Amanda Waller strolled down the hallway, her confident smile practically daring anyone to get in her way. She was on top of the world, or at least, on top of Belle Reve.
After cutting her deal with Deadshot, she'd sent the squad on a string of missions. And they succeeded in every single one. Sure, there were some close calls. A few of them almost bit the dust. But did Waller care? Not even a little. She'd promised to remove the bombs in their necks once they proved themselves, but instead, she just swapped out the damaged ones during surgery.
So far, the squad was none the wiser. They were still playing along, still following orders. Scum or not, they were holding up their end of the bargain, and honestly, they'd become so useful that Waller wasn't exactly in a rush to let them go.
Not that it mattered. Guys like them? They'd end up back in prison sooner or later. And with the years they still had left on their sentences, freedom was a distant dream. In the meantime, Waller planned to squeeze every ounce of usefulness out of them.
Her influence had grown far beyond the walls of Belle Reve. She even had a direct line to the president now. When it came to metahumans, she was the one they called.
Meanwhile, the Justice League was taking hit after hit to their reputation and with every stumble, the government leaned harder into Waller's plans. Belle Reve had become a hub of activity, everything from weapons research to bioengineering. No method was off limits when it came to dealing with super-criminals.
And the best part? A second squad was already in the works. Everything was falling into place.
Waller swiped her badge and stepped into one of the labs. Inside, a group of scientists was huddled around her top priority project.
"How's it coming along, Doctor?" she asked, her tone sharp but casual.
A bald man with thick, round glasses didn't even bother looking up. "What you gave me was an incomplete and altered blueprint," he said flatly. "I'm doing my best, but it might not be possible."
Waller raised an eyebrow. "How do you know it was altered?"
The doctor finally glanced at her, pulling off his glasses. "Whoever did it was a genius.The changes were subtle, just enough to make it look functional at first glance. But if you actually think about it, half the circuits make no sense. The logic is contradictory. A lesser mind would've wasted years trying to make it work before realizing it was a dead end."
He smirked, clearly proud of himself. "I'm not a lesser mind. I saw through the deception. But without the correct data, I'd have to start from scratch and that'll take time."
Waller frowned, her mind racing. Was the Justice League working with fake data? If so, where was the real information? Or had they somehow tricked her squad into stealing the decoy while keeping the real deal under wraps?
"Looks like I'll need to pay our agents a visit," she said finally. "Thanks, Doctor."
"You're welcome. Now go away, I have work to do."
Waller didn't bother with the cells. Instead, she had the squad dragged to her office by security guards. Sometimes, they needed a little reminder of who was in charge.
Deadshot, as usual, sat calmly across from her desk, that infuriating smirk plastered on his face. He always looked so unbothered, like nothing she did could rattle him.
"How can we help you today, Waller?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"The data you recovered from S.T.A.R. Labs was compromised," she said, cutting straight to the point.
Boomerang threw his hands in the air dramatically. "Bloody hell! We almost got killed for that!"
Harley, spinning in her chair, just giggled.
"Yeah, but it was fun!"
Waller ignored them. "How did this happen?"
Deadshot leaned back in his chair, looking annoyingly relaxed. "It was a bad situation. A superhero showed up, and then that android, what was it, 18? We grabbed everything we could. Maybe they had fake info as a security measure. We didn't exactly have time to double check, and we're not exactly scientists."
"The mission was a failure," Waller said coldly.
"Sure," Deadshot replied with a shrug. "But you can't admit that, can you? Wouldn't look good for you. So, let's cut to the chase."
Waller's eyes narrowed. "I want you to get the real data. Off the books. Not an official mission."
Deadshot's smirk widened. "What's in it for us?"
"What do you want?"
"Early parole."
"Not a chance."
"C'mon, Waller, hear me out." His tone was smooth, calculated. "If you let us go free, we'll keep working for you until our sentences are up. Same deal as now, but you get to spin it as a story of rehabilitation. It's a win-win."
Waller clenched her fists, resisting the urge to wipe that smug grin off his face. "If you get the job done, I'll consider it."
"Deal."
"Now, let's talk about your target."
The screen behind her lit up, displaying an image of Wayne Enterprises.
"Our inside man tipped us off about Bruce Wayne's little secret lab. He can't get the data out too much security. That's where you come in."
