Cadmus' Doomsday
"This is crazy, even for you, Waller."
Amanda Waller, head of Cadmus and leader of Task Force-X, was a woman who did not falter easily. She had risen to her current position after the loss of her husband and one of her daughters, had made sure her other children got through college before going herself. She'd majored in Political science and now was in charge of the largest espionage project in the world.
She was one of the few beings that made Batman wary. She knew the identities of every hero affiliated with the Justice League in any manner. Their pasts, their skills…she even knew of free-lance heroes the League and public didn't seem to know even existed.
Some called them heroes and thought they were needed. But Waller knew better:
Absolute power corrupts absolutely were the words she used to describe her stance on them; especially the JL's leader, the man of Steel himself, Superman.
The world had been lucky that he had shared the ideals of truth, justice and equal opportunity. But the number of supervillains outweighed the heroes by a vast margin.
Which brings us to here:
"Indeed it might." She admitted, glancing as she escourted her dinner guests to the lab housing an $100 million experiment and mission.
That mission was the developing life-form Waller, Elling and the other gentleman now stared at.
"And I have grown…hesitant of fulfilling this project as it was originally laid out. However, as much as we all hate to agree….what the original did will and can never be forgotten. And if the worst case scenario does come true, it may be our best hope."
The life-form inside was no larger than an average two year old infant, with dark grey skin and nose. It was a cubby child, but the most noteworthy aspect of it were the bone like protrusions that adorned where its eyebrows were.
Inside this test tube, in a Cadmus sub-lab, floated a clone of the legendary monster Doomsday, the being that had killed Superman.
"How do you even plan on controlling that thing?" One of her apparent superiors asked. "What's to keep it from rampaging and…"
"He."
"What?"
"He." Waller cut in. "Not it. He'll be known as Darren D. Bloom, orphan in the aftermath of the incident. I've already made arrangements. After the cloning process is complete and his programming stabilized, he'll be shipped to Afghanistan for training under Rick Flagg."
"So, we're turning the creature who killed Superman into a solider?"
"That is the part we're shifting." Waller said, handing her cohorts/superiors a stack of files to look over as she looked out a window, her mind shifting back at the events of the last week:
Ace's powers had gone out of control, and the League had dispatched Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, to handle the situation. Amanda had given him a switch that would've killed the girl.
It would've been pragmatic, painful and effiecent.
But instead, Bruce had sat down, talked to, played with and comforted Ace until she died. He'd gently cradled her body as he left the madness she'd created.
The way Bruce had handled it…made her think that maybe, JUST maybe….if the environment was right, a meta-human truly could do and be good. Either that, or she could have the perfect weapon.
It was then that Elling realized something.
"Waller, didn't you say that Flag was also in charge of Enchantress?"
"That is correct." Waller said.
"So, he'll be adopted by a solider and archeologist?!" The general asked in shock and rage. "He needs to be kept as far away as…!"
"This is merely a test." Waller reminded him. "If he becomes too much like his genetic source, the safe words shall be brought to his attention and he'll go into suspended animation for a week. Hopefully, enough time to move him to the original plan's location."
"And how will…?"
"We've conditioned him to freeze at the sight and sound of the word Bertam." Professor Hamilton explained. "And, there is also a minute amount of kryptonite lying dormant in his brain. The push of a button or the word 'Grey Blood' and he goes comatose."
"I meant…?"
"How he'll be educated on the meta-humans we expect him to fight? Do you see the media?" Dr. Hugo Strange cut him off as if he were stupid. "Comic books. TV and movies….it'll be impossible for him to be off the grid in terms of knowledge of them. And even if that does happen, we can….arrange things."
"If the Justice League or President finds out about this…"
"We'll deal with it later." Waller cut him off again, checking her phone as she did so. "This conversation is over. If you gentleman would excuse, I have a new grandchild to spoil."
As the men walked out the door, she gave the test tube baby one last look, and to the surprise of those who knew her….a gentle smile crossed her face.
"Stay safe…Darren."
XXX
He saw images sometimes.
Destruction. Chaos. Death. Misery. Fear.
He heard roars of laughter. Declarations of what he assumed was battle. Cries that screamed of sadness and regret.
Every time he went to sleep. His whole life.
"Darren?"
15 year old Darren D. Bloom shot out of his bed and entered a stance, determined to end whoever had gotten the drop on him. He cursed himself for being so slack….
"Easy, easy."
