LA

6 Years Ago

I snapped awake from another dream that I had, a dream from way back in my past that I thought I was going to forget and not remember anymore. But it was a plague, always coming back to haunt me over and over again as if it was nagging me that I made the wrong choice. Did I make the wrong choice? No, I made the right one, but my mind was playing tricks on me

"Wake up, "

I looked over from where I bed was, seeing none other than Jacob there in the corner as he would always be. He was sitting at my desk, not saying a word now as I sighed and rolled out of bed, looking at the alarm clock there on my nightstand. 5:50 pm

"Jacob, I was sleeping," I reminded him as I threw my hair up in a messy bun and grabbed a hoodie to throw up, feeling almost a bit exposed there with an Angel there in my room. I heard a place siren go by the apartment there along the street.

"You need to see this," He said to me, not indicating my previous comment to him and I looked to see him staring at something there on the desk. H looked serious about something, I knew that face and how I read that this was not going to be a regular casual conversation that we would have in the past. No, he meant business coming here.

"What's wrong?" I asked him finally as I walked over to the desk where he was sitting. He was so still there not moving an inch as I finally looked over his shoulder to see what was there. There was a newspaper there, folded neatly and the headline as placed right at the top for me to read slowly. It made me heart finally drop to the floor and almost have me feel like I was losing my sense of gravity.

A metahuman gang member by the name of Chato Santana surrendered to the place last night at 3:30 in the morning at his home in East Los Angeles when he set his home into flames. Authorities found no trace of human bodies inside, but the suspect informed the police that he murdered his wife, Grace Santana, and his two children. He was sent to Belle Reeve Prison within hours after the arrest. The metahuman was known on the streets as El Diablo, a notorious gang member and leader of the gang called The Hillsiders.

I looked away from the newspaper and walked over to the window, feeling as though everything I thought I wanted to do within the next few months was going to be placed in shambles. I wanted to find him again, to at least show my face and that all that I was doing was okay. There was still the concept and thought that I would give to tell him that I was a Fallen Angel, but that was another messy business that I was going to have to deal with.

"Where is he now?" I asked Jacob as I looked ahead out the window.

"At Belle Reeve," I looked over my shoulder at him, "He just landed there two minutes ago while you were sleeping."

"You wanted to tell me this now?" I asked him, not wanting to sound mean or cruel about it but it was getting me agitated that I couldn't help my own friend there. Jacob got up from his spot now as he looked over at me, sensing my disheartenment there within me.

"This was the path that had to be taken," Jacob said to me as I breathed out very slowly just to calm myself down, "He needs to be taken away."

"You sound so kind when it's said like that," I muttered to him in a low manner. I didn't think that this would be the life that Chato was going to have, and it was the last thing that I wanted for him. It was hurting me, and I only hoped that I was going to help him in any way possible.

"You remember some months ago when I told you that you were going to help people here?" He asked me, having me slowly nod my head, "Well, the moment has come for you. Within the next few hours, you too will be arrested and you are going to fulfill your own fate with those people that I told you about."

"Now?" I asked him, feeling a bit shocked about it. I knew ti was coming and I knew that it was going to change everything about me since I told Jacob I was willing to do something about it. I had no other life to hold not, but now that this was the time for me to be arrested and placed in jail, all I could think about the Chato. How was I ever going to see him again? How long was he going to be away for? Was there ever a chance that I would even see his face?

"It must be now, and I know that your heart is breaking," Jacob reassured me, in which I tried to wipe the tear from my face since Chato was breaking me down and all over in a million ways, "But this is the time for your to fulfill what you were meant for." I was thinking back to the previous conversation how I was still not in the loop with this whole destiny thing from Jacob. A part of me wanted to refuse this, to not go and to try and find a way to help Chato. But the other half, the Angel half that I had within me was telling me to go on with my task for Jacob for the greater good. It was gnawing at me and so dull of a pain. But I knew what I had to do, and if Jacob knew that he would explain things to me about Chato and he won't' leave me in the dark when it comes to him, then I had to go on I guess.

"When do I get arrested?" I asked him now, my voice was severely low now and he could see it on my face that I wanted to run, to really run. He placed one hand there on my cheek, the Grace and warmth there on his fingertips and is palm was pressing into me and seeing under my skin into my body. He was trying to reassure me, to show me that he knew my pain. I could see it there in his eyes, he emphasized with me.

"In 6 hours."

