Ch 1
The treatment rooms there were dark. I always thought they were too dark. They felt like interrogation rooms. Of course, I had gotten used to them, after being here for two years and a few months. It had been more than a year. Two years since I tortured Quinlan Kay to death. Two years since I found out the League of Shadows had a target on my back. Two years since Helena Bertinelli, the love of my life, died in my arms. God, why couldn't it have been me?
The door opened. A woman walked in. She was professionally dressed. She had dark skin, a short pixie cut, and light hazel eyes. She sat down across from me and set her brief case on the table. She pulled something out of it, and placed it behind the security camera in the room.
"Daniel Wilson, my name is Amanda Waller. I am the-" She started to say.
"I know who the hell you are." I interrupted rudely. "You're the reason Helena is gone. I would say you're the reason I'm in here, but we both know that is me."
"Good. I'm glad we can agree on that." Waller said. "I have a proposition for you, Dayhound."
I cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Don't worry, that device I placed on the camera is a jammer. They can't hear anything we are saying."
"Good." I said, leaning back in my chair. "Let's hear this 'proposition.'"
"As you know, I have a team, Task Force X." Waller began to say.
"The Suicide Squad." I added.
"So it's been called. We at ARGUS don't prefer that term. Anyways, as I'm sure you know, Task Force X is down one member. Has been for two years. So, if you agree to sign this..." She passed me a large contract, "I will get you out of here."
I picked up the contract. The cover page said the words "ARGUS, Task Force X" across it, with a big red "CONFIDENTIAL" stamped diagonally on the page. I flipped it open and thumbed through the pages, just scanning them as I did.
"What the hell is this?" I said somewhat calmly. "You want me to join up with your little Suicide Squad?"
"That's not exactly how I worded it in the contract, but yes." Said Waller.
"Why?"
She stood up, walked around the table, unhandcuffed me, then paced on the left side of the room.
"Did you know that you are currently one of the best hand to hand combatants ARGUS knows about? There are only about three better than you. You are ranked above Batman in unarmed and armed combat, according to ARGUS specialists. This makes you a very dangerous man. If it were up to my superiors, and take note, there aren't many of those. If it were up to them, they would lock every hero, villain or individual who thought they were above the law up. However, I think you people are very useful. That's why I started Task Force X. I believe that very bad people, or in your case people who made bad choices, deserve a chance to do some good. You're very skilled, Mr. Wilson, and I want to use those skills to help you, and help our country."
I was silent for a moment. I thumbed through the contract more, but my eyes were focused on Waller.
"You give a damn good speech, lady." I finally told her. She smirked. "When will you guys have me out? Also, when do I need to 'report in' or whatever?"
"Normally, I would have you out by the end of the week, but I may be able to pull some strings and get you out tomorrow. I should have you report in tomorrow as well, but I will give you two weeks to readjust and maybe talk to a couple of people who you care about. I understand your only visitor has been Mr. Wayne, and he hasn't visited in quite a while."
I was silent. She passed me a pen. I took it and signed the contract. I wasn't sure why she had me sign a contract, because apparently I was above the law, so there was nothing forcing me to keep the contract. I assumed that the Suicide Squad was forced to work for Waller under threat of death and I also assumed that I would be under that same threat.
Waller took the contract, picked up her briefcase, picked up the camera jammer, then left the room. A few moments later, some guards came in and took me back to my cell.
My cell was a white padded room. Apparently, because I had a history of suicidal tendencies, despite me trying to kill myself only one time (a long time ago, might I add), I had to be in a padded room because I was a "danger to myself." Bullshit. Bruce managed to convince them not to give me a straight jacket, but I still wasn't allowed to have sheets or even a blanket on my cot.
I sat cross legged on the ground and rubbed my bruised knuckles. That was 43 now. 43 inmates I had beaten up. 43 who had committed horrendous crimes and gotten away with them by claiming insanity. 43 who were about to do horrible things. 43 who had tried to attack me. I wasn't sure how many of each category there were, but I knew that I had beaten up 43 inmates.
Did I really deserve to be let out? I was definitely not insane, so the State of California claiming that I was legally insane was completely wrong. I had gotten off easy, like some of the criminals I had beaten up in here. I didn't deserve to be let out. I tortured a girl to death. Even if she was a member of the League of Shadows, she did not deserve that.
Eventually, I moved to the cot and went to bed. I figured an orderly would come get me for dinner, but I guess I didn't get any as punishment for beating up that punk.
