Chapter Text
(South Complex 20:17)
The entire journey across the Sparang Bridge to South Complex was completely…underwhelming. Seven weeks ago, the Suicide Squad walked through endless trails of rubble, broken glass, shifty black ooze, and upturned cars. When they were in Midtown City, there wasn’t a single corner that hadn’t escaped Enchantress’ wrath. Now, as armed men and women walked cautiously throughout Gotham City, the excitement from the past was yet to be seen. Sure, it was a relief not to have mindless zombies attacking their rears every ten minutes, yet there was something unfulling about just walking through a city that is supposedly being terrorized by superhumans.
“I’m bored,” Harley quietly pouted while carelessly swinging her bat around her shoulders.
“Would you rather have metahumans fryin’ our asses?” Floyd, who was walking beside her, asked.
“If it meant gettin’ some action, then yeah.”
“Cheer up, doll. Consider this an easy way towards privileges -- we don’t have to do shit, and we’ll still get the prizes.”
“What are you going to ask the big man for?”
The hitman went silent as he carefully processed his most fulfilling and relevant wishes for when they complete the mission. In the end, he came up short.
“I ain’t so sure what I want. What about you?”
“I want my own hammock so I can sleep near the sky.”
“Damn, that was actually beauti-”
“Also, so I can use it to hang those stupid guards by their thick necks.”
“There it is…” Floyd paused for a moment. “So…how’d you get caught?”
Harley stopped in her tracks as she reminisced about her painful end of freedom. She did consider telling Floyd about the incident with The Joker, but that would only lead to questions and coddling: the two things she hated…right after Batman.
“That ain’t any of your business, honey.”
Floyd moved to stand directly in front of Harley. “Actually it is,” he gently stated. “You see, if anyone out there hurt you, then it’ll be my mission to kill ‘em on sight.”
The female inmate snorted. “You sound just like Soldier Boy.”
“Who the hell is-”
“Flag.” The hitman looked surprised at the confession. “He and I had the same ole’ talk, and I’m not gonna repeat myself. You want answers, talk to him.”
Before Floyd could respond, Harley stormed off, her boots leaving a thunderous stomp with each step.
For a few seconds, the hitman’s eyes traveled from Quinn to Rick, who was striding behind Mushtaq like the good soldier he was. Seven weeks ago, the colonel hadn’t taken a liking to Harley at all, mostly because she constantly challenged his authority and played by her own rules. Now, they had somehow formed a connection that, while not necessarily deep and meaningful, united the squad even further. Floyd was impressed with Rick; he had somehow managed to get Harley to reveal a personal, more vulnerable side of herself that nobody else had ever seen. Floyd definitely wasn’t jealous, but he did stand by what he promised: anyone who hurt his squad would pay. Right now, he needed to talk with Rick.
Rick Flag turned his back to see Captain Boomerang flirting with Katana, who looked like she was about to slice the Aussie in half. The colonel couldn’t help but smirk when he saw the assassin reject Harkness in her typical fashion: simply walking past him with an eye roll. Before he could fall back to comfort the seemingly heartbroken robber, he was caught off guard by a hand resting on his shoulder. Instinctively, he pointed his weapon at the accomplice.
“Easy, man!”
Floyd. “God damnit! Give a man some kind of warning!”
The hitman smirked before falling in line with the colonel. “Didn’t realize Red, White, and Blue was so wired. I’ll be sure to notify my people.” A couple of beats. “Heard you talked to Harley earlier.”
“I did.”
“What about?”
“That’s her story to tell, not mine.”
“She’s a part of our squad-”
“It ain’t my squad anymore… it’s Mushtaq’s.”
“Bullshit.” Rick turned to look at Floyd, who wore a determined expression on his face. “That wannabe can lead those other machines. But you and I are leadin’ the gang of misfits.” When Rick moved to protest, the hitman cut him off. “We didn’t come this far as a team only to lose it all to some pansy-ass.”
“Thought that was my title.”
“You’re missin’ the point, Flag. I ain’t losin' my team to Waller and her puppet, and neither should you.”
“If I disobey Waller, then everything I fought was for nothing. Those special privileges will be gone, mission completed or not, if I turn my back on Waller’s demands. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…”
Floyd was speechless -- Rick was willing to sacrifice his authority, and potentially job, if it meant seeing the Suicide Squad get their fair share. This was Rick’s way of still being a part of the team. Floyd wasn’t sure if he should hug the poor bastard or shoot him right in the face for being so…him. So instead, rather than replying with some statement of gratitude or disgust, he simply shook his head.
