Issue 6: "All Consuming Fire, Conclusion"

Suicide Squad Roll Call:


Amanda Waller- The ‘Wall’ is the head of the Suicide Squad.

General Wade Eiling- Was the Government liaison for the Squad, member of the criminal organization the Council, and head of the Atom project that created Captain Atom.

Colonel Rick Flagg- Missions leader and former member of the Forgotten Heroes.

Bronze Tiger/Ben Turner- Second in command, martial arts expert trained by the League of Assassins.

Nightshade/Eve Eden- Government agent. Can become a tangible shadow for short periods of time. She can create dimensional warps and teleport herself and others.

Nemesis/ Tom Tresser- Vigilante turned operative for the U.S. government and a master of disguise. Blames the Council for the dissappearance and apparent death of his brother.

Manhunter/ Mark Shaw- Bounty Hunter with enhanced strength, speed, stamina, agility, and limited healing powers.

Enchantress/June Moone- Vast magical power, which can be called upon by saying the word "Enchantress." Powers include levitation and the animation of objects. She also has an immeasurable amount of mystic tricks concealed in her witch’s hat.

Deadshot/ Floyd Lawton- Deadshot is an expert marksman with any type of weapon. His weapon of choice is wrist-mounted rapid-fire magnums. He wears body armor, and always keeps weaponry and ammunition on his person.

Vixen/ Mari Jiwe McCabe- Tatu Totem grants her the ability to mimic the powers of any animal.

Black Orchid/Susan Linden- Powers include flight, near invulnerability, persuasion powers, and master of disguise.

Captain Boomerang/George “Digger” Harkness- Captain Boomerang is an unparalleled master of the boomerang. He uses a number of trick boomerangs, including sonic boomerangs, remote-controlled fleets of boomerangs, exploding boomerangs and grappling hook boomerangs.

Oracle- A mysterious figure that claims to be an ally of the Squads much to Amanda Waller’s distrust. Oracle has only made contact thus far, through the Belle Reve computer network.

“I demand to see a lawyer right now!” The man in the wheelchair hollered. “I have been falsely arrested! I have not been read my rights nor has anyone told me what I am being charged with!”

Amanda Waller stood across from the man but had yet to respond to his outburst. One of the government operatives handed Waller two files before he joined the other two armed man near the door. She opened one of the files and began to look through it.

“We are not the police Mr. Marshall. But you will be answering some questions here today.”

“Like hell I will!” he yelled back at her.

“We’ll see about that.” Waller said while flipping through the other file. She set both files down on the conference table in front of her and looked up at the young woman who sat quietly in the chair next to Mr. Marshall. “What is your involvement with Mr. Marshall here?”

“She has nothing to do with this!” Marshall shouted.

“You better be sure what this is before you speak out of turn again” Waller stated, looking at Marshall then back at the woman. “Again Miss, who are you and what is your involvement with Mr. Marshall?”

The woman looked terrified for a brief moment but then attempted to answer as she nervously twirled her long red hair. “My name is Belle Haney and I am a student at the college…Mr. Marshall…. Mr. Marshall teaches at in Gotham…I just…just was trying to get some extra credit...I just transferred from Keystone this semester and was…”

“That’s fine.” Waller said cutting her off. “You check out. Your free to go.”

“Go? Go where? What is going to happen to Jack…Mr. Marshall?” Belle tensely replied.

“Transportation will be arranged to take you back to Gotham City.” Waller said looking over at Marshall. “As for Jack here, well that’s up to him.”

Amanda nodded and the three men began to escort Belle Haney from the room.

“Don’t worry Belle. This is all just a big misunderstanding. Everything will be cleared up soon enough.” Marshall said forcing a smile as Belle left the room. “I will see you in class on Monday.”

Marshall turned back to face Waller. “Listen. She is just a student of mine. Sure she came on strong but I would never…”

“Can it. I really don’t care…Oracle.”

Jack took pause with Amanda’s comment. “I…that’s the second time you made reference to the Greek soothsayer.”

The smile on Amanda Waller’s face faded as she pulled a gun out from under the table and pointed it Jack Marshall. “I am only going to ask this once before I shoot you, why did you infiltrate my computer network masquerading as Oracle.”

“I do not know what you are talking about!” Marshall said squirming in his wheel chair.

