face, in the tips of his fingers. He didn’t feel so wet and drenched in blood anymore. Maybe a nap didn’t sound so bad after all.
“This is where I leave you Flag, from the comfort of my fortress,” Waller remarked. “Take solace in knowing that your embarrassment of an existence will not be remembered.”
“Just keep him occupied for ten more seconds!” Hack shouted.
Tatsu carved into the android, her cuts so numerous that chunks of flesh were falling off in flaps, but eventually, the android surged forward, grabbing Soultaker by the blade. Wrenching it from her grip, it slammed the weapon into the ground, sticking it in the flooring like a fence post before battering Tatsu to the side again. It reached for the servers, hoping to do the needed damage before time ran out.
Flag couldn’t speak, the words just never managed to materialize, but who could he even talk to at this point. He looked outside, watching as Hallucigent started to tremble.
“Flag…” He said, his voice shaky and weak. “I… I can’t…”
His body went limp, and after so much time projecting an illusion for dozens and dozens of people, he finally gave out. He collapsed, leaving Flag alone in the booth.
Adella’s eyes began to glaze over, the power of her inferno faltering. Dante screamed, expending everything he had to try and move any single chunk of the android, but nothing budged. He finally remembered, in his delirium, the truth. There was no metal in this creature. He was helpless. They were both helpless.
Flag felt sick. If he had eaten anything over the last day or so, he’d probably be puking it right out onto the floor. He clutched the microphone stand for dear life, hoping that the sensation would keep him grounded in reality. All those years of service, all that time, his entire life, wasted, and he didn’t even have the fortune of righting the ship. His fate was that of Thomas Tresser, a failed rebel whose legacy of failure wouldn’t even have the honor of being remembered. He had led his friends to their deaths, and that would haunt him far beyond his own demise. He squeezed his eyes shut, quietly weeping.
This was the end.
But aces never come into play until they’re needed.
A loud crash rippled throughout the warehouse as a figure draped in black crashed through the window, landing effortlessly on the floor as shattered glass trickled down like rain. Rising to her feet, a woman dressed in a pointy-eared costume with long scarlet hair and a red bat on her chest raised a grapnel gun and fired, its hook landing in a groove in the android’s body. She pulled hard, wrestling with the plating until she managed to pry a chunk open, exposing the smallest gap imaginable.
“Brimstone, the gap!” Batwoman cried out.
Summoning the last shred of consciousness left in her, Adella focused the entirety of the inferno directly into the gap, filling the android with molten heat. The android trembled, shaking uncontrollably as it was cooked from the inside out, its innards melting into a plastic soup. It let out one final whine before finally exploding, sending shards of rough material everywhere.
Just as the android reached out for the servers, it suddenly stopped short, as if it was experiencing paralysis. Tatsu stared at it in surprise, gobsmacked that it would experience something as human as hesitation. Then, the creature stumbled back, as if compelled by an unseen force, then began to expand, its seams coming apart like a water balloon pumped with too much liquid. Between the gaps, Tatsu saw something vibrant and green.
“What the hell?!” Hack cried out, peeking from around the corner. “Something’s blocking my connection? I can’t-”
She stopped short upon seeing the android, her jaw dropping. Now practically in separate pieces, the android finally came apart with a shriek, and in its place was a gigantic figure, who slowly began shrinking back to regular size. It was a man, or at least, it looked similar to one, a figure with green skin, a bald head, and red eyes. Draped in a blue cape and pants, there was no mistaking this member of the Justice Legion. The Martian Manhunter swept his gaze across the three squad members, “Is everyone alright?”
Croc went limp, content that this last strike would remove him from this world, content that he had done his best to protect his friends. However, while Damage raised his fist, this time he did not bring it down. Instead, there was a brilliant flash of blue around the back of his neck, arcing out like lightning. Damage’s shoulders slumped as he went limp, falling to the side like a doll, and standing in his place was a brilliant looking figure, head illuminated by the morning sun. He was dressed in blue and gold spandex with a dramatic high collar, with a domino mask over his eyes and a staff with electricity sparking off of its ends.
Croc coughed, then fell on his back, and Nightwing rushed to take a knee next to him, “Waylon! Waylon, say something!”
“Ugh,” Croc said, flexing his fingers as he battered away that urge to go to sleep. “I think I need a doctor.”
