The four figures stepped out from behind the wall and came face-to-face with a man clad in black iron armor. He stood silently, holding a limp, grotesque creature in his hand, his gaze fixed on them.
"Rat," Nanaue muttered, his small round eyes widening slightly.
The Ratcatcher girl shook her head firmly.
"That's not a rat."
Polka-Dot Man tensed, raising one arm toward Hong Fei while his other hand hovered near his shoulder, poised to unleash his explosive polka dots at a moment's notice. Despite his somewhat vacant expression, his abilities were nothing to scoff at. From an unseen corner, Deadshot had his gun trained on Polka-Dot Man, ready to pull the trigger if the man made a single move. Blowing his head off would be child's play for Deadshot.
Peacemaker stood nearby, his silver helmet resembling an inverted toilet bowl. His short-sleeved suit showcased his exaggerated biceps, and his towering frame made him an imposing figure. But his earlier actions had revealed him as impulsive—reckless, even.
Bloodsport, dressed in a primarily black suit that was the most normal-looking among them, stepped forward as the team leader Amanda Waller had appointed. His eyes swept over Hong Fei's form, lingering for two seconds on the Cross-blade strapped to his back before he spoke.
"Hey, brother," he said, his voice calm but firm. "There are five of us. If I remember correctly, there are only four of you. Why don't you put down your weapons and surrender? That way, we can all walk out of here in one piece."
Hong Fei didn't respond. Instead, he grabbed Weasel by the neck, hoisting him up and waving him toward the group as if to ask: Is this your teammate? The sight of Weasel's face elicited stunned reactions.
Nanaue's eyes bulged, his mouth opening slightly to reveal rows of sharp shark teeth.
"Holy shit!"
Peacemaker blurted out. Ratcatcher, the only woman in the group, looked equally frightened as she pulled out a light bulb-shaped device used to command rats.
Polka-Dot Man, however, showed no reaction. To him, everything he looked at took the form of his abusive mother, the woman who had tormented him and his siblings throughout their childhood. Seeing his "mother" being strangled, he felt a twisted sense of excitement.
"Choke her to death!" he shouted.
The others turned sharply to stare at him, their hearts skipping a beat. Hong Fei simply shook his head.
With one hand gripping Weasel's neck and the other pressing down on its head, Hong Fei began to twist. One rotation... then another... and another. The sickening sound of snapping echoed through the room, each twist grinding Weasel's cervical vertebrae into dust.
Weasel's limbs twitched briefly during the first rotation, but by the next instant, it went completely limp. Hong Fei hadn't killed it earlier outside, but that didn't mean he intended to let it live. After three full rotations, Weasel's fur bristled, the skin beneath stretched to its breaking point. Snap!
Hong Fei released his grip, and Weasel's body thudded to the ground. Its head scraped against the floor as it spun in circles, the scene horrifying enough to make Nanaue and Ratcatcher instinctively reach for each other's hands. Polka-Dot Man pumped his fist triumphantly.
"Yes!"
Peacemaker's facial muscles twitched. Bloodsport flicked his arm, his firearm snapping into position.
"Do you all enjoy being threatened?" Hong Fei asked suddenly, his voice cutting through the tension.
Deadshot, hidden in the shadows, raised an eyebrow. He wanted to ask why Hong Fei was breaking the 'Three Don'ts' rule, but then he remembered Hong Fei was the one who had created those rules in the first place. Asking would only make him look foolish.
Bloodsport's team frowned in unison at Hong Fei's question.
"Don't be nervous," Hong Fei continued, his tone almost conversational. "Amanda Waller can't hear anything here. Your communications have been cut, haven't they?"
He hit the mark. Ratcatcher's composure cracked, her face betraying her unease.
Hong Fei studied the silent group before him. He raised a single finger.
"One sentence: If you're tired of groveling at Amanda Waller's feet like dogs, stay here quietly and wait for me to contact you."
Nanaue blinked, its shark-like face blank. The creature barely had a mind of its own—Amanda Waller wouldn't have been able to trap it otherwise. Hong Fei suspected it had been tricked into having nanobombs implanted in its body, given its impenetrable skin. For now, it relied on the decisions of those around it.
Bloodsport stood motionless, deep in thought. Ratcatcher glanced at her companions but kept her opinion to herself. Polka-Dot Man stayed silent, not daring to speak up.
Peacemaker, however, broke the silence.
"Impossible!"
He was Amanda Waller's informant, a man who believed peace was worth any cost—no matter how many lives it took. As he spoke, he drew his large-caliber pistol. The gunshot echoed through the room.
A burst of blood erupted from Peacemaker's shoulder, and his pistol clattered to the floor. Bloodsport immediately raised his weapon, aiming at a spot behind Hong Fei—Deadshot's hiding place.
Hong Fei spoke calmly.
