I was eight when I first understood there was something wrong with me. I didn't like the dark; I still don't. I had woken up from a particularly terrifying dream to discover my small moon shaped nightlight had burnt out, and I was alone in the blackness. I was frozen in fear, my knees pulled against my chest; shaking. Too afraid to call for my mother, too afraid to move.
I remember praying, begging, wishing for light. With every fiber of my being I willed it to be, and then it was. It came in the form of a small blue flicker at the tip of my middle finger. It danced, similar to a flame, over my palm and up my arm. It dissipated into my chest, and suddenly my entire body was illuminated like a firefly; radiating vibrant blue light. I remember examining my skin, wondering if I was somehow still dreaming. Surely this couldn't be real.
I woke up the next morning more well rested than I've ever been; excitedly running down the stairs to tell my mother. Obviously, she didn't believe me. Why would she? I was a child claiming ridiculous things. After hearing similar reactions from my classmates, I'd assumed that maybe it was actually a dream. It wasn't until a few weeks later, when a massive thunderstorm passed through, that we all got to witness my ability first hand.
Thunder rumbled in the sky as rain beat against the house; the wind violently whistled, sounding as if it would carry us all away like in the Wizard of Oz. I was stuck in front of the Tv, watching The Little Mermaid for the hundred-thousandth time, when out of nowhere the house shook and the power went out in a flash. I sat rigid, my mind crawling back to my 'dream'. I began to wish and wish, and just like before, I lit up. It was different this time though, larger, stronger, more vibrant.
My mother appeared in the doorway, an incredulous look on her face. I'd watched her, thinking she was going to be mad at me, but after an eternity of staring she crossed the room and dropped to her knees; hugging me close. The light consumed her as well, warm and loving, wrapping itself protectively around us. Never once did she ever look at me like I was anything less than perfect to her.
But she was the last one.
OOOO
I'm jolted awake, the confines of the box glowing around me. We've stopped? That can't be good. I'd lost track of time a while ago, and days could've passed in between now and when I was put in here. The small slit, used to deliver food, has been closed for at least a day. My stomach rumbles angrily, and I can't help but think back to better times. Times when I could freely move as I'd like. Times when I could pee without someone watching me. Oh, and pizza. Fuck, I miss pizza.
Voices appear outside, muffled, but still loud enough to make out the gist of what they're saying. It's a man, and he's yelling. I find myself wishing he'd be quiet. If they're going to let me starve, they could at least let me do it in peace.
'Showtime' the man says, and suddenly my box begins to shake violently. The metal groans loudly as it's wrenched apart; light brighter than my own flooding in. I flick out like a match, trying to conserve energy. I'm temporarily blinded as I'm drug by my forearm out of the cage; landing hard against the gravelly dirt.
"Mina Larson, glad you could join us." The man says.
I quickly spot him in the crowd of strange people. Dressed in military garb, a gun slung over his shoulder, the man looks amused at my abrupt entrance.
"Who the fuck are you?" I ask, confused.
"Don't bother with him. He's just a fuddy duddy." A slender blonde says, appearing next to me. "Harley Quinn, nice to meet ya." She extends her hand, but a glint in her eye tells me I probably shouldn't take it.
"You don't want to touch me." I say, scanning our surrounding. It looks to be some type of camp, military obviously, but there are wounded civilians everywhere.
"Ooh, why not?" She grins, her left eye twitching a little.
"Leave her alone." The man from before interjects before continuing his spiel. "Listen up! The injection in your neck is a nanite explosive. It's as tiny as a grain of rice, but as powerful as a hand grenade. You disobey me, you die. You try to escape, you die. You otherwise irritate or vex me, guess what? You die.
"I'm known to be quite vexing, just forewarning you." The blonde says.
"Lady shup up!" The man snaps. "Here's the deal, you're going somewhere very bad, to do something that'll get you killed. But, until that happens, you're my problem."
"So, is that a pep talk?" A tall, dark skinned man questions.
"Yeah it's a pep talk. Now get your shit." He yells, pointing to where a plethora of trunks sit. "Anything you'll need for a fight."
Fight? What the fuck are we fighting?
"You're not in Kansas anymore." The man says, nodding to me after the others have gone. "But you're here for entirely different reasons. Your transportation was a precaution, I do apologize."