“Wrong, answer.” Waller declared cocking the hammer on the gun.

Mark Shaw stood in the doorway and watched Vixen as she briskly walked on the treadmill.

“Are you going to stand there and watch me all day?” She asked, glancing over at where he stood.

“Sorry.” He said slowly walking into the small gymnasium inside Belle Reve. “I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“What is it about men that they don’t know how to apologize appropriately?” Mari stated pressing a button on the treadmill forcing her to walk faster.

“What do you mean?” Mark asked as walked toward her.

“Men apologize over and over again for the stupidest things but are usually too pigheaded to say sorry when they really need to.”

“Mari I…” He began to say.
“Mark stop. It’s not your fault.” She said as she pressed the stop button on the treadmill and stepped off. “I got hurt. It’s all part of the job okay?”

“Well Ben seems to think otherwise.” Mark replied unable to look her in the eye as she stood in front of him.

“Yeah, well, Ben has nothing to do with this.” She said. “We were in the field and you would have done the same thing given the chance. I got hurt but I am getting better.”

“I am glad to see that.” He said with a nervous smile on his face.

“I am glad your glad.” She said, brushing her hand under his chin. “Now did you just come down here to ease your guilty conscience or was there something else on your mind?”

“I have to leave.” He said without hesitation.

“Leave? Where?”

“Something in my…previous life needs to be taken care of. Something I’ve put off for too long now. I am leaving tonight.”

“Does Waller know?”

“No. But I wanted to tell you before I left.”

“Are you coming back?”

“I hope so.” He said as their eyes met.

“I hope so too.” She said as moved closer toward him. “Just know that you have a life here to come back to.”

Ben Turner silently watched from the doorway as Mark and Mari kissed. He immediately left without saying a word.

A few days back, Amanda Waller decided that it was time to discover who had infiltrated her computer network going by the name of Oracle. This person made contact with her and, in the guise of an ally, helped her determine that Wade Eiling was a traitor working for a criminal organization. Though she appreciated the end result, she was still very suspicious of Oracle and what was behind his or her motives for helping her and the squad. Oracle again had made contact on Amanda’s computer soon after Eiling was locked up. When Amanda attempted to press Oracle for information as to why he or she chose to help, Oracle responded with “I wanted to prove to you that I could be useful”. Ignoring further questions that Amanda asked, Oracle stated that when the time was right they would be in contact again and warned that there would be consequences if anyone at Belle Reve attempted to contact or locate them.

This did not sit well with Waller. She soon flipped through what she called her body count index, and found that there was a prisoner locked up at Belle Reve that could possibly help her.

Bernard Bonner, otherwise known as Bug, has the ability to enter any computer system and trace it back to its source. Working with his sister Blythe, who preferred the name Byte, used Bernard’s powers to swindle corporations out of millions until they were caught. Blythe turned on her brother and cut a deal with the police. She was serving time in a minimum-security prison until it was discovered she had the ability to manipulate electricity through her body. She escaped after killing seven inmates and five guards. Bernard, who was wrongly assumed to be the mastermind of the two siblings, was locked up in Belle Reve.

Amanda presented Bug with a deal, trace Oracle to his or her location and she would make sure that Byte would be tracked down and placed in a cell next to him. With a chance to pay his sister back for betraying him, he willingly agreed. Though he didn’t appear all that bright, Bug assured Amanda that he could find Oracle by back tracing through the network using a thread left behind from Oracles last contact. To insure that he didn’t back out of his end of the deal, Waller falsely claimed that he had been fitted with a device that would scramble his brain causing him a painful death if he decided to get sidetracked and not return. The gamble paid off and Bug reappeared minutes after he left. He told Waller everything she needed to know. She picked up the phone and placed the order to pick up Jack Marshall in Gotham City. Now Marshall sat across from Waller with a gun pointed in his face.

“Not so brave when you’re hiding behind a computer now are you?” Waller said as she causally waved the gun in front of Marshall.

Jack Marshall attempted to stay calm but was obviously disturbed by the gun in Waller’s possession. “If this has to do with Digitronix, the Justice Department cleared me of all charges.”