The next morning, I was at breakfast. A note came with my meal, saying that I would be out at six o'clock. Great. I thought today would be easy, until Victor Zsasz sat at my table in the seat across from me. I glared at him.
"What are you doing here, Zsasz?" I asked angrily, "You know that the only reason I haven't beat the shit out of you is because you've left me alone."
"I know, but I am going to tell you something important." He told me. "Roman Sionis is sick of your shit. He put a hit on you."
"And you're here to kill me and claim it?"
"No, nothing like that. I know that I can't take you. I'm here to warn you."
"Why?"
"People like you and me have to help each other every so often."
I shot daggers at him with my eyes.
"I am nothing like you. You are a monster."
He shrugged, then left. Shit, ok, this was a obstacle. I had to survive until six. Easy. Who would take a hit against me anyways?
No one made a move until dinner time, for some reason. I was sitting there eating, when a muscular man came up to me. He grabbed my fork and tried to stab me with it.
I dodged it, then punched him in the ribs a few times. I felt a bone or two cracking, so I nailed him in that same spot with a sharp kick. He fell to the floor, unable to breathe due to broken ribs. Then, all hell broke loose.
A second man, smaller than the first, charged me. He tackled me through a table, and we slid until we hit the wall behind us. I managed to get a guillotine hold on him, but two more guys were coming. I slammed his head against the wall hard, then stood up to face the other two.
I nailed one in the face with a quick jab, then kicked the other in the knee. I slammed an elbow down on the back of his head, then turned my attention to the one I had punched. He held a leg of the table and was swinging it around as a weapon. I ducked under each swing and nailed him with a flurry of blows in his midsection. Eventually he collapsed, writhing in pain.
Oswald Cobblepot, aka the Penguin, walked into view.
"Get 'em boys." He ordered a couple of his guys. "I'll split the reward with whichever of you blokes kills this bloody prick."
More men approached me, about five. Instead of waiting for them, I charged the one to the far left. I springboarded off a table and crashed into his head with my feet. I springboarded off his head and superman punched the guy next to him. Five more guys had joined in the fray now.
Three charged me. I grabbed the first one to come close by his arms, swung him around, and tossed him at the other two. I ran at a fifth guy, slid across the floor when I got close, grabbed his ankles, and pulled him down. I quickly jumped on his back and slammed his face into the ground a few times. One of the men I had knocked down a few seconds ago was now grabbing me by the top of my head. Good thing I had cut my hair, otherwise he would be pulling it right now.
Another man sent a foot across my face. It hurt, but it pulled my head out of the man's hand. I sent my head backwards and head butted the man with the back of my head. He staggered back, and I choke slammed him before he could recover. I couldn't believe the guards were doing nothing.
A third man, who had tattoos all over his face, drew a shiv from his shirt. He slashed at me, but I dodged backwards. I ran into a table, but this turned out to be a blessing. I waited for shiv-man to get close, then I slammed a food tray into the side of his head. I hit him a few times with the palms of my hands, but he was out cold on the third hit.
Two large men charged me simultaneously. I jumped up on the table and clotheslined both of them. I quickly scrambled on top of one of them and choked him until he was unconscious. The other big man had recovered and grabbed my shoulders. He threw me across the room. I rolled as I hit the floor, so it didn't hurt as much as it could've. I stood back up and charged him. I jumped up and put my legs around his neck, then I pulled downward, forcing him to flip headfirst into the floor.
I was exhausted, but there were still more of them to fight. The nearest man walked swiftly up to me, but I exhaustedly threw an overhand hook that completely sent him sprawling. I dove on top of him and started punching him in the head until he didn't move anymore.
I slowly pushed myself to my feet as the last two came at me. I jumped and managed to catch both of them with a roundhouse that would give me a couple of seconds to catch my breath.
The one closest to my left recovered quickest. He ran at me and threw a wild haymaker. I threw an arm up to deflect the blow, then countered with a jumping crane kick that sent him to the ground faster than anyone could react. The next guy was recovered now, and he charged me, but I picked him up by one of his legs and the back of his neck and slammed him on the ground, knocking him out cold as he hit. Now for Cobblepot's turn.
"Now hold it, Wilson, I think we can forget about this." He stammered out, trying to back up. "I didn't mean it, I was just joking."
I picked him up by his neck and tossed him across the room. He crashed through a table and slammed onto the floor. The guards finally came and slammed me against the wall with riot shields.