Boomerang frowned. "Why Wayne Enterprises?"
"Apparently, they were working with S.T.A.R. Labs on countermeasures for the android. It's unclear if Bruce even knows about it."
She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in. "I want this done quietly. No one can know it was you."
The last mission had been easy to deny; there was no record of the squad even being at Belle Reve. But now, the heroes were onto her. If they got caught, Waller would have a lot of explaining to do. Even the government didn't know what she was planning.
Deadshot gave her a lazy salute. "Got it. This time, it'll go a lot smoother."
"It better," Waller warned. "Because if you fail, parole will be the least of your worries."
With that, she dismissed them and left the prison, heading to a secure location to oversee the mission. In her absence, she left Hugo Strange in charge.
Everything was in motion. And if Waller had her way, nothing would stop her.
When Hugo Strange got the news that Waller was stepping out and leaving him in charge, he was over the moon. Finally, he could do all the things he'd been dreaming about. But, of course, there was a catch; his authority was still limited and his every move was under a microscope.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go. If everything had gone according to plan, he'd already be the head warden of Belle Reve. He'd have the power to let the Light come and go as they pleased, no questions asked. But no. Waller, who he thought would be long gone by now, was still here and worse, she had more power than ever. If he so much as sneezed suspiciously, she'd be on him in a heartbeat.
The Light had been scheming to get rid of her, but breaking the trust she'd built was proving to be a nightmare. Complicated, yes, but not impossible. Hugo wanted to act now. The thought of taking orders from that smug government puppet was driving him insane.
But every time he brought it up, the Light told him the same thing: *Be patient.* They said there was too much heat on Belle Reve right now. The prison had become a key part of the government's plans, and making a move without caution would be suicide.
Hugo hated waiting, but he did have patience. He had bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And when that moment came, he executed his plan flawlessly, only for it to be ruined by Amanda Waller's little squad of misfits.
Unacceptable. Completely unacceptable. His superior intellect should've guaranteed his victory. The only reason Waller won was dumb luck. That's it. Dumb. Luck.
Fueled by frustration, Hugo stormed into Waller's office like he owned the place, brushing past the confused security guards without a second glance. He knew she'd demand to know what he was doing, but he'd already prepared a dozen excuses. Sure, she'd be suspicious, but technically, she'd never told him to stay out of her office. And besides, a lot of the prison's controls were located here.
He was looking for something, something important. Something that would finally bring Waller down. The Light had warned him not to act on his own, but he was done waiting. Enough was enough.
Carefully, he began searching the office, taking his time. He'd already sent Waller multiple messages asking for documents he knew were in here, and, as expected, she hadn't responded. If anyone questioned him, he'd just say he needed the files and made a judgment call.
His eyes landed on the documents he'd asked for almost immediately, but he ignored them. They weren't his real target. No, he was after something far more valuable: the rumored second squad. He needed the files listing the potential candidates and the details of their first mission.
When he finally found them, he skimmed through the documents quickly, trusting his photographic memory to lock in the details. Then, to keep up appearances, he pretended to search for a few more minutes before grabbing the files he'd originally asked for and leaving the office.
His plan was simple: sabotage the second squad's mission and make sure the blame fell squarely on Waller. It had to be a disaster, something so catastrophic that it would shatter her reputation and destroy the trust she'd worked so hard to build. It wouldn't be enough to get rid of her entirely, but it would convince the Light to back him.
(Enjoy your time in the spotlight, Amanda,) he thought with a smirk. (I'll drag you into the darkness soon enough.)
Meanwhile, outside the armory, a guard was struggling to stay awake. He yawned for the fourth time, earning an annoyed sigh from his coworker.
"Can you just drink some coffee already?" she snapped.
"I told you, that stuff's bad for you," he replied, rubbing his eyes.
"You're so full of it."
"It can mess with your digestion and give you anxiety. Plus, it tastes awful."
"So you'd rather stand here like a zombie? You're such a baby."
"Fine, go ahead and drink your coffee. Just remember, it's a diuretic. That's why you're running to the bathroom every five minutes."
Before their argument could escalate, a loud *BAM* cut through the air, making them both freeze.
They turned toward the source of the noise, eyes wide.
*BAM!*
The heavy metal door to the armory was bent out of shape.
*BAM!*
With one final hit, the door flew off its hinges, slamming into the wall. The guards barely managed to jump out of the way in time.
