Undisclosed Location…
Jim Gordon had been through a lot in his life he'd seen a lot to. Nothing however could prepare him for this. He'd been abducted in his own home and at first, he thought he was going to be killed. The place he'd been taken wasn't your standard criminal lair it was too clean and seemed almost professional. That and the room he in seemed like an interrogation room.
He waited hand cuffed to a chair not sure really what was happening at this point a door slowly opened it sounded like an iron door. It shut, and Jim heard a voice "Good evening Mr. Gordon." The voice said before pulling off the hood allowing Jim to see.
Jim recognized the man it was his old war buddy Richard Flag "Rick?" Jim saw his old friend and almost felt relieved "What is going on?"
"Well Jim. You tell me. I'll be blunt I work for an organization that deals in the very bizarre. Something I'm sure your more than familiar with given everything I've heard about Gotham. I'm here to make you an offer the hammer is about to come down on you Jim and hard the powers that be want to take you down and by that I mean put you in prison people have been making a case against you for corruption and if they have their way you'll be back in Black Gate by the end of the month."
Jim sighed thinking of his options part of him wanted to just take whatever he had coming he was honorable like that but another part of him wanted to take whatever help was being offered "So what do you want from me?"
"I'm glad you asked me that. Jim there's a program I'm starting it's in its infancy now but it's got promise I call it Task Force X but our nickname is the Suicide Squad."
"I'm guessing Suicide Squad isn't just a colorful nickname."
"No it's not. We give suicide missions to criminals in exchange for full pardons and clean slates if you accept I will make sure that you are given a full pardon for all crimes you may or may not have committed in the last few years. If not I'll make sure you go away for life." Rick explained.
Jim took a deep breath he wanted so badly to tell Rick to go screw himself especially with how Rick just threatened him but decided against it and after letting out a deep breath "So, who will I be working with?"
"It's a small op Jim. You'll be acting as a handler for a potential recruit we're looking into someone your familiar with but have had little interaction with her name is…"
Arkham Asylum Three Hours Later…
Tabitha Galavan opened her eyes her head was throbbing the last thing she remembered was leaving her home and getting on her motor cycle. She looked around and realized he was in some black and white striped clothes the next thing she noticed was her hair wasn't in a pony tail someone undid her pony tail "What's going on?" She looked around quickly realizing where she was "How did I get in Arkham?"
After a few hours of waiting her cell door opened and a man in a military uniform walked in behind him were two armed soldiers "Miss Galavan my name is Rick Flag I'm here to offer you the opportunity of a life time."
"Why did you kidnap me?" Tabitha's voice was mixed with fear and anger.
"Not kidnap your presence here is completely legal you are after all a known criminal you've never been charged however for any past crimes but that ends now. You see I have enough evidence to make sure you get the needle. Do you understand me? Also this here will not be you permanent residence. I am making sure if you say no you'll be put in a whole until your execution is ready. Now do you want to die or would you like to take a chance and potentially get a second chance?"
"Second chance?"
"If you and your partner do as asked, of you, you'll both be granted pardons for all your crimes a total clean slate. Until then you'll both be working together and working directly under me. Your partner someone I trust will oversee you but make no mistake he's in the same boat as you." Rick Flag explained "So, what do you say? If you say no know you'll face the death penalty but if you say yes you may have a chance to live a normal life."
Tabitha took a deep breath to calm down she knew she was screwed so she said the only thing she could say "Fine. Who am I working with?"
Task Force X Head Quarters Two Days Later…
Jim and Tabitha looked at each other with shock and frustration when after sitting down while cuffed he muttered "I'm working with you?"
Tabitha already sitting down didn't have much to say either the only words she spoke were "This has to be a sick joke."
"I'm afraid not." Rick Flag said walking to meet them "Good morning you two. I am glad to see you've already figured out your partners."
"So, what exactly are we doing?" Jim asked wanting to get this all over with.
"Yeah I wanted to know that to." Tabitha added while angrily shifting her eyes from Rick Flag to Jim then back to Rick Flag.
"Alright I'll skip the small talk. Are you familiar with Roman Sionis?"
"The name Sionis sounds familiar." Jim answered.
"Yeah I think I killed a man with same last name." Tabitha added.
"Well that man you killed Miss Galavan was Roman Sionis's father. Also Jim since you put Roman Sionis's father away and by extension destroyed the Sionis name he's got a vested interest in killing you as much as he does killing Tabitha." Rick said to both of them "Tell me do either of you know who runs Gotham's underworld? That question is rhetorical of course you don't. Let me give you both and education into he really has power in Gotham. Shortly after Strange's freaks broke out of Arkham, Roman Sionis popped up. Which is strange and I'm going to tell you why Roman Sionis and a college buddy of his went missing a year or two prior to that. His parents of course didn't give a shit not enough to file a missing person. So here's what I think happened he was killed, his body was recovered by scavengers working for Hugo Strange, I think he was on that bus with the rest of those freaks, and I think after escaping he built his own empire using what was left of his father's resources. Now he's the most powerful man in Gotham."