He got a better look at his surroundings:
A 4 star hotel room, remnants of a take-out dinner and two beds. From the one that was not his own were the two most important people in his life:
Colonel Rick Flagg and Dr. June Moone. These two faces had been constants in his life.
Shortly after waking up for the first time, Darren had been put through a hellish boot-camp under Flagg's mentorship. In a week, he was combat ready…much to his displeasure and horror when he saw faces he'd grown fond of disappear forever.
Explosions, shouts…it had gone black and then he was ripping through enemy ranks. Nothing stopped him. Tanks became flatter than pancakes, anything airbound was permanently grounded
For the most part, Darren hated fighting. Despite this, he was a natural fighter with his fists and firearms. He was also creepily comfortable around blood and guts….but he found he had a desire to put them back/fix up wounds.
It was through this that he'd started reading up on medicine.
Returning to the present, Darren panted and relaxed his form
"You have another nightmare?" June asked in concern.
"I…I don't know." Darren sighed, running a hand through his blackish blue hair.
Rick placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, a cup of water in his other. Darren gulped down the liquid.
"It's okay, buddy." Rick assured him/ "we're here. It'll be good."
Darren looked at the two of them
"…I really want to believe that."
June pecked the boy on the cheek and hugged him, Rick joining in.
It wasn't lost on Darren that neither had assured him it would be okay.
XXX
The next afternoon, Darren, now adoring a black suit with a stripe on the right side and combat boots, played on his phone while Amanda Waller made her argument for getting Task Force X off the ground. He sat next with his parent figures.
"I want to assemble a group of very bad people who can do some good." She explained. She then made it clear this was done covertly and with discretion. Anything went wrong, they'd be blamed.
A sound tactic, the solider in him mused as he finally killed the boss he'd been focusing on.
Then the boy remembered why he and his mother figure were here. Shutting off his phone he turned his attention to the meeting.
"June, be strong." Rick cooed. Darren was quick enough to give her hand an affectionate squeeze before she was called up by Waller.
June walked up to the front of the room, took off her glasses and said a word that, despite its simplicity, unnerved both Darren and Rick to the core:
"Enchantress."
Now in June's place was possibly the most powerful metahuman on record; an extra-dimensional witch over 6000 years old. June had accidently released her from her tomb while spelunking (something she made it clear to Darren she regretted), and now she used her as a vessel.
Darren glared at Echantress, who hissed back at him. He followed in suit before reached for his gun, but Rick stopped him and Amanda caught the witch's attention:
"Go get it, girl."
She disappeared for an instant, returning with a weapon report that the US had been chasing for years. Waller then requested June back, stabbing something with her pen to do so.
"I… I'm sorry, I can't..!"
Darren beat Rick in hugging her
"Flagg, get her out of here. Darren, stay a moment." Waller ordered.
The young man shot his father-figure an apologetic glance before pecking June and going to Amanda's side.
"For those of you still more concerned about control than amazing feats." She announced. "We have one other ace in the whole."
"…a kid?" The General in charge of the meeting asked.
"Not just any kid." Amanda's right hand snarked. "A cloned Metahuman. From something we'd all remember."
Darren felt a hand on him and gazed at Amanda
"Just this once. Not even for a minute."
And with all those eyes on him, he let out a sigh and uttered the word he hated more than any other:
"Doomsday."
Pain rushed through his form, but he held the screams that tried to claw their ways out. Never show it, he remembered Rick's words as his skin darkened and his ears retreated into his skull. Bone burst from his knuckles, shoulders and his nose. His chin jetted out as his shirt and his eyes were soon shielded slightly. His suit were ripped, save for his pants and shoes.
He always wondered how that worked…. never mind, his knees now had bone on them.
Darren returned to panting away the pain and making note of the terrified looks on the faces of all in the audience. He stopped and looked at his hands, now darkened and clawed.
Instantly, the memories returned: Green, blue, pink humanoids. Beings that rivalled Superman and could destroy worlds with a bat of their eyes.
All perished by his source's hands.
His hands.
"Gentlemen." Amanda announced, getting everyone's attention. "Meet our ace in the whole: Doomsday model two. The training of a solider, knowledge of a promising medical student and an actual sentient mind. If anything goes wrong, he wipes them out."
Darren stood proud as he could…but then the feelings came out, drowning out the rest of the meeting:
To destroy. Eliminate. Battle. Grow. Anything to stop the stillness and see life end. These miserable little ants thoughts they could control him? He had power to kill Superman when he was nothing more than an intergalactic brawling mass murderer, and now that he'd been trained…
"Darren, you can change back now."