“You want to play dumb Mr. Marshall, that’s fine. But be aware that you are not the only one who is good with computers. As we speak you longer have a job at Gotham University. You no longer have an apartment in Gotham Heights. In fact you no longer exist to the outside world and not a single soul will miss you after today. Not even the little tramp that just left here. So, there is no reason why you can’t stay here as a permanent guest of federal government until you decide to change your mind. I have to imagine that an eight-by-ten cell is gonna seem awfully cramped with you in a wheelchair.” Waller nodded and two prison guards came into the room.

“Show Mr. Marshall here to his new home.”

“You can’t do this!” He yelled as the guards wheeled him out of the room. “I know my rights!”

“You gave up your rights the moment you decided to mess with me!” Waller yelled back as she set the gun down on the table.

“This some kinda joke?” Boomerang exclaimed to the man who walked into his room.

“You have me confused with another Gothamite my dear boy. This is most certainly no joke.” The man responded closing the door behind him. “My name is Julian Day.”

“I know who you are! You’re that whack job the Calendar Man!”

“This coming from the man who throws boomerang’s at the fastest man alive?” Day retorted.

“Regardless.” Boomerang muttered, “How the hell did you get out of your cell and why aren’t they busting the door down right now to drag you back?”

“There are certain people within these walls that realize the value of compensation for turning a blind eye. That is how I operate.”

“I just can’t believe it. Didn’t you recently turn down Waller for a squad mission? Not that we needed another crazy dag on the team.”

“I am as crazy as I need to be.” Day beamed.

“So if you’re the all powerful Oz hiding behind the curtain then why don’t you bust out of here?”

“When the time is right. For now I am best served within these walls.”

“Suit yourself mate. Me, I am looking to get out soon.”

“I have been authorized make you an offer that might persuade you to change your mind.” Day leaned down toward the sitting Captain Boomerang, “I need you to kill someone for me.”

“Rack off mate! If you are so bloody powerful here, do it yourself.” Harkness said setting his boomerang down on the table in front of him.

“You are the only one who can get close enough. Then perhaps we can work on taking care other some of the other menaces who roam the Belle’s halls, namely Floyd Lawton.”

“Forget it. If the Wall catches wind of this we’re all dead.”

“Mrs. Waller will continue to be preoccupied with other matters. But if you need to be convinced of the seriousness of the offer…” Julian Day paused as he pulled out a folded piece of paper and set it in front of Boomerang. “Here are five hundred thousand reasons to reconsider. The money is already in an offshore account with your name on it.”

“I think you and I can have a go at this.” Boomerang said as he carefully studied the bank transfer notice. He began to smile as he slowly pulled himself to his feet. “Who do you want dead?”

“Did you get anywhere with our Oracle yet?” Daniel Murphy asked as Amanda Waller entered the Belle Reve security office.

“Not yet but the night is still young.” She said sitting down next to him. Amanda noticed a face on a video monitor in front of her. “Is that our mysterious Batman?”

“Yep. His name is Anton Knight, the Night Stalker.” Daniel Murphy said “His step-sister is Natalia Knight or Nocturna if you may. Up till recently she was a resident here at Belle Reve.”

“So he breaks in here dressed like the Bat to breakout his sister. She gets away and he gets caught.”

“Something like that.” Murphy replied.

“He say anything about how he was able to break into the most secure prison in the country and know exactly how are where to find her?”

“He hasn’t said a word, but prisons have flaws, Amanda. No security system is perfect if you know how to exploit them.”

“Well it’s your job as head of security to prevent things like this from happening.” Amanda said obviously getting angry. “That’s what I pay you for.”

“The federal government pays me Amanda.” He said as she shot him a nasty look, “Besides, this guy’s record doesn’t indicate that he was bright enough to pull off something this intricate on his own. He had to have been feed information on the prisons specs and supplied the gear to pull this off.”

“You let me know the moment this guy utters even a vowel understand?” She said as she stood up and walked toward the door. She paused and then turned around pointing a finger down at the seated Murphy, “And so help me god if security around here doesn’t improve immensely you won’t be able to get a job checking for minors at a rated R movie, I don’t care who’s paying your salary! Are we clear?”

“Yes ma’am.” Murphy managed to utter while he held his breath until Waller left the room.

Amanda was looking over files in her office when her phone rang. She took off her glasses and reached for the phone.

“Waller its Economos! He’s dead Amanda. Jack Marshall is dead!”