"Nice of you guys to show up." I groaned. The man who had me pinned against the wall pressed harder as a threat. They took me to a treatment room again. My psychologist, Wendy Matteson was there. I sat down.
The door opened. A woman walked in. She was professionally dressed. She had dark skin, a short pixie cut, and light hazel eyes. She sat down across from me and set her brief case on the table. She pulled something out of it, and placed it behind the security camera in the room.
"Daniel Wilson, my name is Amanda Waller. I am the-" She started to say.
"I know who the hell you are." I interrupted rudely. "You're the reason Helena is gone. I would say you're the reason I'm in here, but we both know that is me."
"Good. I'm glad we can agree on that." Waller said. "I have a proposition for you, Dayhound."
I cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Don't worry, that device I placed on the camera is a jammer. They can't hear anything we are saying."
"Good." I said, leaning back in my chair. "Let's hear this 'proposition.'"
"As you know, I have a team, Task Force X." Waller began to say.
"The Suicide Squad." I added.
"So it's been called. We at ARGUS don't prefer that term. Anyways, as I'm sure you know, Task Force X is down one member. Has been for two years. So, if you agree to sign this..." She passed me a large contract, "I will get you out of here."
I picked up the contract. The cover page said the words "ARGUS, Task Force X" across it, with a big red "CONFIDENTIAL" stamped diagonally on the page. I flipped it open and thumbed through the pages, just scanning them as I did.
"What the hell is this?" I said somewhat calmly. "You want me to join up with your little Suicide Squad?"
"That's not exactly how I worded it in the contract, but yes." Said Waller.
"Why?"
She stood up, walked around the table, unhandcuffed me, then paced on the left side of the room.
"Did you know that you are currently one of the best hand to hand combatants ARGUS knows about? There are only about three better than you. You are ranked above Batman in unarmed and armed combat, according to ARGUS specialists. This makes you a very dangerous man. If it were up to my superiors, and take note, there aren't many of those. If it were up to them, they would lock every hero, villain or individual who thought they were above the law up. However, I think you people are very useful. That's why I started Task Force X. I believe that very bad people, or in your case people who made bad choices, deserve a chance to do some good. You're very skilled, Mr. Wilson, and I want to use those skills to help you, and help our country."
I was silent for a moment. I thumbed through the contract more, but my eyes were focused on Waller.
"You give a damn good speech, lady." I finally told her. She smirked. "When will you guys have me out? Also, when do I need to 'report in' or whatever?"
"Normally, I would have you out by the end of the week, but I may be able to pull some strings and get you out tomorrow. I should have you report in tomorrow as well, but I will give you two weeks to readjust and maybe talk to a couple of people who you care about. I understand your only visitor has been Mr. Wayne, and he hasn't visited in quite a while."
I was silent. She passed me a pen. I took it and signed the contract. I wasn't sure why she had me sign a contract, because apparently I was above the law, so there was nothing forcing me to keep the contract. I assumed that the Suicide Squad was forced to work for Waller under threat of death and I also assumed that I would be under that same threat.
Waller took the contract, picked up her briefcase, picked up the camera jammer, then left the room. A few moments later, some guards came in and took me back to my cell.
My cell was a white padded room. Apparently, because I had a history of suicidal tendencies, despite me trying to kill myself only one time (a long time ago, might I add), I had to be in a padded room because I was a "danger to myself." Bullshit. Bruce managed to convince them not to give me a straight jacket, but I still wasn't allowed to have sheets or even a blanket on my cot.
I sat cross legged on the ground and rubbed my bruised knuckles. That was 43 now. 43 inmates I had beaten up. 43 who had committed horrendous crimes and gotten away with them by claiming insanity. 43 who were about to do horrible things. 43 who had tried to attack me. I wasn't sure how many of each category there were, but I knew that I had beaten up 43 inmates.
Did I really deserve to be let out? I was definitely not insane, so the State of California claiming that I was legally insane was completely wrong. I had gotten off easy, like some of the criminals I had beaten up in here. I didn't deserve to be let out. I tortured a girl to death. Even if she was a member of the League of Shadows, she did not deserve that.
Eventually, I moved to the cot and went to bed. I figured an orderly would come get me for dinner, but I guess I didn't get any as punishment for beating up that punk.
The next morning, I was at breakfast. A note came with my meal, saying that I would be out at six o'clock. Great. I thought today would be easy, until Victor Zsasz sat at my table in the seat across from me. I glared at him.
