The streets of Gotham city are rather unpleasant today as it becomes apparent that there's criminal activity going on even though there's a possible chance of getting beaten up by a superhero. In the docks is a secret hideout of a certain super-villain known as the Riddler aka Mark Jefferson. He is talking to a large screen showing an African-American woman with a disgruntled look on her face and wearing a black jacket with a blue shirt underneath it.
"Riddle me this, ...when is a door not a door? It feels like drowning doesn't it? When the answer is at the edge of you're cortex but you can't seem to grasp it." Jefferson riddled.
"You're trying my patience..." Grant growled.
"The answer: When its a jar." The crook answered. Michelle Grant sighs in irritation but she has to keep up with the plan.
"Here's an easy one: What runs around the city but never moves?" She doesn't answer.
"No? A wall." He answered.
"What do you want Jefferson?" Grant asks him while he rests his hands on his chin and smiles with his eyes closed.
"I'm in charge so I'll ask the questions. Try to keep up won't you? Tell me this: What belongs to you but others use it more than you?"
"You're name..." Grant answered him.
"Huh? You've heard that one..." Jefferson replied.
"No, I use goggle like the rest of the world." She sassed him. Jefferson squints at her then pushes himself back as his chair rolls back.
"Why are you talking to me like this?" The criminal genius asks. Grant smiles sadistically at him.
"Simple: I just have to keep you babbling for me to pinpoint you're location."
"My what-" The window above breaches open as special forces soldiers flood the room via rapple and aim there guns at Jefferson. A soldier approaches Jefferson and slams his head against the computer.
"Riddle me this: Why did I ever-" The lights shutdown all round them with the soldiers activating there night vision...only for a black shroud to take them out one by one.
"Squad report! Report!" Grant looks at the cameras as no one is responding at the moment with a wry look on her face and complete shock but turns into a stern look on her face knowing what she must do. Her hit squad. She presses the button.
"Contact commander Caulfield. I'm invoking priority level ultra violet, assemble task force X. We have another suicide mission..."
Max Caulfield slowly awakes as the light around her fades away to reveal an office, she looks around confused and notices that she is wearing an army uniform as if she joined Westpoint instead of Blackwell. She gets up and looks around. Her in the marines, navy, special forces...even medals! What was she, some kind of Rambo or general now!? Chloe...
The door opens behind her catching Max by surprise and turns around to see David, in his typical soldier getup.
"Commander? Just got a message from Grant, priority level ultra violet. Looks like you're with the squad again." Max doesn't know what to say.
"Um...sure. My country needs me." David motions Max to come with him as Max picks up the assault rifle nearby while gulping and not knowing what's happening too. The facility doesn't look like military at all, as if its a prison or something. As they continue to walk, it becomes apparent that saving William wasn't a good idea. How did this happen!? They stop in front of an elevator and enter in it. David turns to Max.
"Man, how do you put up them? Supervillains with bombs surgically implanted with bombs in there necks." Max's eyes turn wide and remembered a comic she read that she got from Warren.
"I mean, they can be cool people and all but...even they scare me."
"Yeah...scare you. Its really...really...tough but you gotta show them you're fist of order." Max replied while feigning toughness but screaming in the inside and shrieking in terror right now. The elevator door opens to reveal a hall with cells on the walls causing Max and David walk.
"Lets see the selection." David turns to a prisoner slicing up dummies with dual katana's right before stopping and leaning against the window. He turns around to reveal himself to be Nathan Prescott. He has an eyepatch on his left eye.
"David, I thought you'd retire after what I did to you're hand." Nathan mocked with a sneer.
"I'm flattered." David growled with Max saying nothing.
"You should be. When a man earns my respect that means I do not rest, I devote all my energy, everything I have..." He slams the window.
"To killing him!" David shakes his head and continues walking with Max looking at him.
"The army was never my idea. I prefer a more intimate approach. Twisting the blade, warm blood running over my hand. Next time compadre, next time." Nathan said as Max slowly walks towards David. Nathan's more dangerous than ever. They stop at a cell with Kate sitting inside it, there's an Arkham asylum logo on her shoulder and she is wearing a sleeveless shirt with her prison garb as a makeshift sash.
"You better not try anything funny this time Arkham Knight! Otherwise this mission will turn from you're first to you're last!" David exclaimed at Kate as she gets up while chuckling.