Mid-Way City

Present Day

"Three days ago, a non-human entity appeared in the subway station. So Waller sent me and a woman with incredible abilities. A witch," Flag was telling us the whole story as to why we were here since Deadshot apparently found out in that binder he almost threw at Flag's head. It was still proving and we were still out there in the open on the side of the street.

"See, nobody could get near this thing, but the witch could. Needless to say, the whole was a bad idea. And that's how she escaped from Waller. So now you know." He stopped and looked at each of us then, thinking that we were going to kill him for dropping the truth of us. Were we going up against a witch? I was beyond normalcy there when it came to my mind. First, it was the lie about Amanda being the one we were going os ave, and now it was that we were going to fight some kind of evil source and evil entity.

"That's not all of it, though," Flag said to us now as we thought it that was he said to us was enough for us all squirm, "Amanda specifically wanted to…to have a Fallen Angel on the team since she felt like they could take out a witch and handle it," I glared at him now, seeing that there was a real reason for me to be here. I was going to be the sacrifice for Amanda for this weird Witch child that we were about to fight, This was all coming together in a circle for me, at least the human part of me that was still on the fence being here. But now, now I was going to be the one that was going to be killed for the sake of saving the world. Was this what Jacob was thinking about when he told this was my destiny?

I looked down at the floor, ready wanting to roll up in a ball and just die there on the street. This was so not fair for me to be in here, and I had a great word or two to tell Jacob since he thought I was going to be okay. Surely, now he lied. Chato looked over at me as I was looking down at my shoes there and seeing them get dumped there from either the rain or my tears. He pressed into me from the side, not leaving my side as he then rested his hand on my lower back as some kind of source of comfort.

"You can just kill me right now, but I'm going to have a drink," Deadshot said to him in a bitter manner as he nodded his head, already accepting what was going to happen to us now as he walked away.

"Hey, Deadshot. I need you help," Flag called out to him, sounding desperate as he stayed still and Deadshot moved over to the building next to us without saying another word about it.

"You need a miracle," was Deadshot's reply. I looked up then, sniffling a bit now as I was about to move away too, but Flag finally called out to me.

"Marley," He called, having me pause now as he looked at me directly in the eyes. He looked so sad there after what he told us, but now he needed me, I sensed it. The feeling of desperation and plead, "Please."

"Please what, Flag? Die for your mistake?" I asked him bitterly now as I wanted to really tear him a new one now. Chato moved over to stand with me, gasping my arm with his hand and not wanting me to hear anything else. I didn't want to at all, I didn't want to look at his face anymore since it was only making em thin of Waller and her selfishness for me being there as a pawn for her stupid game.

"Come on, Marley," Chato said to me under his breath as he guided me over to the building, right after Harley who bowed to the group. I pushed back one more tear as Chato stayed close to me now, not saying anything but he did understand. He was feeling it too, and I was hoping and praying that I was anywhere else but here.

Anywhere else, please God, Anywhere else.

"Sit down, sugar," Harley said as she walked over to the back of the bar and I sat next to Diablo on his left, away from the others who were pulling up the barstools and sitting there too. Katana even joined us there, Croc making room in the back at one of the back booths near the fish tank while Harley started pouring drinks there for us. I stayed quiet, looking dead ahead at my reflection there in the mirror across from me. I looked damaged, almost worn out from the rain and the previous fights. I thought I would be better that this before all of the truth came out and all of the lies were placed in front of me.

"Here you go," Harley said to me, placing a glass of whiskey there in front of me. Chato looked over at me now, wondering if I was going to drink it there and I breathed out, grasping the glass there in my hand as Deadshot raised his own shot glass that Harley gave him. Something inside of me spoke, a voice in the back of my head was telling me something.

Hang on...they still need you...

"Here's to honor amongst thieves," Deadshot said to us, though Katana rebuffed him.

"I'm not a thief," She replied smoothly as she moved away from him and over to where I was but farther down, Deadshot looking back at Harley again. Croc had a beer in his hand, Harley had a blue cocktail with a pink umbrella, and Boomerang was holding a tall 40 ounce can within his own grubby hands.