I eye him warily. Suspicion is my main personality trait. There are two types of people in this world; people who take, and people who are taken from. I refuse to be the latter.
"This is some unusual punishment for a meth lab explosion." I casually say, feeling him out.
"We both know that what happened wasn't a meth lab explosion." He replies.
"That's what they're saying it was."
He knows, but how? As far as I know, there's no witnesses to what happened, just ashes and rubble.
"What is this?" I question, gesturing to our surroundings. "Why aren't I still in county?"
"You're being given, for lack of a better word, a get out of jail free card." He tells me. "Your abilities are needed."
"What do you want?"
"For you to take out a very powerful…. thing." He hesitates.
"It doesn't work like that."
"Make it." He growls. "Or you can look forward to spending the rest of your days in a windowless cell next to these freaks."
"I resent that." Harley frowns, before returning to her trunk of what seems to be costumes.
"What do you need me to do?" I ask.
"I'll let you know when the time comes." He replies, waving me away. "Now get your ass ready, we're leaving in ten."
I walk to the only unopened trunk, tossing the lid up to find a jumble of things that were on me during intake. Black bomber jacket, black jeans, black tank top, my go-to thieving outfit. I frown as I reach the bottom and find no shoes. They aren't really expecting me to go barefoot, are they? Fuck, of course they are. They locked me in a fucking metal box for god's sake, they don't give a shit about my feet.
"Here." Harley chimes, tossing me a pair of black velvet boots. "You can wear these. They're too big for me, and they'll go with ya outfit."
"Thanks." I say, a little shocked at her generosity.
I get dressed, pretending not to notice the stares coming from the mostly male crowd. I try to smooth my dirty blonde hair, but days of being cooped up in a box has left me with some pretty nasty rats and matting. Harley seems to relish in the attention she's getting with her 'unconventional' attire; A threadbare shirt, shorts so short they might as well be underwear, and heels. I'm not a prude, I just don't see how someone could fight in that.
.
"Won't fit?" Harley asks the dark-skinned man as he studies a white mask in his hands. "Too much junk in the trunk?"
"Nah." He replies. "It's just every time I put this on, someone dies."
What now? What did he just say?
"And?" Harley grins.
"I like putting it on."
"Goody, something tells me a whole lotta people are about to die."
Who the fuck are these people? I glance around for the man from before, hoping to get some answers, and hopefully get as far away from these psychos as possible. Instead, I come face to face with the grungiest of the bunch; a brood shouldered, bear of a man, easily described as scruffy.
"Ay!" He says with a devilish grin that reveals a gold tooth. "Since we don't got much time left, how's about you and me have a go at it?"
"What?" I say, immediately noticing his ridiculously heavy accent.
"Ya heard me." He smirks. "I'd even be up fer a good ole rub n' tug. I'm not picky."
"Get bent." I reply and Harley laughs.
"You'll come 'round." He gives me an amused look before moving past me.
I finish pulling my jacket on, wondering how hard it would be to make a break for it. The man, who they refer to as 'Flag' had said something about a bomb in our necks. Said he could detonate it at any time. My fingers trace the spot on my neck that before now I'd figured was a mosquito bite. Fuck!
I'm pulled from my thoughts by a loud smack and a radiating pain from my ass. I snap my head to see the now laughing Australian nearly doubled over.
"I forgot tah tell ya." He says. "Me name's Digger."
"If you'd like to keep your hand, kindly keep it to yourself." I respond.
"Kitty's got claws." Harley chimes in.
"I said to leave her the fuck alone!" Flag appears, and I settle a bit. "You piss her off and it won't be pretty, so cut it the fuck out!"
I hate to admit it, but he's right. I might as well be a ticking bomb right now, just waiting to go off. My inability to control myself is what landed me here, after all.
"Behold people." Flag announces, holding up a tablet. "The voice of god."
A dark-skinned woman I don't recognize appears. She looks tense, her appearance casual, but there's an intimidating air to her I don't understand.
"For those of you who don't know me officially, my name is Amanda Waller." She begins. "There is an active terrorist event in Midway City. I want you to enter the city and rescue HVT-1 and get them to safety."