"Trust me, this mission may not be in Gotham city but he'll be there. I know the Batman and I know how he works. Every move, every weakness, and every hiding spot so you need me. I'm pretty much an asset." Kate replied with a sneer smile. There are bags on her eyes and she looks demented, especially the drawings posted on the wall.
"Oh shut up you damn psychopath." David walks away as Max turns to Kate.
"What do you want?" She growled with a smile on her face causing Max to gulp.
"Why...why do you hate Batman?"
"Why? Why!? I've told this story 24/7 to the Arkham asylum flunkies, he beat my father in front of me and turned his attention to me and my sisters and my mother." Kate replied.
"He beat them up? That's fucked up!"
"Are you stupid? He only beat him, my dad was a good person and he loved me a lot. Batman accused him for supplying drugs to junkies and he beat him in front of us. Robin stopped him but I knew he wanted me to be scared but I'm not scared when my family is on the line knowing that monster is out there. I'll almost got him once, I broke him when I took over the militia and he knew he was fucked. I even copied the bat-mobile to create fast moving tanks. I had Gotham at my throat and almost had him surrendering but somehow he stopped me at my tracks." Kate explained in a rather crazed voice. She stops talking and sits on the bench. Max tries to open her mouth again.
"We're done here Max, see you on the field."
Who knew Kate can be an evil bitch...
Max rewinds time again and talks to Kate.
"Batman can be a real jerk. He doesn't have the right to beat you're dad in front of you." Max agreed before Kate can say thing.
"That's...that's the first someone sympathized with me. Batman did but I knew he was lying to stop me from blowing up Bludhaven." Kate replied.
"I have to admit, that was kind of cool with the fast moving tanks and the drones also the militia. You're truly an asset to the mission." Max complemented.
"Thank you Max, never thought the commander had a soft side." She smiled as her voice turned to typical Kate. Max opens her mouth again.
"We'll talk later Max, see you on the field." Max walks with David and sees...a gray skinned boy with pulled back hair similar to Warren has a metallic sharp set of teeth and what appears to be a fin on his head. He is wearing the same prisoner outfit and walking towards him behind the mirror.
"Tick tock...feed the-what rhymes with shark?" Warren asks with a gruff and young voice.
"Lark? Nark? Park?" David replied.
"Aw, I made myself look bad again. Sorry." He presses his hand on the window in disappointment.
"Better luck next time King Shark." David walks away as Max rewinds time again and sees Warren walk towards them again.
"Say time to feed the shark." She whispered giving Warren an idea.
"Time to feed the shark..." Warren taunted at David.
"A gun barrel is the only thing you'll eat if you try!" David warned as he walked away. Warren rolls his eyes and nods to Max. They finally stop at the final cell...inside is Chloe aiming a CMMG Mk4 3GR marksman rifle at a target and shooting at the targets.
"Deadshot..." David greeted as Chloe continues shooting.
"Excuse me..." Max opens the cell door next to it and enters the cell with Chloe inside it. The gunfire is defining but she doesn't care nor the smell of smoke from the barrel too. Her heart finally stops at Chloe.
I did this to you...
"Chloe..." She called causing the sniper to turn around who lowers her rifle and gets up from her post. She's at a loss for words now.
"Max? Holy shit..." Chloe gasped while dropping her rifle and moves in to hug Max only for Max to back away. She doesn't deserve this, none of them deserve this! THe prevention of Williams death was this!? This...this twisted future that's straight off a comic book! Chloe's face turns angered and broken.
"Oh it get it. I'm a criminal, you're the government's lapdog so that means we're from different worlds. You know what? Fuck off before I shoot you." Max rewinds again and hugs Chloe this time.
"You're first person in ARGUS not to treat me like shit." Chloe said while breathing for air and lets go. The assassin makes a smile at her.
"Chloe, you need to get out of here." Max warned.
"So I can get more money off wacking guys with my sniper rifle? Looks like you're turning to the dark side...join me and we can rule the universe." Chloe joked as she crosses her arms.
"How did you end up here anyway?"
"I was sent in Bulgaria to assassinate a politician but I got ambushed along the way." Chloe explained as Max knew she started this by saving William.
"How...how is William?" Max asks.
"Dad? He still loves me, he sends me postcards from Arcadia. When I'm free, I'd like to go back." She sighed right before going back to the shooting range and continues firing. Max holds back her tears, she made Chloe a criminal and is now doomed to this existence of forced cooperation through death. She gets out of the cell and walks with David and into the office to reveal Grant.