“Was that a Star Trek reference? If it was, I’m gonna kick you in the ass.”
Rick smirked. “Hey, Zoe got me into the show and-”
“Zoe?”
“Yeah.”
“What the hell are you talkin’ about, Flag?”
“Her place is a few blocks from where I’m stationed at. While I’m walking home from work, I’d occasionally see her and escort her back to her place. Sometimes, she’d invite me in and-”
“And what?”
Rick didn’t flinch at Floyd’s darkening tone -- it was a father’s instinct to protect their offspring. “-and I’d sometimes help her with her homework, although she’s already smart as hell. If anything, I’m just there for support. I’d help her with her academics, with cleaning up the place, and even just to give her some company.” Floyd had an unreadable expression on his face. “Hey, would you rather have Darnell watching her?”
“Hell no!”
“Good. Originally, I just escorted her back to her place. But soon enough, we ended up just keeping each other company. Besides, considering that I’m a legal adult supervising Zoe, Darnell was no longer a part of the equation. At least, not in Zoe’s.”
“What do you two talk about?”
“Everything an eleven year old is interested in: homework, boys, tv shows, and you.”
“Me?”
“You’re her father, right? How can she not talk about you?”
“Well…what does she say about me?”
“Figured she wrote her feelings in the cards she sends you.” Rick turned to look at Floyd. “Listen, I’m sorry if I overstepped my boundaries. It’s just…Zoe’s a very bright kid, and I don’t want to see someone like her getting hurt of thrown down the wrong path with influences like Darnell. I figured I might as well make sure that she stays the course when you’re not visiting.” A pause. “After this mission, I’ll stop checking in on her.”
Floyd was pissed…but not for the reason any of you may be thinking of. Following the Enchantress operation, Rick’s job was to simply escort Floyd from Belle Reve to the apartment and back. That was it. Instead, the man decided to accompany Zoe on walks, provide her with some companionship, and even remove Darnell from the picture. Rick did all of that, even when he didn’t have to. The colonel went above and beyond the call of duty, and it nearly moved Floyd to tears…and for that, it pissed him off. Underneath his chest armor was a new letter from Zoe that had been written on the day of their departure. It had been neatly placed, undoubtedly by Flag, into the black chest where his gear and weapons were. Floyd had yet to read the letter, but now, after hearing the impact Rick had on Zoe’s daily life, the hitman was more than eager to read the letter.
Floyd needed to move onto a different topic before he became too emotional. “Harley told me to talk to you about her return to Belle Reve. So, fess up.”
Rick, who wasn’t a fan of the quick change in topic, simply sighed in disappointment, but fulfilled Deadshot’s request. “I overheard a couple of guards saying that The Joker pushed her from two stories.” He looked over and saw darkness overcoming Floyd’s usually calm eyes. “He left her in an alleyway and…here she is, now.”
Rick rarely saw Floyd seething. Sure, there have been numerous times when the hitman expressed anger or disapproval, but it was usually in a calm and balanced manner that perfectly masked the rage he truly felt. But this was different…Rick had never seen Floyd outwardly project so much rage. It was actually scary.
“He did what?” The colonel only shook his head, sharing the same amount of disgust and fury. “I’m gonna kill him.”
“Well, you’d better hurry before Batman beats you to it.”
“Halt!”
Everyone was forcibly pulled from their thoughts at Colonel Mushtaq’s command. The blonde soldier continued to move forwards while the rest of the unit remained posted where they stood. Rick and GQ glanced at each other before meeting up halfway so they were standing right beside one another.
“What the hell is he doing?” GQ whispered.
“You think I know? Waller withheld information about Mushtaq’s arrival, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s acting on her secret agenda.”
The two soldiers continued to suspiciously eye the colonel, who was glancing around the empty street as if it were some kind of scenic view. Because his back was facing the unit, nobody saw the smirk morphing onto his lips.
“Alright men, move out.”
With slight reluctance, everyone pushed forward down the street. For a few moments, everything was silent -- except the stomping boots hitting the concrete below them. But then-
An explosion from behind the unit erupted the city. Everyone immediately turned and aimed their weapons at the source. However, before they could open fire, another explosive was set off, this time taking out one of the SEALS.
“Everyone find cover!” Rick ordered.
“ENGAGE!!” Mushtaq said.
Everyone who wasn’t Rick or Mushtaq looked at the two colonels, who were both glaring at each other. Eventually, the newcomer spoke up.