"I'm sorry." The man they call Deadshot interrupts. "For those of us who don't speak military, what the hell is HVT-1?"
"The only person that matters in the city." She replies. "The one person you can't kill. Complete the mission and you'll get time off your prison sentences. Fail, and you die. If anything happens to Colonel Flag, I'll kill every single one of you. Remember, I'm watching. I see everything."
The screen goes dark and she's gone.
"There's your pep talk." Flag smirks.
"Compared to you, she killed it." Deadshot replies. "So, what are we then, some kind of suicide squad?"
"I'll notify your next of kin." Flag walks off, patting him on the shoulder as he goes.
OOOO
A little while later we're herded into a helicopter and strapped in. A woman in a white mask appears just before takeoff, a sword slung on her belt.
Another psycho, I'm sure.
"This is Katana, she's got my back." Flag yells over the sound of the engines. "She can cut all of you in half with one sword stroke, just like mowing the lawn. I would advise not getting killed by her, her sword traps the souls of its victims."
"Nice to meet ya." Harley grins, extending her hand. "Love your perfume. What is that, the stench of death?"
Katana ignores her, saying something, in what I assume to be Japanese, to Colonel Flag. He replies, but I can't hear him anymore as we begin to lift off the ground. We move quickly, but each moment spent in such a confined space with these people feels like an eternity. Halfway through the trip, A man I've only barely gotten a look at gets sick, emptying the contents of his stomach onto the floor in front of us. I notice the scales covering his face and a chill goes down my spine.
"Party foul!" Harley pinches her nose.
I look out the window to see we're approaching an apocalyptic looking city, a swirling array of smoke floats through the air. In the center of the city, lightening flows upward into a bundle of clouds.
"Are you guys seeing this?" Harley asks, turning around in her seat like a child.
"What happened?" Deadshot looks suspicious.
"Terror attack." Flag replies. "Dirty bombs, bad guys shooting up the place with Ak's, ya know, the usual shit."
Yeah, I'll just fucking bet. I wouldn't be here if that were true. I'm dangerous, even Flag knows it. They wouldn't risk the lives of so many people if it weren't already dire consequences. Something tells me none of us are getting the whole story.
Their conversation's interrupted by a several loud bangs, followed by a multitude of alarms. We begin descending at a rapid pace. My stomach decides now's the best time to mention it's hunger and I feel bile rise in the back of my throat. I could survive this, I just need to let it go. But then what happens? Likely, the death of everyone else on board, and I already have enough deaths to live with.
I brace myself against my harness as the craft touches down with a jolt, rolling several times before coming to a stop. Mid spin, I catch sight of the pervy Australian, an insane looking grin plastered across his face. We could die, and this fucking psychopath's enjoying it. When my head stops spinning, I reach to undo my harness, my fingers shaking over the buckles.
"Here." Digger says, appearing in front of me. "I'll help ya."
"I'm good."
He frowns, pushing my hands away to undo the harness, his fingers lightly grazing my bra through my shirt. I decide not to give him the satisfaction of getting mad, considering he's clearly trying to get a rise out of me.
"Thanks." I mutter when the belt falls away.
"I'm good at undoing other things too, ya know." He winks at me before disappearing through the gaping hole that is now our exit.
Asshole.
Outside, the destruction becomes even more evident. There are bodies everywhere; limbs scattering the street. Some are burnt, some barely even look human.
"Christ." I mumble.
"He's not here." The man with the face tattoos replies. "Gods not in a place like this."
"I'm Diablo." He informs me with a nod. "Saw your cage. You're like me. We've both got the Devil's gifts."
"Can you control yours?" I Ask.
"For a while, but if I get too upset I black out. Don't even know what I'm doing until I've already done it."
"Me too." I mutter.
We move together as a group, soldiers with ready guns flanking us on all sides. It bother's me that I've yet to see the cause of all of this death and destruction. It's unsettling, cautiously poking around every corner, never knowing what kind of hellish thing we could come across.
"Aye!" Digger yells, speeding up to walk beside me.
Oh God, just leave me alone.
"Hm?" I grunt, hoping he'll get the message I don't want to talk.
"We're gonna make a break for it, ya in?"
What? Leave?