“What? How?” She snapped into the receiver.

“We aren’t able to pull up the video feed from his cell block but the guards found him with his throat slit during bed checks a few minutes ago.

“I want this place lit up and locked down now! I will be down there in two minutes. Oh and John, make sure Murphy is somewhere I can’t find him or he’s a dead man as well!” Waller yelled before slamming the phone down. She pushed her chair back and began to stand up when she heard her computer ding and a message box appeared on her monitor.

“You picked up the wrong guy Amanda.” The message blinked in front of her. “I told you there should be no attempts to try and find me. Now an innocent man is dead. This will be your one and only warning. Next time I won’t play so nice.”

Amanda reached out and knocked the computer monitor off her desk.

Somewhere half way around the world…

A man reached up and muted the sound on the video feed on the screen in front of him.

“So now you know the truth.” Another man, who was seated next to him, stated.

“The truth? Perhaps. The fact is that I waited almost four thousand years for the prophecy of the golden sculpture of Khafra to come to pass. The truth does not give me any such pleasure.”

“Ah but there is an advantage to being immortal such as we are. We exude with patient don’t we, Vandal Savage?”

“Perhaps. But one thing the young mister Flagg stated was true. This is far from over.”

Now

Black Orchid watched as Philip Sylvia’s entire body began to shake. She wondered how long it would take before blood would begin to seep out of his body. She could stand there and watch him die but it wouldn’t be enough. She needed to know the truth.

“You now have twenty-six seconds.” She leaned down and whispered into his ear.

He attempted to speak but he was unable to utter a sound. Susan reached out and pressed two fingers into the side of his neck. Doctor Sylvia gasped for air and began to breathe again.

“If I let go of this spot on your neck your body will begin to shut down again. If you tell me everything I want to know I can reverse the process entirely. Choose your words carefully, Doctor.”

“Who…who are you? What do you want from me?” He managed to utter under labored breath.

“You were in charge of the Black Orchid project at Lex Corp, yes?”

“Yes.” He answered.

“After being fired you changed your name and began to work for Wayne enterprises under an assumed named where you expanded on the project yes?”

“Yes.”

“See how easy this is?” She said reaching up with her other and patted him on the cheek. “Now here comes another one that may be a little tougher. What was the purpose of the project?”

He didn’t hesitate as he answered her. “I was told to create the perfect spy. Someone who could change their appearance at will and uses pheromone powers to persuade those she could get close to…”

“Why me? Why did you choose me to experiment on?”

“I…I…don’t know who you are. There were so many.”

“How many?” Susan demanded.

“Eighty, maybe a hundred girls. I lost track. They kept dying.” He began to cry “But she kept sending more girls until I couldn’t take it anymore. I left and went into hiding. But she found me and sent you here to kill me.”

“Her? What is her name?”

“I never wanted any of this!” He said finding it harder to speak.

“The person who ordered you to perform the experiments, tell me her goddamned name!” Susan screamed. Susan leaned down as he muttered a name.

“Please God forgive me.” He pleaded.

Susan spoke softly into his ear “God is going to have to wait. Where you are going you will have to face each and every innocent girl who’s lives you stole. Maybe, just maybe one of them will forgive you.”

She stood up and released her fingers from his neck. “I am not sorry when I tell you that I lied. There is no way to reverse the death touch. But know this, your death will be mild compared to what I have in store for her.”

Black Orchid left Philip Sylvia to die alone in his home as she disappeared into the Gotham City night.

Now

Paris, France 4 a.m.

“I fear zat you are in over your head fille.” The woman said before striking Black Orchid from behind. Susan turned and faced her attacker. It was a tall woman dressed in a tan and burgundy costume with a hood trailed off like a tail. It was a stupid mistake. She was so focused on getting inside the building that she never saw her coming.

Susan had now been awake for nearly thirty-six hours. After getting the name from Philip Sylvia, she was on a plane to Paris France. Everything had come full circle. She was in France just two weeks ago when she received the message that sent her on a journey to discover the truth about who she was and how she became that way. Now she stood outside the corporate headquarters of Revson, a major Parisian perfume company. The intel she uncovered led her to believe that the woman she sought out was inside this building. All that stood in her way was a crazy french woman with American superhero envy.

Susan easily dodged the next assualt as the woman charged past her.