"You wanted to see Ms. Grant?" Max asks her as she sits on the seat in front of her desk.
"Yes, the Riddler aka Mark Jefferson is in league with Lex Luthor and appears to have been overseeing some kind shipment going to midway city. It appears that the cargo broke out and is causing havoc. So far, everyone in the vicinity has been evacuated. You're objective is to intercept the cargo and take it dead or alive." Grant stated as the bombs activate within the squad's necks.
"Therefore, we have Kate's militia which doubles the size of the amount of the soldiers that are with you guys. Also means that they'll mistake this for her operation without her knowledge." Grant explained.
"So...you're framing her?"
"In case something goes awry. That bomb inside her neck won't hold her off so I need a distraction. You know after the Gotham incident, she can be a handful." Grant shows the pictures during the takeover where Kate developed advanced technology that is far more advanced than Batman's. Cobra tanks that have quad barrel's, diamondbacks, aerial serpent drones. She's packing heat. There's also footage of in the Gotham subway where Kate got into a brawl with Batman and set off charges thus locking them in so she can kill him herself or kill them both.
"This mission is going to be all out but don't get careless. Dismissed." Max simply nods and walks away with David on tail.
"Looks like we have a late addition though. Her name's Victoria Chase aka Captain Boomerang. She seems funny..." Max ignores David and walks away.
What have I done?
With Chloe.
Chloe enters the changing room as she is wearing a red under armor shirt and lightly armored plates on its torso and shoulder. She puts oner white balaclava mask and targeting reticle on her right eye then puts on her gauntlets and raises them as the barrels extend.
"Show time..."
With Nathan.
Nathan places the armored torso piece on his torso alongside the shoulders as he tightens the straps on it. The right shoulder has a shotgun shells planted on it. He then sits on the bench and adjusts the leg armor piece and putting on his ballistic mask. The right side is colored black while the left is orange. He places his katana on the sheath and gets up to head to the debriefing room.
With Kate.
Kate puts on her armor chest piece which has the Arkham asylum logo on it and armor plating. Unlike the others, her armor is more lighter which gives her an advantage in moving faster. She straps the gauntlets on her wrists and activates them to reveal the militia status to be active and are en route to Midway city. Kate puts on her helmet which resembles Batman's but different. Its dome like and there's two blue glowing slits on the left and right while there's bat-like antennas on the head thus making her look like a militarized Batman.
She grabs her dual pistols and holsters them.
With Warren.
Warren puts on his tight black shirt that shows off his muscles and also his muscles since its sleeveless and his pale skin also. He puts on his brown jacket hoodie and gray pants. Unlike his predecessor, he's fast and agile.
With Victoria.
Victoria puts on her black shirt and blue jacket alongside her blue pants. She holsters the bandolier of her boomerangs over her torso right before adjusting her scarf and leaving the changing room.
With Max.
Max adjusts the Kevlar vest inside her ammo vest which feels a little tight so she tries to loosen it a little bit. She's an artist not a fighter and this mission sounds dangerous. She just went from almost shooting a drug dealer to turning into Rambo. She would be proud of herself but this feels completely out of character for her. Max looks around to find the picture of her and Chloe...only for the door to open behind her.
"Mame, we're ready." Behind her is Frank wearing a beanie and the same gear as her. Though his is more modified and there appears to be grapple hooks on it and a large rectangular device holstered on his back. He is also armed with an MP5k with an underbarrel grapple hook on it.
"Sure thing Bowers." The two walk out of her office as the walk is awkward.
"So...why did you join the army?"
"I...I was a supervillain back then, they called me Slipknot and I was a master thief...that was until Grant caught me and gave me a second chance." Frank explained as they walk in the landing bay for the helicopters to pick them up.
Preview for chapter 2.
Max leads Nathan, Kate, Chloe, Frank, David, and Victoria alongside a joint group of special forces soldiers and militia in an alley. The two sides split as Max checks the corner which is clear, she raises her hand to give the signal that its clear causing Max to lead again and aiming her assault rifle with Chloe spotting for them.
"She went in there." Frank said as Kate aims her assault rifle at the door with Frank kicking it down. Max heavily breathes and looks around with her flashlight as the soldiers do the same...she turns her flashlight to the left...
In front of her is a girl wearing a green hoodie jacket and glowing green eyes.