The Lagoon cut across the water. Rock was looking out over the prow when he saw a boat smoke rising from the fire on deck.

"Dutch, we have a problem, a boat in distress - off the starboard."

"I see it Rock, you actually think that's more important then what's going on at home?"

"It's a vessel in distress," Rock insisted, "aren't we supposed to do ...something?"

"Fine Rock fine," Dutch grumbled, "We've got nothing really pressing ... Let's play coast guard in the most lawless patch of ocean on the planet."

Dutch, having made his point, still allowed The Lagoon to slide up to a stop near the boat that was spewing fire and smoke. Bodies littered the deck some had died within moments of the Lagoon's arrival. They had just missed a battle, a very big, very bloody battle.

"Rock, Benny, stay here, " Dutch ordered, "Rotton, you're with me. Keep it tight and watch my back. Whoever did this might still be aboard."

Rotton tossed the life jacket he had insisted was "just-in-case," and donned his working clothes including the bulletproof jacket. Dutch racked a round in his shotgun and He and Rotton climbed onto the smoke filled deck. They moved across the deck scanning one body after another.

Rotton looked around in shock, "I'm not sure all these men died in the firefight." The mercenary noted quietly.

"Some of them are local muscle, small-timers. Well I'll be damned, I think these sailors were the gunrunners Rock did a deal with not-to-long ago; explains where the assault rifles came from." Dutch toed one of the body's over to survey the single shot that had taken his life. "Execution style but done like an amateur. Whoever it was isn't a pro, just wants to look like one - The same gun killed these guys and they died after the fight was done. Whoever it was needed muscle to get aboard but once he was on board his army became redundant."

"...And apparently a liability," Rotton whispered, "So would it be inappropriate to mention that the boat you rendezvoused with is registered to The Demon's Head?"

"You seem very well informed Rotton." Dutch countered smoothly, "I'm surprised you're so calm about wasting time with a rescue mission. I mean, you do realize your partners are most likely at this moment throwing down with a team composed of specialists...I mean, really, really special specialists."

"If we are talking about the same kind of special, then no I'm not concerned. Shenhua and Sawyer can take care of themselves."

"Oh I've no doubt they are good but against Suicide Squad..."

Rotton smiled, "I've made a few off-market modifications to Shenhua and Sawyer's equipment. I don't care how special the specialists are ... If My ladies are at the top of their game as usual, your Suicide Squad will get a very nasty surprise."

The two men startled at a groan. Dutch pointed his shotgun until the smoke cleared for a moment and he saw a man sprawled on the deck gazing sightlessly in to the sky.

"Shipley, Shipley is that you? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Dutchie, I can't feel my legs. What time is it? My watch it got broken in the firefight."

"Rotton check below decks. There may be someone else still kicking OK, don't take too long."

Rotton nodded and ran off while Shipley grabbed Dutch's hand, "I'm not kidding here Dutch, what time?"

Dutch checked his watch and told the mortally wounded man what time it was.

Shipley suddenly startled at his words. "You have to get gone - there was a bomb set for five minutes from now. You have to get out of here."

"Who did this Shipley?"

"Red Hood, he told us Chang was bringing in a heavy hitter, that taking him out would make us kings, we came onboard, then everybody started shooting, and Red Hood he just ran off. Next thing I know I'm taking one on the back and Red Hood is skipping out on us. Guess he got his man."

Dutch looked up and shouted toward the hold, "Rotton, change of plans. We're leaving right now," he cried out.

"I found someone alive … barely." Rotton called out, "I think I know what Red Hood was after."

"In less then five minutes this boat will be a memory." Dutch argued even as he charged down the steps leading to the bowels of the ship,

Rotton was struggling to pull a wounded man up the steps.

"How the hell?"

"He managed to crawl to the steps. Someone shot him, repeatedly, to judge by his wounds. Red Hood likes overkill but isn't so good at finishing the job."

Shipley called out. "Please Dutch ... "

"Ship, I'd like to, but you're on your last legs...no pun intended."

"Not that, I know I'm done but a man shouldn't have to go out jonesing for a cancer stick."

Dutch slipped a cigarette into the man's mouth, lighting it before he and Rotton dashed back to the Lagoon.

"Benny start her up and get us moving..." Dutch cried out as they hit the deck of the Lagoon.

Benny shoved the throttle all the way and the Lagoon tore away at a fast clip. Rock heard Dutch counting off aloud and when he reached zero, the burning ship exploded into a pillar of flames that rocketed into the sky.

Rock checked the wounded man's pockets and found identification. "Kenneth Shiro… this is the man … was the man my brother was here to meet. Why would Red Hood try and kill him."

"Assuming it was the real Red Hood."

"What do you mean?"

"Rock have you forgotten, according to your brother Red Hood is supposed to be holding a meet at The Hostel so if he's at the Hostel, Why did one of the few people still alive say they stormed the ship on Red Hood's orders and that he was with them. How can he be in two places at once."

"He used duplicates before when he attacked the syndicate bosses."