“You are American, no?” The woman said as she spin back around, “Well, you will find zat France has her own defender. I am zee Crimson Fox and you will not be allowed to continue yor criminal intentions anymore zes…”

Susan charged the Crimson Fox and punched her in the jaw, stopping her midsentence and knocking her to the ground. She watched to see if she was going to get back up. When she determined that Crimson Fox was down for good, she continued to search for a way to enter the building unnoticed.

Now

Black Orchid quickly moved through the Revson building toward the top floor. Adrenalin carried her up each flight of stairs. Does the woman she is after know that she’s here? She must know by now. It’s almost as if she lead her here.

Susan reached the top floor and swung the door open from the stairwell. She braced herself as she went down the long hallway and through the doorway into the only lit room on the floor. Susan stopped when she saw the woman she was after, with her back turned looking out the window.

“Constance D'Aramis!” Black Orchid shouted out to the woman.

Now

The woman turned around to see Black Orchid staring at her from across the room. “You don’t have to be so dramatic Suzy. I just watched you beat-up my sister across the street. Her and that silly costume. Crimson Fox, please!”

Susan stood there and watched as the woman walked over and sat down at the desk across from her. “Have a seat Suzy, we have a lot of catching up to do.”

“You know I came here to kill you.” Susan said in a low discerning voice.

“Did you now?” Constance replied as she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms “Are you sure? I mean of course you may have thought that at first but now you’re not so sure. You are home now Susan. You are home.”

“I am going to give you only one chance to tell me everything.”

“And then what? Kill me like you did Doctor Sylvia? You won’t have to torture me Suzy. I will gladly tell you everything you want to know.”

Black Orchid took a few steps towards Constance and sat down across from her.

“There you go.” Constance smiled

“What are you doing to me?” Susan said in a daze after she realized she had sat down. There was something familiar in the air that was suddenly clouding Susan’s mind.

“Something I have been doing ever since it appeared I had finally succeed with your creation, I have been testing you. You see, my sister Vivian may have a rosy view of things but I understand and appreciate the complexities of the world. I may appear to be a woman content to run her own perfume company, but I am a woman of vision. All I needed was the perfect instrument to help me reshape the landscape of global power. It took nearly three years before we had our first real success but alas there you were. With my design, Doctor Sylvia had created the perfect spy.”

Susan clinched her fist but she was unable to move out of the chair.

“But I had to make sure you would be able to perform any task I required of you. So I decided to let you lose to see how you would adapt in the world. I admit at first I was somewhat disappointed. But after the incident in Metropolis sent you into hiding I decided to help you get on track. I fed information that found it’s way into Sarge Steels hands, which eventually led him to you. From there I must say I have been impressed. You have become everything I could have hoped for.” Constance stood up and walked around to where Black Orchid was seated. “The test phase is now over which is why I contacted you a few weeks back. Now it is time for you to fully embrace what you were created for Suzy.”

Susan slowly rose from her seat and stood face to face with Constance D'Aramis.

“I… would rather… die.” Susan finally said. With a blurring motion, Susan reached up and put her hands around Constance’s neck and slowly began to squeeze. “But I am taking you with me.”

Constance struggled against Black Orchids grasp, “You are stronger then I gave you credit for.” Constance chocked “I emitted enough pheromones in this room to over take ten men.”

Susan picked the flailing woman up by the neck and threw her across the room. “I am really sorry it has to be like this Suzy.” Constance shouted as she pulled herself up off the floor.

Susan shook her head as she attempted to fight off another wave of pheromones in the air. She felt dizzy and barely able to stand as she slowly moved toward Constance. She heard a noise behind her and turned around to see Constance’s sister charge toward her. Susan was unable to move out of the way in time and as the Crimson Fox lifted her right hand to reveal razor sharp claws on her costume. She watched as the woman slashed into her with her claws. The pain was more then she could bear as she felt her flesh tear open. Everything began to go black as she hit the floor.

Susan lay on the floor clutching the open wound at her side. She’s afraid if she lets go her insides will spill out onto the floor next to her. It may not matter. There is so much blood. How can there be this much blood? How can someone live while losing this much blood? She finally had the answers she was looking for. She knows who she is and who was responsible for what she has become. She finally had the answers about her life. Now she was going to die…