"That impossible." Jim shook his head.
"Yeah Penguin, Barbara, even Sofia they've been the only ones running Gotham." Tabitha added.
Rick Flag shook his head in disagreement "So tell me, where do think the criminals in this city get their guns, drugs, and whores? I'll answer for you both. Roman Sionis rules not just Gotham but the entire god dam coast. In the last few years Roman Sionis has built an empire so powerful that if he wanted he could crush everyone in this city like bugs the only reason he hasn't is because the so called self-proclaimed kings and queens of Gotham provide a good smoke screen but he's getting to the point where he won't need any of his pawns and when that happens I have no doubt there will blood maybe innocent blood." Rick looked at Jim then turned his head to see Tabitha "Maybe even Selina Kyle will get caught in cross fire alone with Kean, and Gilzean you comfortable with that?"
"You've made your point." Tabitha answered "Now get me out of these Arkham rags so I can kill Sionis for you."
"Oh, if only it were that simple." Rick then added "You see Sionis or as he's known in some circles as Black Mask has many body guards along with someone you really don't want to cross paths with Miss Galavan one of the best assassins in the world and Sionis's network is extremely interwoven with every aspect of Gotham City from Gotham's elite to the GCPD to even criminals in Gotham's underbelly. Killing him is almost impossible, almost."
"I take it that means you have a plan to kill him." Tabitha said while rubbing her eyes.
"This is how it will work you to will work sabotage his organization in order to draw him out. For each kill or mission, you succeed at you will get closer to that full pardon and you'll both get a fresh start." Rick looked at Jim seeing he was less than enthusiastic "Don't look so glum Jim we used to do Uncle Sam's dirty work all the time you, me, and our old buddy Sla-"
"Do not say his name." Jim threatened getting angrier "You do not get to say his name after what you did the last time we were together!"
"I'm guessing you two have some serious history."
"You are correct Miss Galavan. Jimmy and I we're old war buddies we did the governments dirty work things so horrible they'd make even your stomach turn." Rick smirked at Jim "Jimmy and I used to get up to some nasty stuff want to tell her?"
"That was a long time ago Rick."
"Oh, seems like yesterday to me." Rick looked back at Tabitha "Jimmy here was our teams torture expert. I bet he could give you some pointers Miss Galavan. I about died laughing when I heard Jimmy here became a cop. He was also unrivaled when it came to assassinations well almost unrivaled."
"Just tell me what you want me and Gordon to do so I can get back to my life." Tabitha spoke abruptly.
"Alright well your both going to be given a test run assignment. Sionis has an accountant whose flying in from out of town you are going to capture and interrogate him find out where and how Sionis launders his money." Rick explained "Oh and you two are going to be spending a lot of time together that being said I suggest you both bury the hatchet before everything is ready." After saying that Rick Flag left the room and the locked door.
Jim and Tabitha just looked at each other across the table in the blank empty room "So what are the chances of you not killing me before things with Rick are over?"
"Not very likely." Tabitha glared at him "I still owe you for what happened with Theo."
"The brother you abandoned and who came back from the dead to drive a blade through your heart?" Jim asked sarcastically "Yeah sounds like he's worth avenging. Then again you've killed God only knows how many people maybe you belong in that Arkham uniform."
"Shut up!" Tabitha slammed her fist on the table "You have no right to judge me! Sofia told me and Barbara that you brought her and Pyg to Gotham you by extension caused the deaths of your fellow officers. You killed my brother in cold blood and you've done favors for criminals for information. You pretend to be this saint but you're as dirty as any cop in Gotham." Tabitha hissed.
"Okay fine so I'm not exactly the good cop everyone thinks." Jim nodded "I've made mistakes but at least I do not make a sport out of slaughter."
"Oh please." Tabitha laughed "You get off on the violence in this city you'd have left a long time ago if you didn't."
"Regardless of our differences though Tabitha we're both stuck in a hole the only way out is to put aside our differences." Jim held out his hand "We either work together or we die alone."
Tabitha looked at his hand "You this is suicide right? If Sionis is as dangerous as your old war buddy says this will likely be a suicide mission."
"I know it is."
"Well it's not like it's worst alliance this city has ever seen." Tabitha took his hand and they shook on it "We work together until we get our pardons after that all bets are off."