“Colonel Flag is no longer in charge of this unit! I am leading this group, and I say open fire!!!”
“We ‘ave no idea what to bloody shoot!!” Captain Boomerang shouted.
“Woah…”
Rick and Floyd turned to Harley, who was staring at the fallen soldier. The faceless man was pinned against a brick wall with a javel sticking from his chest. The javelin was set ablaze, while the main tip, from what Rick could see, had been blown off.
“They’re explosives,” he stated gravely.
As if to prove his theory correct, everyone looked up at the sky to see a javelin airborne. As soon as it connected with a tower window, it exploded on impact, sending glass and fire erupting from the now ruined window. Killer Croc closed his eyes and sniffed out every single person on sight, trying to identify any different or new smell. Then, right as he was cracking the code, he could hear something… a zipping sound.
Suddenly, one soldier was sent airborne into a car. When everyone turned to the man, they were surprised by another sight.
Standing above the soldier was a shirtless man with long, raven hair. He wore grey sweatpants, a black headband, and black fingerless gloves. In both of his hands was a javelin. Killer Croc used his enhanced sight and, from afar, saw that the tip of the weapon was beeping.
“Engage!” Rick commanded.
In the blink of an eye, the stranger had vanished, but unfortunately the spear had been embedded into the soldier’s skull. After a few beeps, the soldier’s corpse exploded into nothing but flesh, organs, and blood. Harley and Captain Boomerang nearly gagged at the scene.
“There he is!!!” someone shouted.
Everyone turned their heads up to find the target easily scaling an apartment building with his superspeed. “What is this Quicksilver shit?!” Captain Boomerang shouted.
Everyone opened fire and, obviously, missed. As the stranger catapulted himself from the apartment wall to a car, he threw five other explosive javelins.
“Everyone take cover!!!” Rick ordered.
While Captain Boomerang, Harley, and El Diablo ran towards an alleyway, Katana and Killer Croc sprinted towards a car that had already been set ablaze. Meanwhile, both Rick and GQ’s teams had split up and took positioned behind walls and cars, making sure that they were close enough to hit their target. Floyd, Rick, and GQ opted to hiding behind a car ride in the center of the road. When one spear was heading straight towards Harley and Croc, Captain Boomerang quickly took out his own explosive weapon and threw it at the incoming object, intercepting its main target. When the boomerang and javelin connected in mid air, they both exploded into dust. The three leaders -- Rick, Floyd, and GQ -- all nodded to each other before moving from their cover and firing at the remaining incoming spears, each one of them taking out the deadly weapon before they harmed any of their unit members.
“Look out!!!”
GQ looked to his side and saw a sharp spear heading straight in his direction. Then, much to everyone’s surprise, he gracefully pushed Rick and Floyd down before somersaulting over the incoming spear. While the weapon ended up hitting an empty store, everyone turned to the SEAL in shock.
“What?” the soldier asked nonchalantly.
“Since when were you an acrobat?” Rick asked. “Or did you just pull that outta your ass?”
GQ simply shrugged his shoulders. “Been an acrobat for a while. Didn’t really think it’d be useful until now.”
“Damn boy,” Floyd chimed in, “you’ve been holdin’ out on us. Any other secret skills you’d like to share with the class?”
The three men looked back at the scene and saw the stranger tossing seven more javelins at breakneck speed. When one spear was heading straight for the SEALS, Katana turned to Killer Croc.
<“Throw me!”> The cannibal merely blinked at the foreign command. “THROW ME!” she demanded in English.
By the time Croc nodded, Katana had already run back a few feet before sprinting towards the beast. Then, when she was close enough, Croc lowered his arms so Katana had a platform to take off from. Once her boots connected with the scaly surface, Croc thrust his arms upwards and watched Katana flip into the air. Then, as if it were nothing, the assassin caught the spear, mid flight, and threw it back at the stranger. As she landed gracefully beside Captain Boomerang, the javelin exploded right beside their attacker, catching him off guard.
“Noice,” Harkness exclaimed, holding his palm up for a high five.
At first, the assassin stared at the Aussie as if he were insane. But then, ever so slowly, she connected her hand with Harkness’. The high five was weak and awkward, but it was something! The Australian bit down a squeal of excitement.
Deadshot stood up onto the car he was using as cover and began to shoot down each spear one by one. Soon enough, all of the armed men and women gained the courage to join the hitman, each one of them taking out spear after spear.
“The hell?” Deadshot began. “Does this guy ever run outta spears?”