"I'd rather not have my head blown off, but thanks."
"Ah it's bullshit. Mind games, ya know? They're holding us hostage with our own minds. It's all in your head."
"Well then, if you're so confident, how about you go first? If your head stays intact I'll consider following." He frowns before bursting into a raucous laugh.
"Ya smarter than I thought."
"Ask pigtails over there." I say, pointing to the man with the braids, that is currently walking ahead of us. I think they said he was a master climber?
"Already did, he's ready ta go. Lemme know if ya change ya mind." He purrs before dropping back.
We pass by the remains of an airplane scattered around a large city square. Large electronic signs hang against the surrounding buildings.
'Mandatory evacuation in effect' they warn.
What happened here? The destruction is almost godly in nature. Cars are cut clean in half, buildings are gutted, the sky has taken on a sort of ethereal appearance. Something supernatural is at work here, that much is clear, and it's got the hair on my neck standing on end.
Suddenly, a commotion erupts behind us. I turn just in time to see Digger deck a soldier in the face and make a break for it. Pigtails follows, shooting a grappling hook from his gun, before zipping up to the roof of a nearby building. Katana takes off after the Australian, narrowly missing what I now see is a boomerang as he chucks it at her. That moron is just asking for a good beating, and it almost seems like Katana will be the one to give it as she pushes him against a wall, sword to his throat. The boomerang returns a moment later, and I watch him effortlessly catch it as it spins back.
Well, that was neat. Wish he wasn't such a dick.
A small explosion above us catches my attention. Pigtails' body swings slowly from his rope, a large smoking hole where his head used to be. Katana releases Digger and he shoots me a knowing smirk
"Okay!" Yells Flag. "We gonna keep playing the Hollywood squares version of I'll blow your freakin head off?"
I ignore him, my eyes still trained on the hanging body above us. So, that's all it would take, huh? Just the click of a button to kill every single one of us?
"You gonna be next?" Flag asks Diablo. "What about you Deadshot?"
Finally, he turns his attention to me as I continue to watch the swaying body.
"What about you, Firefly?"
"Don't call me that." I warn him. "And don't threaten me."
He watches me walk to the back of the group before turning his attention back to the men,
"Let's go!" Flag commands, and everyone begins to move again.
My eyes fall on Harley and Deadshot toward the front. They're talking quietly, suspiciously. God, now what are they planning? Harley falls back to talk to Digger, and he in turn falls back to walk next to me again.
"No." I say before he even has a chance to speak.
"So, what? Ya just gonna stay here and let that bugger order ya around? Don't ya wanna leave?"
"I'm not worried about Flag." I say, observing the remains of a half burned, has eviscerated man. "Something's off."
"Ya noticed it too?"
"They aren't telling us everything, I know that. I wouldn't wanna be stuck out here alone."
"Ya wouldn't be alone." He smirks.
"I killed the last guy that I slept with." I inform him. "Do ya really wanna go down that road?"
"God, sweetheart, ya gettin me hard with all this dirty talk."
"Fuck off." I say, speeding up to get away from him. I'm trying in vain to calm my anger when the idiot signs his own death warrant. With a loud smack, the stinging on my ass returns. I twist, my hand raised to obliterate him like the worm he is when I'm halted by Flag's booming voice.
"Mina!" He snaps. "Get your ass up here, now!"
I turn back to Digger who's enjoying all of this way too much.
"Last warning." I spit at him before moving up to Flag.
"If he touches me again I'm going to tear him apart." I inform him.
"I wish I could let ya." Flag grumbles.
We're interrupted by one of Flag's men as he urgently moves toward us.
"Sir, there are people up ahead."
I follow him to the front of the group, hiding behind a few wrecked cars. Up head, I notice a large group of men, guns slung around their necks. I look closer, squinting my eyes to make out the bulbus shape of their heads.
"Why do they look like that?" I demand from Flag.
"Amanda, we got hostiles up ahead." He speaks into the device on his wrist. A moment later, her voice appears with a response.
"Don't engage." She tells him. "You're not here to fight."
"We're diverting. Two blocks east. We'll pass by and continue north." He informs the soldiers.
"Flag." I demand, returning his attention to me. "What the fuck are those things?"