BWOOOOOONG
Flag almost jumped at the sound as a brilliant disk of golden light appeared in the technicians booth, its shape cascading over itself like a ripple in a pond. A figure stepped out of the disk, a man composed largely of metal, though it looked less like armor and more like a set of prosthetics. He smiled as he approached the recording booth.
“Colonel Flag, I presume?” Cyborg said. “Come on outside, we’ve got some things to discuss.”
“W–Wha—” Flag stuttered. “But… I have a broadcast to make, and my team—”
“Don’t worry, they’ll be there too,” Cyborg said, smiling. “It’s your lucky day. The cavalry’s here.”
The echoed tweeting of warblers filled the air as the squad settled into the bayou clearing, taking the moment to rest and recover. Dante and Croc were both absent, having been sent to a proper hospital to receive genuine medical aid after weeks of field patchwork. Raptor sat on a nearby log, nursing his bandaged head. He had one hell of a migraine, but he refused to go in for treatment like his squadmates. He needed to be here, to know what was going to happen. Adella, Hallucigent, and Hack all leaned against the squad’s truck, which had miraculously survived the journey across North America, while Flag and Tatsu conversed with the Justice Legionnaires, explaining themselves and their story.
“I know that you may have reservations about this group,” Flag remarked. “And they’re well warranted, but what we were doing here was—”
“Don’t worry, we know,” Nightwing said. “You don’t need to justify yourselves to us. We already know what you were doing. A friend of yours tipped us off.”
Flag grimaced, glaring Raptor’s way, “Hrnph, three guesses for which friend happened to reach out to you.”
“Don’t think it matters anymore, does it,” Cyborg said. “You’re safe, that’s what’s important.”
“Maybe, but the matter isn’t settled,” Tatsu said. “Hack was unable to complete her initial leak. We still have to expose Waller and Task Force X.”
“Actually, that won’t be necessary,” Martian Manhunter said. “The matter’s already being taken care of.”
“Huh?” Raptor said, his interest peaked. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
He stood up, moving to join Tatsu and Flag. Hack, Hallucigent, and Adella followed suit. Batwoman grimaced, “You understand that if we let you go through with your plan, that more of the world than just Task Force X would’ve been affected, right?”
“You’d be lighting a fire that almost nobody could put out. People would cry for blood, and they wouldn’t just want Waller’s,” Cyborg said. “Innocent people would get caught in the crossfire.”
“What are you… wait a minute,” Hack’s eyes widened. “You… you guys blocked our upload, didn’t you?”
“You didn’t give us much choice,” Cyborg remarked.
“So–So hold on,” Hallucigent said. “What does that mean for us, for Waller? She just gets to roam free? We’re gonna be hunted like dogs the rest of our lives?”
“No, that wouldn’t be acceptable under any circumstances,” Nightwing said.
Flag stepped forward, “Then what’s going to happen? How’s this supposed to end?”
Nightwing paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before saying what needed to be said, “We talked with the president, illuminated her on agencies she claims she was ‘previously unaware of’. As we speak, Task Force X is being dissolved and its top brass, Waller included, are being rounded up.”
“Bullshit,” Raptor said. “Can you prove it?”
“You only have our word right now,” Nightwing said. “I wouldn’t trust Veronica Cale on principle,, but using metahumans for national security goes against her entire platform. She won’t take kindly to Waller retaining this initiative under her nose.”
Flag gritted his teeth, “Urgh… alright fine, say we do believe you. What does that mean for us?”
Nightwing looked to the rest of the Legionnaires, then back at the squad, “It means that you have a choice. Both the Legion and the president agree that Task Force X’s activities shouldn’t be made public, at least not right now. Most of you have criminal pasts, pasts we can’t overlook given you haven’t properly served your sentences. That being said, your treatment under Task Force X was unacceptable, so the president is willing to offer amnesty in the form of a specialized parole program so long as you never disclose any information related to Task Force X to the public.”
Nightwing glanced at Adella, “Those of you with a preexistinf criminal history that is. The rest of you simply have to agree to the non-disclosure clause the president is offering. Dante Ramon and Waylon Jones may not be here, but as soon as they’re awake they’ll be offered the same deal.”
Adella scoffed, “Are you kidding me? You’re supposed to be heroes, but instead of helping us expose the truth, you’re helping to bury it instead?”
Batwoman crossed her arms, “I’m all for exposing the truth, but not for the sake of it. Sometimes keeping a secret can do a world of good.”
