Secret Six: Second Generation
Chapter 1: New Recruits
I was in love once, with a girl named Scandal Savage. We were from different worlds she and I. I was from a world of simple pleasures, she was from a world of violence and arbitrary ethics. If there was ever a person that made you believe in freedom from society's norms it was Scandal. She and I eventually got married along with Knockout, my second wife but our happiness wouldn't last long. They belonged to a group of likeminded people that was thrown in jail for defying the superheroes. To make things worse they put them into different prisons.
Scandal, Knockout, Jeanette, Deadshot & King Shark was put in Belle Reve in Louisiana. It takes me a while for me to get from Gotham to Louisiana and with my salary I can't afford many trips. This year I have only been there three times, on all of them I only meet Scandal (it was against the rules to meet several inmates at once). I have tried to get a meeting with Knockout but Scandal told me Knockout didn't want to meet anyone. I never meet Knockout before the proposal but Scandal had told me about her and all I could think was "I wished I was that woman." Knock Out had grown up under people that wanted her to be a soldier but she rebelled & escaped for a more independent life. During the short time I knew Knockout I found her to be a lively and noble person but I guess jail time is hard on her. All five of them had been requested by Amanda Waller to join Task Force X (AKA Suicide Squad), only Deadshot & King Shark took up the offer. Scandal said that she didn't want to work for that horrible woman anymore and that she much rather would wait for an opportunity to escape.
Ragdoll was sent to Central City's asylum obviously.
Catman was declared psychologically insane after slitting the wrist of his own lawyer and was sent to Arkham Asylum. I went to meet him once but the staff told me Thomas Blake doesn't take visitors.
Ever since my lost I haven't felt like myself. The dancing is not as fulfilling anymore, I call in sick more now than ever.
Liana Kerzner came home to her apartment after work. She suddenly heard a bunch of scraping & splashing noises from the bathroom. She was almost too afraid to open the bathroom door but she slowly opened it. The toilet was shaking and then Ragdolls head popped out between the toilet seats.
"Excuse me for my theatrical entrance Miss Kerzner" Ragdoll said in his usual sophisticated tone. "But at least I didn't accidentally give you the German licking."
"Peter Merkel" Liana said surprised. "How did you escape from the asylum?"
"Well, I slipped thru a crack in the wall" Ragdoll answered while getting out his last leg out of the toilet. Liana was still a bit in shock over the sight.
"What do you want…I mean, um" (she was afraid that she might have offended him).
"We need your help" he said. That was when the doorbell sounded. Liana went to open it. It was Black Alice in her usual gothic getup.
"Hey Liana, is Ragdoll here?" She said embarrassed while scratching the back of her head and smiling.
Liana & Alice started drinking their coffee in the living room while Ragdoll showered off that sewer smell.
"So Alice what have you done lately?" Liana asked.
"I tried to get a membership in Justice Society but my criminal record ruined my chances" Black Alice said. "Fucking bigots" she mumbled while taking a sip.
Liana looked at Black Alice. This girl had obviously been thru more during her 17 years than most people has during an entire lifetime and the life of supervillainy was not the life for such a young girl.
"So, are you and Merkel…?" Liana asked while nicking her head towards the bathroom. "Not officially but we have kept contact ever since I left the team" Alice responded.
Ragdoll came out of the bathroom completely naked while tying his last bondage over his face. He sat down in the sofa across to Liana & Alice and breathes out.
"Peter can you please put on some clothes" Liana said in as nice a tone she could muster. "Sorry Miss Kerzner but I found that is easier to convince people of thing when I´m in the nude" Ragdoll answered while crossing his legs. "Now, let's get down to business. The first thing I did when I escaped was to get to our old hideout to see after my darling monkey but they were not there. I searched but didn't found them anywhere. Hopefully there happy in monkey heaven or as somebody's overfeed pets. Anyway, after that I started planning on how to rescue our imprisoned friends. During the past year I have learned new fighting techniques, military strategy and been making connections."
"That's fine but you said you needed my help" Liana interrupted.