"Well, she's not a thief." Deadshot explained, almost out loud to the group there as he went on, "Well, we almost pulled it off…despite what everybody thought. And the worst part of it is, they're going to blame us for the whole thing. And they can't have people knowing the truth. We're the patsies, the cover-up. Don't forget, we're the bad guys. Except for Marley, no offense," She said to me as he looked down in my direction. I just stared at him and nodded once. I looked at my own drink there and drank down most of it there in one sitting as Deadshot spoke again. But I didn't feel like a good guy or a bad guy, I felt like I didn't belong anywhere since nothing else was making sense in my own head anymore.

"For about two sweet seconds…I had hope," He said, which then triggered Chato to come next to me and shift to face him from his own seat next to me. He snorted, resting one arm on the table and facing him now with an amused look on his face. I looked too, seeing something else shift there in Chato since he was not going to be quiet.

"You had hope, huh? Hope don't stop the wheel from turning, my brother," Chato said to him in his gruff tone.

"You preaching?"

"It's coming back around for you. How many people have you killed, man?" Chato asked him now. I felt like we were about to go into a bad conversation now, from how Chato was sitting and how low his voice got.

"You don't ask nobody no question like that, ese," Deadshot warned.

"You ain't ever whacked down no women? No kids." I looked at him in shock, wondering why the hell Chato would ask him that. Deadshot had the same look on his face too, not seeing where this was coming from and why this was coming out now while we were in some kind of abandoned bar. It was ing me uneasy now since he wasn't sounding like the boy I one knew.

"I don't kill women and children," Deadshot answered.

"I do," Chato replied without blinking, Boomerang eyeing him now without saying a word about it. This was about to get heavy now since I kind of knew what he was talking about and where he was going with this. The guilt, the shame of what he did was about to come out. I remembered back to that night so many years ago when I read about it in the paper and I wanted nothing more than to find him and save him. I was feeling the guilt too, spreading like wildfire within me.

"See, I was born with the Devil's gift. I kept it hidden most of my life, but the older I got the stronger I got. The only other person that knew about it was Marley," He said, looking over at me for a brief second as I said nothing and looked back. I saw the sadness in his eyes, and I was so tempted to hold his hands, but I was frozen as he looked back at Deadshot.

"So I started using it. For business you know? The more power on the street I got, the more firepower I got. Like that shit went hand in hand. You know? One was feeding the other. Ain't nobody tell me no. Except for my old lady," I cringed, hearing him bring up Grace in a way that seemed light but almost full or mourning.

"You know, she used to pray for me. Even when I didn't want it. God didn't give me this. Why should he take it away?" He made the silhouette of Grace in the form of a fiery flame in the middle of his palm, the figure dancing just for him now as he looked at Deadshot with skepticism there. I knew he was talking about the fire and how Grace was killed, how his children were killed as well, and how he was blaming it all on himself. I was feeling his sadness hit me over, and over, and over. Like I was being punched in the gut my chest himself, being punched because he was made for me leaving him behind.

"See when I get mad, I lose control you know, I just.. I don't know what I do…until it's done." He grabbed an empty glass near him, turning it upside down and placing it over the flame to suffocate and to fall into its death. I watched, the mourning of his pain was still hitting me all over and making me feel as though I could melt to the floor. He had too much pain for one person to live with, all from something that was out of his own control and his own ability.

"And the kids?" Boomerang asked, out of blue and after a few seconds of drinking it all in.

"He killed them, didn't you?" Harley asked him now from her spot behind the bar and she eyes him, almost like she was about to grill him. The others said nothing now as it was out in the open, and I saw Chato about to cry. One of his hands dropped to hang at his side lifelessly, and I reached out to once again hold his hand on my own. I felt no warmth this time in him, and I was trying to soak any kind of warmth I had left within myself to give to him. I didn't want this for him, to feel this pain and this mourning from what happened to Grace and his children.

"Own that shit," Harley commanded him in her bold tone now, "Own it! What 'd you think was gonna happen? Huh?"

"Hey, Harley. Come on," Deadshot countered, but she was still talking to him.

"What, were you just….thinking you can have a family and coach little league and make car payments? Normal is a setting on the Dryer. People like us, we don't get normal!" She explained to him in almost a shout. I eyed Chato, seeing him getting angry again from how she was reacting to what he told her. I wanted her to stop talking since he was about to snap and kill her then and there.

"Why is it always a knife fight every single time you open your mouth?" She went quiet as Boomerang asked her this, all of us looking at him now as he was glaring at Harley. Even she looked almost like a wounded animal.

"You know, outside, you're amazing. But inside, you're ugly." He sneered at her.