“I’ve lost two brothers to Task Force X!” Adella shouted, cinders flaking off of her body. “Does that mean nothing to any of you?”
The Legionnaires assumed defensive stances, prompting Flag to leap between them and Adella, “Woah, woah, woah! Everybody calm down!”
He looked to the Legionnaires, “Listen, what you’re asking for… it’s a tough pill to swallow. You’re asking us to just let sleeping dogs lie here. Where’s the justice in that?”
“Justice has already been done, Colonel Flag. The people who have wronged you and your squad are going to be punished according to the full extent of the law. President Cale, despite her flaws, will see to that.” Martian Manhunter said. “The only thing left to chase now is catharsis, and there is a price attached to it. Are any of you ready to pay that price?”
Flag swallowed, glancing between the Legionnaires and the squad. A pit formed in his stomach, the seed from which burst a hole so infinite that it threatened to consume his very soul. He had dedicated himself to justice, and it had happened largely out of his own hands. The cruel irony of that was that it was how things should’ve been. He had a hand in these atrocities, and in many ways he had no right to try and correct them himself. What did he have left now but his squad. He looked back at them, full of fear, but also potential for a life that didn’t revolve around survival. They could live without feeling like rats scurrying in the dark. They could live a proper life, at least if they wanted to.
He didn’t want any of them to get in any more trouble. He didn’t want any of them to die.
Lowering his hands, Flag turned to the Legionnaires. Adella’s flames died down fast as she stared at Flag in surprise. Raptor crossed his arms, having expected this outcome. Hack and Hallucigent looked to each other, unsure of where this was going to go. Tatsu patted Flag on the back, clearly approving of his choice.
He looked to the Legionnaires, defeated. They knew his choice, and with as the leader of the Suicide Squad, they knew the rest of his teammates would follow suit.
So ends the tale of the Suicide Squad, who disappeared into civilian life.
At least, most of them did.
Raptor strolled over to the edge of the clearing, taking a seat in the grass next to a beautiful flowing river. Sunlight rippled across the water, giving the entire thing an almost angelic sheen. He dipped his fingers into the water, letting the cooling sensation refresh him.
“Did you really mean it when you said you were gonna take the deal?”
Raptor looked to the side, watching as Nightwing took a knee next to him. Raptor smiled, then pulled back his hood, revealing a head of short, scraggly brown hair, “If you’re asking if I’ll rat about Waller, don’t worry. Not so sure if I’ll keep up meeting with a parole officer.”
“You sure it’s wise to tell a superhero you’re gonna violate parole?” Nightwing asked.
“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t,” Raptor said, grinning. “You have faith in me, don’t you?”
“I do, but maybe I should keep an eye on you just in case,” Nightwing said. “You know I’d catch you if I needed to.”
“Bah, I’ll spare you the trouble. Like I said before, I wouldn’t play you for a fool.” Raptor said, standing up and stretching his arms. “Be nice to kick back for a bit after everything. Can’t say I’m eager to keep fighting after five years in hell.”
Nightwing grimaced, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out earlier.”
Raptor chuckled, before patting Nightwing on the shoulder, “Relax, Grayson, You couldn’t get me out earlier. You had a big ol’ boulder in front of you that I had to move before you could do anything else.”
There was once a time that Dick Grayson would have protested, when he would agonize over his guilt at not doing more, but here and now, he understood that Raptor… Ric, spoke true. He nodded, “I suppose you’re right.”
“Damn right I am,” Ric said, stretching his back before looking up into the sky. “You know…” He took a deep breath to steady himself. “I always loved your mom. But it touched my heart in ways I never thought possible knowing I had a namesake out there. Like I had some sort of legacy out there, something to outlive me. I wondered for the longest time why it was me rather than your old man, or somebody else.”
Dick chuckled, “So what’s it gonna be, Ric? What’s next now you can put all this darkness behind you?”
“Let me tell you,” Raptor removed his domino mask, gazing up into the open blue sky. He closed his eyes, basking in its brilliance, “There’s a drive in every human being on earth, a calling we have to answer. But ours? It’s something bigger, harder to achieve but impossible to ignore.”
He turned to Dick, his amber eyes full of compassion and joy, “We’ve all gotta keep moving. Our people know that well. Most people run. But us? We’re meant to fly.”
The End!