"Well, you see in order for my plan or plans to work we need somebody that can communicate with our captured teammates and since Black Alice and myself are wanted criminals we are not allowed to visit without being terminally stuck there". Liana sunk her head as she started to understand what Ragdoll was asking her for.
"I don't know, I have always been accepting off the things your team do but help you break out convicted criminals out of two separate institutions, I don't know if I could do that". Ragdoll stood up and looked down at Liana.
"I know what I am asking you is not like anything you done before but I give you my word that you will not be put in harm's way". Ragdoll gave Liana his hand and said "Scandal should have done it for you".
It was in that moment that Black Alice stared in disbelief at Ragdoll. She had never seen this manipulative side of Ragdoll, or was it? Was Ragdoll playing Liana´s emotions to his advantage or did he somehow believe this. The very fact that Liana was visiting was going to raise some eyebrows among the local cops.
"Okay, I'll do it" Liana reluctantly said.
"Great" Ragdoll said with enthusiasm. "Now we are going to pick up the new recruits".
"Wait, what recruits?" Liana asked confused.
"You don't expect Alice & me to go rescue the others by our self do you. I know of a couple of guys that might be able to help. Can you drive us, the first one lives in the Star City suburbs". I promise I pay for the gas money Ragdoll said.
Their first recruit was Cameron Mahkent AKA Icicle. He has been part of both Injustice Society and Secret Society but now resides in a row-house in Star City with his baby daughter Isabelle. The team had been there for ten minutes and Ragdoll & Icicle was already in a heated discussion.
"No, Ragdoll I said that I would consider it" Icicle shouted with a harsh tone.
"Well, I don't see any reason for you not to join us" Ragdoll responded.
"How about the fact that I'm already hiding from the law, I don't need the Secret Society after me too" the ice villain argued.
"Those guys don't see the potential in you as I do. How long has it been since they actually gave you an assignment?" Ragdoll pleaded. "Plus you need money for your baby girl here". Black Alice listened to the conversation while Liana played with Isabelle.
Alice had heard about Icicle Junior from some of the Justice Society members. She had heard that he was mercenary that loved to fight but he was not such a bad guy, he had even been offered membership in JSA but he turned it down.
Icicle leaned against the kitchen sink. "As far as I hear we will not get paid by your employer for these first two undertakings you have been planning". He looked at Ragdoll with a smug smile.
"Mockingbird, Mockingbird is what we call our employer" Ragdoll answered. He silently pondered a while. "What about this, I have already been promised by Mockingbird four other jobs and he is ready to pay us 300 000 dollars for every job done, and I mean individually not as a group. What if I give you my salary in addition to your own for the first two jobs? You are even allowed to quit at any moment, you have my word".
Icicle was stunned, never had an employer been this generous towards him. Ragdoll was either desperate, didn't care about money or (the least probable) he was just a generous guy. "Okay" he finally said and shacked Ragdolls hand. "You got yourself a mercenary" he said reluctantly but with a certain pleasure in his voice.
"Alright! Let's go and get our last newbie" Ragdoll said.
Icicle put on his coat. "Wait guys, I need to get a babysitter for Isabelle".
"No need, Liana can stay here to look after her, right?" Ragdoll said.
"Um, sure Liana answered feeling somewhat forced to do it. Where are you three going?"
Ragdoll deepened his voice. "Los Angeles of course, where else would you find a Film Freak".
The gang arrived at a tumbledown little house in LA.
Are you sure he lives here? Alice asked Ragdoll.
"Of course, I have stalked him for several days" Rardoll nonchalantly replied.
They stepped in. the floor was covered with popcorn boxes and the living room was full of stapled DVD casings. It seemed abandoned. Black Alice took a handful of DVDs. They were mostly classics that she never even heard of. Little Caesar, the Godfather Part II, Deer Hunter, Double Indemnity. The word geek went thru her head. Ragdoll & Icicle went thru the closet & lockers, they found all kinds of knifes, guns and blueprints for bombs.
They all suddenly heard a weird sound from the basement so they all went down there. There were two naked guys on a mattress staring at them in fear. A man with grey skin with an old video camera was filming, he had not notice the gang yet.