"We all are. We all are!" She said to him, glaring over at Croc now, "Except for him. He's ugly on the outside, too."

"Not me shorty," Croc answered her back as he showed his face to us from under his hoodie, "I'm beautiful."

"Yeah you are," She said in agreement as I saw Chato look over at me now. I saw the sadness there on his face, having em reach up to at least get one of those tears off his face before he stopped me with his own spare hand. Another song was playing there on the sound system, a familiar song that I knew of from the past that made me both happy and sad at the same time.

Earth Angel, Earth Angel

Will you be mine?

My darling dear, love you all the time

I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you….

"Why are you here?" I looked up and away from him now as Harley was the one who asked that, looking over at me with her curious eyes and how she could see me holding Chato close enough to not grow a suspicion. She had a thought about the both opus already, but I wasn't caring at this time.

"You know why I'm here," I replied, but she shook her head.

"You didn't tell us all of it, honey," She reminded me as I fell quiet. I could see the others looking at me now since it was the truth: I didn't tell them anything and everything about it. They were still in the dark with me: only seeing me as a saint who came to help the sinners.

"I was told, by a guardian if you will, that I have to protect you from….this witch I guess," I explained to them softly there, "But I'm not a full Angel. I can't protect you," Sure it sounded so melodramatic on my part but it was the truth. I was still human, I still had weaknesses within me that were holding me back from as powerful as Jacob knew I could see.

"You saved me, back there with those goonies," Boomerang said as a soft reminder to me from she spot there at the bar.

"But thanks to Waller, I'm a dead Angel," I said back, remembering what she told me and what Flag told me too. I was going to be the sacrifice to the witch, some lame attempt to stop her at all costs and to spare the others. I didn't like it since it was going to make her look good to have an Angel on her roster, even if it was a dead one.

Flag finally came in, walking in almost a sulky manner there and coming over to sit next to Deadshot now. We all glared at him, mostly everyone else there was glaring at him and I was still nice and quiet there next to Chato.

"We don't want you here," Harley said to him now as he looked like he was hit by a truck.

"You get to the part in that binder saying I was sleeping with her?" Flag asked the group, only Deadshot was nodding his head.

"Yeah," He answered, "I never been with a witch before. What's that like?" Flag said nothing, almost looking down in defeat as Deadshot spoke to Harley now, "Apparently that's why the creatures chase him all the time. 'Cause..uhh.. the witch is scared of him."

"The only woman I ever cared about..is trapped inside that monster. If I don't stop the witch, it's over. Everything is over. Everything." He explained in a somber tone as Deadshot watched him there, almost feeling his own pain and heartbreak. He then pulled out the phone from his wrist device, the same phone that had the ability to turn on our nanite bombs. He slammed it into the control, killing it and shattering it into a thousand pieces.

"You're free to go."

Marley….Marley…

They were still talking to each other as I heard Jacob again in my own head, having me squint my eyes shut and try to at least hear what he had to say about it as I hear someone running off.

He was trying to warn me about something, I could hear the urgency in his voice as Deadshot was having some kind of heated talk with Flag now in the background.

You need to stay with them….stay and protect them...

How, Jacob? I'm useless against the witch. She'll kill me.

Not unless they help you….let them help you….let Chato help you…

I snapped back to it now as I looked over to see Deadshot and Flag watching me there, still at my end of the bar with Chato and I felt uneasiness on me again. What did Jacob mean that they were going to help me? Why would they help me?

"You know, we're not going let Waller get everything her way," I shot a look over at Deadshot as he explained that to me like he was giving to give me another idea for me. I raised an eyebrow at him, not understanding what he said and what he was implying.

"What do you mean?" Chato asked him now as he looked over at Deadshot, still holding me there with one hand placed under the countertop and the other was now lowered to the bar countertop, holding my wrist gently there within his calloused fingers.

"I mean, we're gonna make sure you're gonna live in this too, even when she wants you dead," Deadshot explained to the both of us, having me see him pour his eyes into me, "You protect us, and we protect you. That's what we do, you get me?"

Chato looked over at me, in hopes that I understood. He nodded his head, squeezing our fingers together and silently telling me to believe him. I wanted to so bad to just think that this was the end, but even the Suicide Squad was thinking that there was still hope in this mission. I had to believe that too, in what Jacob told me that they were going to help me as much as I was going to help them.

"Yeah. Let's prove the bitch wrong."