Harley took a deep breath and removed herself from her hideout, taking out her massive handgun from its holder. Soon enough, she was also joining the soldiers in taking out the incoming explosives.
When Rick ran out of bullets, he ducked behind the car and moved to reload. However, as he removed the magazine from his pocket, he froze at the sight. Everyone had become so invested in taking out the stranger that they hadn’t noticed a Boeing AH-64 Apache approaching them from behind. While the operator’s face couldn’t be seen, the guns pointing directly at the firing unit were crystal clear. His eyes darted from the helicopter to Floyd, who was in the line of fire.
“EVERYONE GET DOWN!!!”
The entire unit was hit by an hailstorm of bullets, some of them instantly killing military men. Captain Boomerang quickly grabbed Katana pulled her the rest of the way into the alley. Members who hid behind cars abandoned their post and instead sprinted towards the next empty alleyway. Meanwhile, Rick snatched Floyd from on top of the car and threw him onto the pavement. The duo quickly crawled towards the other side of the vehicle they were behind.
“Now would be a good time to spring up that shield of yours, Cap!” Floyd shouted over the monsoon of bullets.
To the hitman’s surprise, Rick didn’t respond with some snarky or harsh remark. Hell, he didn’t even bark any orders as to what the next step should be. Instead, he sat against the car, directing his gaze towards the wet pavement below them. He remained almost oblivious to the bullets ricocheting around them. Before Floyd could investigate Rick’s behavior-
“Oi, Pink Eye!!!”
Deadshot turned to Boomerang, who waved another explosive boomerang in the air. Immediately putting two-and-two together, the hitman turned to address the remaining unit members.
“Give me coverin' fire!!”
Everyone except for Rick, who remained on the floor, provided the hitman with some distraction. The pyrokinetic conjured up flames and shot them into the air, right in the pilot’s line of view. As soon as the helicopter stopped firing down, Captain Boomerang set off his weapon and tossed it, with all of his force, at the pilot’s seat. Once it was close enough, Deadshot perfectly shot ten bullets at the charged weapon. Once his bullets connected with the boomerang, they both exploded directly in front of the helicopter. Deadshot could see that their plan had been successful, for the aircraft began to lose control and head down towards the street. The helicopter crashed onto the pavement and did a couple of barrel rolls towards the unit. Then, like a cartoon show, it came to a stop just inches away from where Deadshot and Rick were located in the center of the road. For a few seconds, everyone remained silent and opted to stare at the ruined helicopter. Then, after shaking off the initial shock, Deadshot and the SEALS raised their weapons and walked over towards the pilot’s seat. Behind the broken and burnt glass was a man whose face had been blown off by the explosive.
“Yikes,” Harley said as she moved towards the wreckage, “talk about a facelift…”
Colonel Mushtaq was, at first, completely silent. He wore an unreadable expression that neither showed happiness nor pity at the deceased man. In fact, the only emotion that could’ve been detected was anger…
“Good job, men. Now, we move out! We’re halfway to City Hall.”
“What about the acrobatic javelin thrower?” El Diablo asked.
“He must’ve vanished during the ambush. Just keep your guards on. Move out!”
Everyone nodded their heads before advancing towards their destination. This time, however, their senses were on alert.
Floyd, who was the last one in line, stopped when he saw Rick still sitting against the car.
“Hey there,” he began as he knelt down in front of the colonel, “Earth to Captain America.”
“Wh-What?”
Floyd snapped his fingers directly in front of Rick’s face. “Nap time’s over. We gotta move out.”
“Okay.”
Despite turning around, from the corner of his eyes, Floyd could see the colonel struggling with standing up. Rick heavily leaned against the upturned vehicle and even hissed.
“You okay?”
Rick snapped his gaze to Floyd . “Yeah, but I dropped Waller’s phone. I’ll find it and meet up with y’all in a second.”
The hitman’s eyes narrowed. “You sure?”
“Yeah. Go before Mushtaq gets his ass in a bunch again.”
For a few moments, Floyd just stood in front of Rick, not fully believing the colonel’s statement. However, knowing very well that Rick’s pride would prevent him from revealing any possible issues, he merely patted Rick’s shoulder before moving to catch up with the squad.
Alone at last, Rick allowed himself to tend to the burning pain in his right abdomen. He slid his right hand underneath his bulletproof vest and placed it over the source of pain. However, he immediately retracted it when he felt something wet, warm, and sticky cover his entire palm. Examining his hand, he discovered that it was completely coated in blood…his blood.