The female guard immediately sounded the alarm, calling for reinforcements, while the male guard pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the darkness beyond the broken door.
He couldn't help but think how ridiculous it was. A 9mm pistol with 15 rounds? Against whatever had just smashed through a reinforced metal door? Yeah, right. Still, he tried to sound confident, even though his hands were shaking.
"Stay where you are! Take one more step, and I'll shoot!"
From the shadows, two glowing red eyes locked onto him.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Task Force X was already knee deep in their latest mission: sneaking into Wayne Industries. According to the scientist who leaked the intel, the place was a fortress. One entrance. Multiple security checks. And if that wasn't bad enough, the place was crawling with armed guards and automatic turrets ready to light you up if you so much as sneezed wrong.
The worst part? If you got caught, you were funneled straight into a kill zone where you'd have to fight your way out at a serious disadvantage. The only silver lining? Wayne's security team didn't use live rounds. Instead, they relied on non-lethal rubber bullets and sleeping gas that could flood the hallways in seconds. Not exactly comforting, but hey, better than getting shot for real.
The mission was simple on paper: get in, grab the files, and get out without anyone noticing. If things went sideways, the cops and extra security would swarm the place in under three minutes, trapping them inside. And with walls made of reinforced concrete and steel, even Giganta the team's strongest member, wouldn't be able to punch their way out.
The plan? Lawton (a.k.a. Deadshot) and Boomerang would pose as new security hires and slip inside. The rest of the team stayed outside, ready to cause a distraction if things went south. They had an inside man who gave them a solid excuse to be there, but Waller wasn't exactly optimistic. Security was tight and she was sure they'd get busted during the ID check.
But somehow, they didn't. Lawton had called in a favor from an old contact a hacker from his assassin days. Waller wasn't thrilled about outsourcing the job, but she wanted to keep the mission under wraps, so using one of her own agents was out of the question. The hacker owed Deadshot a favor and had no idea Waller was involved, which made it the perfect setup. She expected the guy to do a half baked job, but to her surprise, the fake IDs worked like a charm. They breezed through security without a hitch.
Inside the lab, Boomerang kept watch while Lawton got to work copying the files. Minutes later, they strolled out like they owned the place, passing guards and turrets without breaking a sweat. Their cover story? A quick delivery of specialized materials for the lab. In and out, no drama. The mission went so smoothly that Waller was actually stunned. It felt too good to be true. Lawton even had the audacity to wink at the security camera she was using to monitor them.
After the mission, Waller tried to track down the hacker who'd helped them, but the guy had covered his tracks. She made a mental note to recruit him for her team someday. His skills were way too good to ignore.
Just as she was starting to relax and savor the victory, her phone buzzed. She'd been so focused on the mission that she'd ignored all her messages. Usually, it was just Strange pestering her for something, so she'd learned to tune him out. But a call? That was different. Everyone knew not to call her unless it was serious.
She answered with a sharp, "What?"
On the other end, Strange's voice sounded hesitant, like he really didn't want to be the one delivering bad news. "Uh, Miss Warden, we've got a situation."
Waller's tone turned icy. "Spit it out."
"A few prisoners… have escaped the facility."
Silence. The kind that makes your stomach drop.
"Waller? Are you there?"
Her voice was cold and steady. "Tell me everything."
Let's rewind a bit. Back at Belle Reve, the alarms were blaring like crazy and security guards were scrambling, firing at an intruder.
But the guy? He just strolled through the gunfire like it was a light drizzle. Bullets pinged off his shiny, metallic skin like they were nothing.
The intruder was a tall man with red hair, glowing red eyes, and green pants that somehow made him look even more menacing. The guards froze for a second, realizing who or rather, what he was.
Amazo.
Yeah, that Amazo. The android who once took on the Justice League and nearly wiped the floor with them. He'd been defeated ages ago, and what was left of him had been dumped at Belle Reve. The scientists were supposed to fix him up and study him, but he got shoved to the bottom of their to do list.
Now, somehow, Amazo was back online. Worse, he still had access to the Justice League's powers. The guards didn't stand a chance as he tore through the prison, heading straight for the cells.
The other inmates watched in stunned silence as Amazo ripped a cell door clean off its hinges. Two prisoners stepped out, grinning like they'd just hit the jackpot.