"What are you looking at" he finally asked the two men. He turned around and saw the gang. He got a look of surprise. "Can you two gentlemen" leave Film Freak said in a serious tone? The two men grabbed their clothes and hold them over there crotches and started walk up the stairs, frightfully trying to get thru the super villains without touching them.
When they cam up to the top they turned around and one of them said "Wait, were our payment".
Icicle & Black Alice gave them stares of anger and the two men slowly closed the door.
Ragdoll walked towards Film Freak. "Edison" Ragdoll opened with great displeasure in his voice. "Agent Orange is sitting in a wheelchair in a nursing home with Alzheimer's, Getaway King is a fat meter maid but you Film Freak take the price for the most pathetic villain retirement".
Film Freak got a shameful face and tried to look away. Ragdoll wrapped his arm around Film Freak's shoulders.
"Edison you used to have some real talent, even more so then your predecessor and I hate to see you squander it" Ragdoll said.
"Have the Secret Society even tried to recruit you?" Icicle asked with an arrogant smirk. "No" Film Freak answered like a shamed child.
"But I remember your glory days Edison" Ragdoll said while shaking his fist. "You had a twenty people killing spree that even the Joker would have been impressed with, you single handedly figured out Catwoman´s secret identity and you made some of the most impressive death traps ever" Ragdoll boasted.
As Ragdoll jabbered on a certain flare of enthusiasm started to appear in Film Freaks dark eyes and his smile extended as far as humanly possible.
"I give you a chance to return to those days Film Freak. Join the Secret Six and I will give you your magnum opus" Ragdoll proclaimed.
"Yes, yes I do it" Film Freak said while pushing his head up at Ragdolls face. "What is our first mission, leader?"
Ragdoll tilted his head, pleased that not just that Edison was with them but also to be called leader. "We're going to break an inmate out of Arkham asylum".
"Perfect!" Film Freak said enthusiastically. "I have a map over the Arkhams interior".
"Well, imagine that" Ragdoll said with a sarcastic smirk while turning to Alice & Cameron.
They both looked at him with great displeasure. Was the only reason they took this maniac in was because he had a map over the asylum? Was this a joke?
"You do know that the Asylum was destroyed and rebuilt right?" Alice told Edison.
Film Freak had opened a closet at the corner of the room and went frenetically thru all the clothes."Of course I know that, I got an updated version" he answered without turning to them.
"What's stopping us from taking the drawings our self?" Black Alice asked Ragdoll bitterly.
"I would not take Film Freak lightly if I was you Alice" Ragdoll said. "Plus we need him."
Film Freak took off his clothes and put on a white shirt with a black four-button coat and turned to the team and proclaimed with a deep voice… "You're looking for a new punk? You don't understand. You'll find her".
The team was driving back to Gotham City on the country road in Icicles car. Icicle was driving and Film Freak sitting in the seat beside him (like he requested). He then saw a group of bikers on the road.
"Hey look at that" he shouted to Cameron. Cameron was annoyed and tried to focus on the road. "We should run them over!" Film Freak proclaimed.
"Why?" Cameron asked, obviously confused & disgusted by the idea of pointless murder. "We could reenact Joe Pesci´s death scene from Casino or something" Film Freak answered. He was chuckling & shaking & his fingers were itching.
Ragdoll leaned over Film Freaks shoulder." I like the idea FF but what makes a scene in a movie work other then the atmosphere?" Ragdoll asked in an attempt to calm him down. Film Freak scratch his head, thinking. "A plot" Film Freak finally sigh.
Ragdoll leaned back. "That's right but don't worry, you will play your part soon"
"Are you sure it was a good idea to bring Edison into the team?" Black Alice whispered to Ragdoll. "I don't trust him. He is a veil psychopathic serial killer!"
"So are I and my entire family Alice. I know that I can control him" Ragdoll responded with a sincere tone.
Black Alice sensed his sadness, the memories of his not very kind family and probably also his regret over his deeds brought down his usually happy spirit. She hugged his arm and rested her head on his chest. "You are not a bad person Merkel, you are my very own little cuddly toy."
Underneath all his bandages Ragdoll was smiling. He then leaned hid head over Alice's shoulder and they sat that way all the way to Gotham.