Chapter 2

Blacker than black

Amanda walker enters her office to fill out some reports. However as she enters immediately she realizes somethings wrong. And stops what she's doing forming a hard face.

"Batman," She says coldly not turning around to face the Dark knight who stood right behind her in her office, "There are better ways to get my attention. And I don't suppose your here simply to say hi so what'd you want."

"Your CIA correct Waller." Batman started instead of getting right to the point. For he didn't put it beyond Waller wouldn't have any clue.

"Yes you want to see my badge?" She questioned finding the question rather stupid and pointless, "And they call you the worlds greatest detective."

"Is there a covert military operation going on in Gotham?" Batman questioned however he knew exactly what Waller's answer would be.

"And why would I tell a vigilante such as yourself information that would be considered highly classified."

"Figured you say that," Batman replied, "It would be a real shame if the world were to find out about your suicide squad and all the dirt it's done. Maybe they ask for your resignation or maybe they lock up in with your fellow criminals."

"Blackmailing a government official I see," Waller replied sternly then turning to look at him, "Look I don't know but with my security clearance I could easily find out. However as it does not concern me you'll owe me favor for this information."

"You can not ask me to kill anyone or do anything ethically questionable or otherwise I'll find the information another way." Batman replied. He could only guess what Waller would want him to do.

"O I'd have you do nothing of the sort however a five prisoners from Belle reve got loose think their back in Gotham since they worked with the Black mask. Bring them back here and I will have the information you seek." Waller replied.

"These criminals wouldn't happen to be apart of your suicide squad now would they?" Batman questioned unwilling to return someone to what he considered a direct violation of human rights.

"No but no one escapes this prison no one." Waller said clearly this was impacting her own credibility, "I'll get you the files."

Gotham city

Miles was a mercenary from Italy. Miles had just broken out of belle reve to resume his job in Gotham which was to provide the muscle behind an international trafficking rink of just about anything. He bought a small apartment and kept a low profile waiting for orders from Black mask. However he heard a knock at his door.

He walked over answering it he saw a cop with grey eyes and a smile across his face. Cops were bad he should pull his pistol shoot him right here but that would only attract more cops. He needed to play it cool real cool.

"Officer how may I help you." Miles said a hand on a pistol behind the door killing the cop was not beyond him.

"Hey, just wandering around the neighborhood informing the community about five deranged killers wandering around in the neighborhood you wouldn't have seen anything would you?" the cop questioned still with the smile.

"Can't say I have." Miles replied insulted by the fact he had been called a deranged killer. His voice expressed a slight annoyance.

"Well that's odd since you match the description of one Miles Colombo. So how about you come real peaceful like especially since that pistol you're holding by the door can already be taken as a threat." The cop said still holding his smile.

"If you think I'm going back you got another-" Miles was cut off as the cop struck him hard across the face striking the front part of his brain. He went down after one punch everything going black.

Minutes later he woke up handcuffed in the back of a cop car. He saw the cops eyes in the mirror the cop glanced at him.

"Ya know Miles you should control your emotions better I called you a deranged killer specifically to enrage you." The cop replied.

"My Miranda rights cop you can't just arrest me like that."

"That's funny," The Cop said, "You still think I'm the cop."

Miles became confused even sweating a little bit. He began to realize no cop had the ability to knock some guy out with a single punch. No cop would've come alone to handle a mercenary who had killed before. Then a gas mask painted forest green landed in his lap. He'd heard the stories from the survivors of the raid last night.

"Ok Mr Colombo mine telling me where I can find your friends or about this operation your working in the city." Operator 36 said as he drove them into an abandoned parking garage.

"Neither was the man who sold you out if only he talked before I lost my patients." Operator 36 replied revealing very little information on that, "Criminal, soldier, terrorist, you all crack eventually."

Miles began to sweat as they stopped. Then 36 got of the car slammed the door then slowly approached Miles he swiftly opened Miles's door then ripped him out of the car throwing him on his knees. Then a bucket of cold water was in front of Miles.

"Now it's been said the key to any good interrogation is building a relationship with the person you intend to interrogate. However I don't have a lot of time and I think you and I know each other well enough any ways." Operator 36 said grabbing the man by the back of his neck and dunking his head right in the bucket of cold water. He held it there as the man struggled for air then pulled him up, "Now where were we oh yeah friends and operation mind telling me about those two things."

"Go...to…. Hell." The man said struggling for air and freezing as the water was frigid.

"Sure thing but before I do that." 36 said dunking the man's head back in. Miles struggled shaking as 36 held him in there for a longer period of time. Then he brought him up again the man gasping for air and shivering, "Every time you give me an answer I don't like back in you go for a longer extension of time. Today we see just how long you can survive with out air."