"...But he stayed in the area. I know a double bluff when I see one and this massacre was not pulled by an impostor. The Real Red Hood, or at least the one we need to worry about, was here."

"Then who is at home, surely he wouldn't set up some impostor especially for a trap at Adolph's."

"Maybe its a partner who doesn't know the kind of evil mojo that's been brought down in his name."

The man groaned, coughing up blood. Dutch leaned close. "You're safe now, we're taking you some where safe. Who did this to you, was it Red Hood?"

"Not Red Hood, Okajima, it was Okajima"

Rock startled at his words.

Dutch nodded gravely "Unless you've developed some kind of weird split personality thing that I don't know about Rock, I'd say that was a confirmation."

"Came to warn...a trap ... Cascade is a trap." his words turned to choked coughing.

Benny picked up a folded sheet of paper the man had been carrying and looked at it. He gaped. "Isn't this guy supposed to be some kind of genius?" He asked.

"Shiro yeah I guess. Why?"

"... Cause either this idiot doesn't know a damn thing about engineering or he's deliberately trying to kill us all."

Dutch blinked, "Help me out here Benny-boy."

"Rock said his brother was in town looking for some tech that Shiro had on him, was it this tech?" Benny held up the schematic in his hand. "Because this is a booby trap. Look, its designed to channel energy from an external source; I'm guessing those diamonds Selina has. The thing is, its been built to tap and re-channel that power flow back into itself."

The room full of blank stares caused Benny to sigh, "You turn it on; it charges up and then goes boom,"

Rock was beyond mystified, "Why would someone build something so that it blows up?" he asked,

"A more important question is what happened to the machine?" Rotton wondered, "It wasn't aboard ship that I noticed so if your brother took it, it means he has it in Roanapur somewhere."

"Where?" Rock asked panic filling his voice.

"I don't know," Dutch admitted, " ... But I'd rather not find out as a mushroom cloud blooms over the city."


Knockout stumbled through the dim and foreboding halls of the Hostel. Trapped for some time now, the masked mercenary was starting to panic. A strange stench of bleach soured the air and there was a sticky residue on some surfaces. Knockout was no stranger to death and killing but the horrors hinted at by the severed finger laying discarded in a corner made her want to vomit.

"You can't scare me any more freak," Knockout shouted, almost convincing herself it was true, "Without your little toys you'll be just as weak and helpless as the rest of the herd."

She turned a corner and found herself at yet another dead end. A darting shadow and a rustling sound made her scream in frustration.

"Quit screwing around, I'm ready for you this time." Knockout shouted.

Suddenly the floor swung away dropping her into a vented pit. She rolled across the floor; sprawled on a heated metal grate at the bottom of a large room. The trap door at the top swung closed trapping her at the bottom.

Suddenly, she heard Sawyer's voice from above, "Sorry for the way the place looks Piglet ... Adolph must be getting lazy ... Back when I was a Cleaner here, ... I'd never leave the place looking like this,"

"Let me out of here you freak."

"Let you out...but didn't you want to play? That's what you said, ... you wanted to play. Well THIS is one of our playgrounds … this is how we play, ... and when we play … We play for keeps."

Knockout felt the raising heat, the room was sweltering, "What is this place?" she asked nervously.

"When we aren't using it to entertain our guests, ... we use it to cremate bodies ... Maybe you can still see a couple of bones ... The others were never as through as I was."

Knockout knelt feeling under the grate. her hand closed around a charred skull that collapsed into ash in her fist. "When I get out of here I'm going to kill you. You hear me you freaky bitch."

"Come on Piglet, your games were so boring … you've never risked yourself … not for real … you always had an edge…a trick…. how much fun can it be hunting prey so weak it can't fight back ... risking your life … is half the fun."

"You think fire can kill me?" Knockout cried out in defiance. "I'm way stronger then that."

"I'm not trying to kill you Piglet ... I'm trying to hurt you ... by the way ... I wouldn't yell too much if I were you ... That room is air tight ... Fire burns oxygen so your screaming ... all the air … will be burned away."

Knockout looked at her hands and saw that her clothes were starting to ignite she screamed and kept screaming till lack of air allowed her to pass out.


Sawyer clicked off the intercom. Sawyer heaved a sigh. That had actually been a tough fight. Knockout was strong and she could hit hard. Had they had their fight anywhere else it might not have gone as well as it did. The Hostel's twisted atmosphere had made getting into the woman's head easy. Knockout would be able to cause no trouble in the cremation machine She could sit and cook for a while, it was time to see if Shenhua needed her help.

Sawyer looked at her chainsaw in fascination. she was fanatical about personally maintaining her equipment. She knew what a chainsaw could and more importantly could not cut and the strippers ability to heal quickly and ignore pain was shocking so if Sawyer was able to cut her even if the harm was only temporary ... The Cleaner started up her chainsaw. She lashed out at a metal door slicing through it like it was butter.

Ever since Rotton had volunteered to sharpen her tools during a busy day, she'd noticed the blade cut more smoothly but slicing through metal with nary a scratch to show for the effort? It seemed Rotton owed her an explanation.