"What are you doing here, Zsasz?" I asked angrily, "You know that the only reason I haven't beat the shit out of you is because you've left me alone."
"I know, but I am going to tell you something important." He told me. "Roman Sionis is sick of your shit. He put a hit on you."
"And you're here to kill me and claim it?"
"No, nothing like that. I know that I can't take you. I'm here to warn you."
"Why?"
"People like you and me have to help each other every so often."
I shot daggers at him with my eyes.
"I am nothing like you. You are a monster."
He shrugged, then left. Shit, ok, this was a obstacle. I had to survive until six. Easy. Who would take a hit against me anyways?
No one made a move until dinner time, for some reason. I was sitting there eating, when a muscular man came up to me. He grabbed my fork and tried to stab me with it.
I dodged it, then punched him in the ribs a few times. I felt a bone or two cracking, so I nailed him in that same spot with a sharp kick. He fell to the floor, unable to breathe due to broken ribs. Then, all hell broke loose.
A second man, smaller than the first, charged me. He tackled me through a table, and we slid until we hit the wall behind us. I managed to get a guillotine hold on him, but two more guys were coming. I slammed his head against the wall hard, then stood up to face the other two.
I nailed one in the face with a quick jab, then kicked the other in the knee. I slammed an elbow down on the back of his head, then turned my attention to the one I had punched. He held a leg of the table and was swinging it around as a weapon. I ducked under each swing and nailed him with a flurry of blows in his midsection. Eventually he collapsed, writhing in pain.
Oswald Cobblepot, aka the Penguin, walked into view.
"Get 'em boys." He ordered a couple of his guys. "I'll split the reward with whichever of you blokes kills this bloody prick."
More men approached me, about five. Instead of waiting for them, I charged the one to the far left. I springboarded off a table and crashed into his head with my feet. I springboarded off his head and superman punched the guy next to him. Five more guys had joined in the fray now.
Three charged me. I grabbed the first one to come close by his arms, swung him around, and tossed him at the other two. I ran at a fifth guy, slid across the floor when I got close, grabbed his ankles, and pulled him down. I quickly jumped on his back and slammed his face into the ground a few times. One of the men I had knocked down a few seconds ago was now grabbing me by the top of my head. Good thing I had cut my hair, otherwise he would be pulling it right now.
Another man sent a foot across my face. It hurt, but it pulled my head out of the man's hand. I sent my head backwards and head butted the man with the back of my head. He staggered back, and I choke slammed him before he could recover. I couldn't believe the guards were doing nothing.
A third man, who had tattoos all over his face, drew a shiv from his shirt. He slashed at me, but I dodged backwards. I ran into a table, but this turned out to be a blessing. I waited for shiv-man to get close, then I slammed a food tray into the side of his head. I hit him a few times with the palms of my hands, but he was out cold on the third hit.
Two large men charged me simultaneously. I jumped up on the table and clotheslined both of them. I quickly scrambled on top of one of them and choked him until he was unconscious. The other big man had recovered and grabbed my shoulders. He threw me across the room. I rolled as I hit the floor, so it didn't hurt as much as it could've. I stood back up and charged him. I jumped up and put my legs around his neck, then I pulled downward, forcing him to flip headfirst into the floor.
I was exhausted, but there were still more of them to fight. The nearest man walked swiftly up to me, but I exhaustedly threw an overhand hook that completely sent him sprawling. I dove on top of him and started punching him in the head until he didn't move anymore.
I slowly pushed myself to my feet as the last two came at me. I jumped and managed to catch both of them with a roundhouse that would give me a couple of seconds to catch my breath.
The one closest to my left recovered quickest. He ran at me and threw a wild haymaker. I threw an arm up to deflect the blow, then countered with a jumping crane kick that sent him to the ground faster than anyone could react. The next guy was recovered now, and he charged me, but I picked him up by one of his legs and the back of his neck and slammed him on the ground, knocking him out cold as he hit. Now for Cobblepot's turn.
"Now hold it, Wilson, I think we can forget about this." He stammered out, trying to back up. "I didn't mean it, I was just joking."
I picked him up by his neck and tossed him across the room. He crashed through a table and slammed onto the floor. The guards finally came and slammed me against the wall with riot shields.
"Nice of you guys to show up." I groaned. The man who had me pinned against the wall pressed harder as a threat. They took me to a treatment room again. My psychologist, Wendy Matteson was there. I sat down.