"I know you, Peacemaker. Christopher Smith—a sharpshooter and the only one in Task Force X who's truly aligned with Amanda Waller."
Several heads turned sharply at his words.
"In the Suicide Squad," Hong Fei continued, "you're also the only traitor."
"Bullshit!"
Peacemaker clutched his bleeding shoulder.
"I'm doing this for peace!"
Two more gunshots rang out—one from Bloodsport, the other from Deadshot. Bloodsport's bullet collided with Deadshot's, deflecting it straight into Peacemaker's other shoulder. Deadshot had anticipated the move; it was a small victory for him.
Hong Fei remained unruffled.
"I like peace too."
"So you came to rob the Federal Reserve Bank?"
Peacemaker spat.
"There's not a direct causal link," Hong Fei replied, "but if you want to frame it that way, it's not entirely wrong."
He grabbed Weasel by the neck and lifted it, walking toward the window.
"If this world wants peace, the quickest way is to erase the country that's been at war for all but a dozen years of its existence."
The room fell silent. The four were stunned, while Nanaue looked utterly confused. Hong Fei smirked.
"What? Am I wrong?"
"Do you even understand what you're saying?"
Bloodsport's voice was low.
"This isn't just a bank. It's the most powerful country in the world."
Hong Fei nodded, spreading his arms.
"Of course I know. That's why I didn't target an ordinary bank. I chose the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where we're standing right now."
Bloodsport removed his helmet, revealing the face of a middle-aged Black man. He stared at Hong Fei without blinking.
"You've lost your mind."
"If you really believed that," Hong Fei said coolly, "you'd have shot me instead of showing your face."
Hong Fei turned to Peacemaker.
"Well? Am I right?"
Peacemaker hesitated, his shoulders slumped. After a tense moment, he nodded.
"I think you're right."
Hong Fei tossed Weasel out the window and turned back to the group.
"Good. It seems we've reached an agreement. Stay here and don't move."
"Listen up," Hong Fei said, his voice cutting through the tension. "When this is over, tell Amanda Waller you found nothing. She won't risk moving against you. After that, you can wait for me in prison with peace of mind."
He turned to Mr. Smith, his gaze sharp.
"I assume you can keep your mouth shut. If not, you'll witness the most unpeaceful thing in the world firsthand."
His eyes flicked to Dubois.
"If you're worried, now's your chance to kill him. I don't mind having one less."
Peacemaker and Bloodsport locked eyes, their mutual distrust simmering. Hong Fei stepped back, and Deadshot followed him out without a word.
Downstairs, TDK's hands had already passed through the grenade net. The hostages recoiled in terror as a pair of disembodied arms moved through the air. Once the arms vanished from sight, TDK stood among the SWAT team, his voice calm but urgent.
"I can't see inside. Someone get me a map."
A tactical tablet was handed to him, displaying a 3D view of the bank. TDK studied the screen, his arms moving independently as they felt their way along the floor and upward into the building.
Inside, Captain Boomerang was busy ransacking the place. He tore through documents and stuffed valuables and cash into his shirt, completely ignoring the flashing red mission alert on his screen: Observe the movements around the bank. When he caught a glimpse of Arthur broadcasting Bloodsport's actions, he barely glanced at it before returning to his looting.
Suddenly, he froze. His ears twitched, and he spun around, gun raised, scanning the room. A faint rustling sound came from the floor. He stepped over workstations, his eyes darting across the ground. Near the corridor, he spotted a pair of dirty arms feeling their way along the wall like a blind man's. Captain Boomerang's eyes gleamed. He hesitated, then smirked, pulling a sharp boomerang from his shirt.
He crouched down, staring intently at the arms, and raised his own arm with a twisted grin.
Outside the bank, TDK screamed, collapsing to the ground in agony. Someone rushed to support him, asking what was wrong, but he could only shout about his hands being broken. Cold sweat poured down his face as he suddenly fainted.
Inside, Captain Boomerang hacked the arms to pieces. Hong Fei and Deadshot descended the stairs just in time to witness the scene. The two watched in silence as Boomerang stood, wiped his hands, and fell in line behind them.
The mission updated: Enter the underground vault.
In the vault, the three tools hadn't yet opened all the storage rooms. Hong Fei patted Killer Croc on the shoulder, and the group moved deeper inside. The tools glanced at the black silhouettes before collapsing to the ground.
Hong Fei found Witch in an ordinary storage room next to the largest vault, her hands busy with her work. He stepped in and closed the door.
"Stop now," he said. "It's time to go."
Witch turned, startling Deadshot and the others. She reached out toward the four of them, and black mist filled the air, obscuring everything. Deadshot vanished first, then Captain Boomerang, then Killer Croc. Finally, it was Hong Fei and Witch's turn. Four teleportations, each sending them to separate locations.
Witch reached out toward the four of them, and black mist filled the air, swallowing everything in its path.