"Hold on hold on I'll bring em all together for you wherever and whenever you want." Miles said, "All Five Mercs."

"Hmm tell them to meet at your place in your apartment." Operator said handing him a phone and putting a pistol to his head. He had a plan and realized this whole interrogation should've happened in the apartment.

Redhood roughly ten minutes later sat in bar talking to some guy who worked for Black mask. The man was shaken up apparently he operated in burma on a narcotics job then he showed up.

"It was crazy no one saw it coming one of the doors exploded then some commando carrying swords on his back bursts in. He shoots every one dead except me who managed to escape as he burned the whole facility down. I don't got a lot of information on it. But there's an Arab worked the middle East got more on it then me. I can get you in contact." the man replied.

Redhood felt his phone vibrate it was definitely Bruce. Perhaps he'd uncovered something.

"Tell him to meet me here at six." Redhood replied.

Redhood then answered the phone of course he couldn't say Batman or Bruce in a place filled with criminals. So he decided just to not use any names.

"Find anything." Redhood said as he saw breaking news appear on the TV in the corner.

"Waller agreed to look into it if I provided her with five escaped mercenaries. Since You're already in gotham-"

"Hold that thought I just had a break threw," Redhood said reading the headline. Five criminal escapees from Belle reve found dead in apartment. Suspect tagged the gas mask commando, "Yeah those five mercs aren't going anywhere now. Shot dead by our friend who the media's calling the Gas mask commando."

"That complicates things I will return to Waller and convince her he is a common enemy." Batman said as he hung up.

"Damn." Redhood said releasing this guy had a serious advantage over them, "Guy never sleeps."

Batman returned to the office of Amanda Waller accept this time she was less hostile. In fact the minute he approached her desk she had a whole box of files on the man. She had a dead serious look on her face.

"It seems we have a common enemy," Waller said, "I revealed the reports on the man you want not only is he the same guy who killed my prisoners and raided your city. He also launched a very clever attack on my suicide squad."

"Then why isn't he dead your guys don't strike me as the type who'd surrender. He took out your whole team didn't he."

"Criminals are replaceable. However he disabled their chips. Now the whole squad is in UN custody awaiting an international trial. He also convinced Katana he was right and I was wrong. And Flag straight up quit. Yes he is a pain in both our sides," Said Waller.

"Who is he?" Batman questioned. Hiding the fact that Waller's defeat pleased him.

"What I'm about to tell you is an operation blacker the black. To the point where not even the president knows. Hell I had to pull some strings and promise favors to get it myself," Waller continued, "They call him Operator 36. Simply put they wanted to repeat what they did with Deathstroke in Vietnam build the ultimate special forces operator. And they did till he went awol everything you need to know is in there."

Batman grabbed the box knowing the only reason he was getting this was cause Waller lacked the resources to handle it herself. Apart of him hesitated to handle this jail time for this vigilante could make him the new suicide squad. Unless of course he handed him over to a UN court pin him a war criminal. He'd figure that out later he knew he'd have to read all the files on this guy before making his move. Then brief the whole Bat family.

Redhood had waited till six taking a sip from a drink he'd gotten when he saw the Arab walk in. The man looked around then saw Redhood waiting in the corner. He sat down having the information Redhood sought.

"They say you want information regarding the gas mask," The Arab said looking over his shoulder, "You should note every man sent to kill him has died."

"I'm not every man now tell me what you know." Redhood said.

"Guy's worse than Batman," The Arab started, "At least with Batman I can cut my losses shut down move somewhere else and set up. This guy they call him Operator 36 boys just call 36 he'll track you no matter where you go. South east Asia, Chechnya, Afghanistan, fucking Mexico he don't care where to are if you end up on his agenda it's over. Rumor has it he's some mixed up soldier who went awol against terrorists responsible for his family's death. Then he discovered they were fueled on drugs, illegal weaponry, and the thing he hates the most human trafficking. So he declares war on organised crime and he fights us as he fought the Taliban. Simply every criminal in this city fears the Batman everyone outside the city fears him. He's killed five hundred of us in the past few years and now that he's here in Gotham I gotta run. I suggest you think twice before going for this guy."

"You don't think the Bat can take him down?" Questioned Redhood, "He doesn't exactly like killers in his city no matter the reason."

"Do I think Batman would win absolutely," The Arab continued, "But how many of us will die before he finds 36."

Redhood heard what he needed. Operator 36 was a vigilante wronged by society turned into a cold blooded killer it sounded all to familiar. Now all he had to do was find 36 who was gunning for Black mask so Redhood would follow the same trail.