"Haha, nice work!" one of them said, his voice dripping with glee.
" 'Bout time," the other grunted.
Amazo didn't say a word. He just used Superman's laser vision to fry the collars off their necks.
The two escapees couldn't have been more different. Gizmo was a short guy with a knack for tech, basically a genius who used machines to pull off his crimes. Mammoth, on the other hand, was a walking tank, all muscle and no patience.
From a nearby cell, Abra Kadabra yelled out, "Hey! Don't forget about the rest of us! Let's bust out together!"
Gizmo sauntered over to his cell, smirking.
"Hah! Sorry, pal. This is a VIP escape. Enjoy your cafeteria slop. I'll think of you while I'm eating lobster on the outside."
"You little..." Abra started, but Mammoth cut him off, grabbing Gizmo by the back of his shirt.
"Let's go," Mammoth grunted. "She's gonna be mad if we keep her waiting."
The guards were scrambling to regroup, but they were too late. To their shock, the prison gates opened on their own as Amazo and his crew strolled through. The security system didn't even register them as threats.
The trio made their way to the women's section of the prison, where they picked up the last member of their team. A girl with pink hair, gray skin, and sharp pink eyes was waiting for them. She smiled as they approached, already knowing what was up.
"Finally," Jinx said, standing up and brushing herself off. "Let's get out of here."
The guards tried to stop them, opening fire, but Amazo just raised a hand. A glowing green bubble appeared around the group, deflecting every bullet.
Jinx didn't even flinch. "Alright, boys, let's roll."
Gizmo gave her a nod, and the group casually made their way to the exit. Every gate and obstacle opened for them like magic. The guards' final attempt to block their path was met with Mammoth charging through them like a wrecking ball.
As they left, Jinx turned and fired a burst of purple energy at the main gate, jamming it shut and trapping the guards inside.
Amazo created a glowing green platform and lifted the group into the air, flying them out of Belle Reve. Meanwhile, Dr. Hugo Strange stood at a window, watching them escape.
His face was a mix of rage and panic.
"Why did this have to happen on my watch?" he muttered, clenching his fists. If Amanda Waller had been in charge, he could've pinned the blame on her. But no, she was out and now it looked like he was the one who'd royally screwed up. Three convicts had escaped on his watch, and it was going to cost him.
The next day, Waller reviewed the security footage. She noticed something odd. Strange had been in her office right before the breakout. Normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but now? It looked very suspicious, it didn't help that he checked the second squad info and now tree candidates escaped.
She didn't buy his excuses for a second. And just like that, Strange found himself under a microscope. The higher ups were watching his every move, and even his secret allies, the Light, quietly cut ties with him. He was toast.
Waller, on the other hand, wasted no time pinning the entire fiasco on Strange. An investigation revealed that a virus had been planted in Belle Reve's systems, probably Gizmo's handiwork. The virus had not only reactivated Amazo but also given the escapees control over the prison's security.
This was the second major screw up in Belle Reve's history, and the government wasn't happy. They poured more money into the prison and gave Waller free rein to fix things.
But Waller? She needed a win. So, she got approval to parole the original Suicide Squad, claiming they were "successfully rehabilitated."
The team got jobs at a new company in Metropolis.
Inside a Blue Tie Corp warehouse, the gang was gathered: Jinx, Gizmo, Mammoth, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Giganta, Killer Shark, and Amazo. They were waiting for their new boss to show up.
When she finally arrived. She had an air of authority that made everyone shut up and pay attention. She glanced at Amazo and smiled.
"How's the new body, 16?" she asked.
Amazo's red eyes glowed faintly. "It'll take some time to adjust. The systems are still damaged, so I can't copy any new powers. But I have access to the previously copied abilities."
"Good," she said, her voice soft for just a moment. It was almost... kind. But then her tone turned icy as she placed a briefcase on the table.
"I don't trust any of you," she said bluntly, looking at the criminals. "But I know how you think."
She opened the briefcase, revealing stacks of cash. "Do your job, and you'll get paid."
Then, with a sudden slam, she shut the case, breaking the table in half. "But if you fail me, you'll regret it."
The room was dead silent. Everyone nodded.
The plan was almost ready. And with her team assembled, 18 was about to set her schemes into motion.
(Chapter image.)
Hello, I just published my second story in case you want to give it a read.