"If you cut and run, I'll blow your head off." He plainly says.
"Flag!" A soldier yells, pointing to the creatures.
The things are talking amongst each other, loud and strange rumbles that can't possibly be words. Katana draws her sword, bending into a fighting stance, prepared to strike. Out of nowhere, one of the creatures notices us, letting out a shrill belt before the group converges on us; a wall of hellish abominations racing toward us.
"Flag." I growl, but he waves me off.
"Don't do anything until I tell you." He instructs.
The soldiers begin to shoot as the creatures break our line, crashing through each man in their way. I fall back, crouching around the edge of an obliterated car. I don't like hiding while everyone else fights, but without using my powers, I'm helpless. I know if it came down to it, I could destroy every single one of them, but probably not without killing everyone else on the entire block as well.
I can't have anyone else's death on my shoulders. Even if these people aren't the best, even if they're insane, psychotic criminals, it would still be another life snubbed out because of me. I watch the fight from my hiding spot, a fear bubbling up in my chest as the group is overwhelmed. Flag's men drop like flies, the rest of them barely keeping it together. Digger has disappeared, as well as Diablo; the remaining three having trouble keeping the monsters at bay.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What do I do? I watch as one of the soldiers is literally ripped apart and I nearly throw up. I have to help them. Fuck, I have to do something.
"Control." I whisper to myself. "Keep it together."
Harley goes down hard with a creature on top of her, the thing desperately trying to rip out her throat.
"Fuck!" I growl, stepping around the car. I raise my hand, pointing a finger at the beast's head. With a heavy breath, the light appears, flickering at the tip of my finger like a lighter.
"Stop fighting!" I yell to Harley. She looks at me like I'm the crazy one, but she quickly notices my finger, and complies, dropping her arms. The beast rears back, aiming for her neck, and I finally get a clear shot. A whip like stream of light shoots from my finger and straight through the thing's head, disintegrating it upon contact.
Harley rolls from beneath the carcass, wide eyes watching me. She picks up her bat just in time to crush the skull of another creature as it lunges for her.
"What was that?" She asks, an enormous grin on her face.
I don't get a chance to answer as my attention is drawn to Flag, yelling his head off as a group of things carry him away.
"Good riddance." Harley sticks out her tongue.
"If he dies, we die!" Deadshot informs us.
She rolls her eyes, going to help just as another wave attacks. I look around at the carnage, seeing no other option but to step in. I just have to keep it together. Don't get overwhelmed, just breathe. Try not to kill the entire team in the process.
I allow a flood of light to rush through each hand, whipping at the creatures as they come for me, disintegrating them upon contact. They swarm around me, like bugs drawn to a zapper. I take them down in a flurry of wild blue light, the likes of which illuminating the dark street like the sun. Like a rolling wave in the ocean, my light consumes Flag, turning the monsters carrying him to dust, but leaving him unharmed.
My attention carries over to a now present Digger, fighting like a rabid dog against the creatures. He takes down the one in front just as another two jump on his back, dragging him to his knees. I'm tempted to leave him to die, but he's the lesser of two evils right now and we need all the able-bodied fighters we can get. I send a wave of light across his back, eliminating the creatures and singeing the surface of his coat as my own form of payback.
Digger pushes himself to his feet, sending me an incredulous look.
'Yeah' I nod to him. 'That could've been you.'
He grins, nodding back.
In a flurry of bullets, Deadshot leaps unto a police car, raining hell upon the remaining creatures. He quickly disposes of them, hopping down to give Flag a 'Fuck you' look.
"Good shooting." I say as he passes.
"You too." He looks impressed.
"Ay!" Digger yells, appearing behind me. "Aren't ya a little lightening bug."
"Yeah." Harley adds. "What was that?"
"It's just something I can do." I shrug.
"Ya burned ya last boyfriend?" He asks.
"I was just fucking with you." I smile for the first time since this all began. He smiles back, showing his gold tooth. I'll let him be for now, but if he touches me again I won't be so nice.
"I thought you said terrorists?" A soldier snaps at Flag, interrupting us.
"Yeah, that thing had on a 3k watch." Deadshot adds. "Is that a person?"
"It was." Flag answers. "Now it's not. Get moving!"