Fifty miles off the Angolan coast, the ocean welcomed a frail boat sailing through a flat sea. The beaming sun was cooled by the ocean's freshness and, with seagulls as the only witnesses, the men got into their swimsuits with ease.
The tiny waves gave a gentle rocking to the boat, a peaceful vibe to which the crew paid no attention. Three men jumped. The largest of them gave a signal to the one remaining on the boat. They watched him ignite the engine and wave them away as he steered back towards the coast.
The swimmers nodded at each other and dived, entering a world where man had little to no control. The sun was strong in the sky and its light illuminated the water enough for them to catch sight of a beast hiding behind a swarm of fishes. Over three hundred and sixty feet long, its six tons of weight never restricting its movements, she lay unmoving about thirty feet under the surface, at ease with its environment. There was a sense of beauty about it, beauty in its strength, in its agility... in its fatal efficiency.
The men went close, close enough to caress the monster. A metallic clunk pulsed over their breathers and light appeared on the side of the ship. One by one, they went inside, their forms disappearing, absorbed by the machine.
The humming whirred again while the hatch drew shut and darkness returned, sealing them inside. The water was drained out in a matter of minutes as the pressure stabilized in the airlock before the door opened. An operator greeted them and provided help to trade their wet-suits in favor of military uniforms. The guests were dried and dressed when a tall, middle aged man carrying a cup of coffee approached.
"Welcome aboard, gentlemen."
Amongst the swimmers, Rick Flagg went up first. "This is a real doozy you have there, Commander." he said, shaking his hand.
"You have no idea of even half the things, she's capable of." The commander replied, tapping the steel panel. "This is The Expendable, formerly known as USS Tucson."
"You stole a submarine from the US government?"
The Commander smirked. "Believe it or not, it was easy picking for us." he started to explain and motioned Flagg to his side. They both walked further into the submarine. "Plan triple-seven had it all planned out in case the government became a threat. We had multiple agents inside the crew here, the captain himself is one of us."
"And the rest of the crew?"
"We left them stranded in Brazil, they got rescued by the Navy twenty-six hours later." the Commander stopped as they reached the navigating post. "We got them Captain, let's go."
The captain nodded. "Attention, you heard the commander: let's go. Engine 75% course 8-2-0 angle 20 degrees."
"Come on," the Commander said over the repeated instructions of the crew. "Hold on to something, we're diving." They pushed against the walls of the corridor to remain standing as the angle of the ship moved towards the depths of the ocean, the gravity pulling them down.
They reached the cabin on the other side of the submarine, close to the reactor room. "How long have you had this ship?" Rick asked.
The Commander closed the door, giving them privacy. "Seven months. We had to train the new crew and make sure Luthor had calmed down before we could tell the Squad of our new headquarters."
"I take it, Luthor made a scene when he heard about it."
They chuckled. "He would've lost his hair then if he wasn't already bald. Though he did keep the matter private, that's one point for us, Flagg. Coffee?"
"Yes, thank you."
The two men were silent as they settled at the table. The commander took a sip, watching his subordinate with attention. "Let's hear it, what have you got?"
Flagg nodded. "Commander Lord, the agents are getting restless. They aren't used to having no safe points, some of them want to restart their ops. They're not coping too well hiding in the masses for long periods of time."
"They were trained to act." the commander agreed.
"Have you heard about Queen?"
"It was bound to happen. Luthor's betting on something big and he doesn't want anyone to stop him now."
"Big? Like what?" Flag asked.
"Well, our man tells us Luthor will visit the Middle East, specifically Iraq in October." The Commander told him. "Lately there have been more tensions there close to the border. We don't know what he's looking for but we're certain it's in Iran and he wouldn't hesitate to destabilize the region to get it."
"What's there in Iran besides sand and petrol?"
The commander rose his cup as if toasting him. "That's the million dollar question, my dear bishop."
Flagg grunted. "I propose we strike then – in Iraq. End this before it gets any uglier. I have two agents already who would do anything to be the one to kill the son of a bitch."
"Let me guess: Agents Regina and Anaa."
"They do have a history with Luthor. Both want revenge."
The commander stared at him, his cold gray eyes giving nothing away. "Even if the odds of making it out alive are virtually non-existents?"
Rick Flagg blew on his coffee. "I'm more dubious about Regina but Agent Anaa only lives for that."
"We have two months to figure out an escape plan. I want something solid, Flagg, I'm not sending anyone on a suicide mission. Despite our name, we can't afford losing anyone right now."
"Sir-"
"No." The commander cut him off. "I don't care if they want to lose their lives, our ranks are too thin at the moment. We cannot afford it."
Flagg stood up. "Commander, I wasn't going to try to force your hand. I'm just asking you to consider recruiting the Justice League. Like you said, we need the manpower."
"Queen and Sullivan are the only two missing, the rest of their league is captured. They're as good as dead."
"Sir, please." Flagg insisted. "Sullivan might just be the brightest mind in the business and Queen can lead and inspire men. We have a common enemy, I doubt they would refuse our offer."
The commander rose an eyebrow. "Assuming we found out where they're hiding, they will want special treatment. They're civilians and it's well documented none of them are team players."
"To be fair, sir." Flagg risked cutting him off when he started to get worked up. "They managed to play nice together for years."
"The difference is, the Suicide Squad can take on losses and move forward. They can't because their team is their family. We're expandable, they're not."
"Then let's make an alliance. Give them special treatment, this is wartime, sir! We have to make concessions if we want to win, let alone survive."
The commander stood up himself. "Is that your conviction?"
Flagg took in a deep breath. "This is what Waller would do."
The two men stared at each other in silence, the table as the only obstacle between them. One would have thought they were going to grab each other's throat and fight in the small cabin when the phone rang. The commander grabbed the receiver, listening at the captain's voice on the other end, his eyes never leaving Flagg.
"Do it."
He ended the call and broke eye contact with the other man to fish out a cigarette from his pinstripe suit's jacket. Using sticks to light up the tobacco, the commander took a long breath in. "Do you have any urging obligations outside?"
Rick Flagg hesitated. "No, sir."
The Commander looked up. "You're staying with us for three days, I'll have a cabin made ready for you. You'll be free to go when we reach the Argentinian coast. Is that alright with you?"
"Yes, sir." Flagg stiffened his posture in respect.
"Dismissed."
The agent saluted him and left the room, his hand on the handle when the commander called him. Rick stopped and looked back.
"I will take your words into consideration." The commander conceded.
Flagg felt his body relaxing. "Thank you, sir."
He closed the door and went to the exploration of the nuclear-powered submarine. An expensive monster that brought on them the wrath of the most powerful man on Earth. A man of many enemies.