Oh thank god, Darren mentally sighed.
"Doomsday!"
He was back to normal albeit now shirtless and with ripped pants.
"I'd move to authorize Task Force X."
XXX
Darren could honestly say that Amanda Waller was like a grandmother to him. He felt tense in her presence and acted professionally but still, the fact she genuinely smiled at him put him at ease
"Thank you for everything you did today." She handed him a coke.
"Mrs. Waller?" Darren started.
"Amanda is fine."
"….Forgive me if I'm being forward but…I doubt you had Rick bring me along just to intimidate the big guys into authorizing this Squad of yours."
Amanda smiled knowingly as she pulled out some files.
"Smart boy. The real reason I had you brought you here was to give you your first series of missions. No deadline, professional and lodging expenses covered…"
"The mission, please?" Darren said, shivering a little as he looked out the window. It was starting to rain.
"Here are your targets."
The Joker. Criminal mastermind. Real name unknown. At least 400 counts of murder, multiple counts of theft, kidnapping, pollution
Brainiac.
Prometheus.
Proffessor Emil Hamilton.
"Again, there is no order or deadline when it comes to eliminating them." Amanda explained to him. "Just make sure it gets done. And be subtle. I may give you others as they become apparent."
Darren gave them another glance before handing the folders back to Amanda.
"Well, we'd best get going." She mused. "We have a plane to catch and some convicts to potentially get out."
Darren was still in his shirtless and ruined pants stated
"But first…"
Amanda tossed him a dry cleaning package.
"Put that on."
The boy smiled, went to a bathroom and did as he was told.
"So these guys we're going to see…they're bad guys?"
….
Waller chose her words carefully
"Our enemies are never as evil as we imagine, and maybe we're never quite as good."
XXX
The trip to Belle Reeve was not a pleasant one.
Darren could practically smell the scumbaggery on the guards, and walking past Harley's Quinn's cell made him nervous.
His interactions with El Diablo and Killer Croc were the highlight.
The pyrokinetic home-boy, as Amanda had called him, spent his days in a tube and seemed determined to die before fighting again. Considering the video footage of the prison riot he'd ended by himself….
Darren already knew he felt a kindered spirit in El Diablo.
While Amanda and June had been talking to Griggs about their visit and setting up a 'demonstration', he and Rick had found a sewer like cell that housed one of the largest humanoids Darren had ever seen.
"Ain't you scared?" The humanoid had asked.
Darren looked him dead in eye.
"Compared to what I see every night? No."
Croc had snorted and then walked away.
"Punk."
If he only knew….Darren mused.
Floyd Lawton was the only person Darren could honestly say he'd be okay working with. He may have been a hitman, but Darren noticed there were no children or women in his kill file (a detail Rick either missed or ignored)….and he. Never. Missed.
'So um…how is Darnel spelled?" Darren asked after Floyd explained to Rick (but apparently, it'd been directed to Amanda) his terms. "With one l or two?"
"Why you asking?" Deadshot asked, probably surprised to see a kid in this dump.
"Wrote down your demands in case you pull a 180." Darren said plainly.
XXX
"Darren, take your mom and go wait on the plane." Rick ordered a while later, leaving no room for argument.
But Darren still heard every word between his father and Amanda.
Stupid super-hearing.
Rick wanted to use real soldiers and had the resources to do so. And he had friends in high places that could make that happen in minutes. Being the single most decorated solider in US history did that.
"Fine, make your call." Waller said. "But without you here, not only does your girlfriend stay here strapped to IVs, Darren does as well."
Darren stopped mid-stride.
Wait, what?
Amanda was…no, she must've been bluffing, he told himself.
"And before you say it, yes." Waller said. "We do have a cell in store for him. Kryptonite laced bars, constant media-feed of the mayhem his host's actions did. No matter how well you trained him or what he holds, he is still just a boy. And a clone, no less. You know how shortened their lives are."
….
"They told me stories about you. My dumb ass didn't believe them."
It was what Amanda said next that unnerved Darren most:
"No one ever does."
"Darren?"
The boy turned to see June had stopped and was looking at him with concern.
"Sorry, thought I heard something." He white-lied.
In the young man's mind, he realized the truth of his life:
He thought he was a solider, a possible symbol of redemption for what his genetic source had done.
He was just a pawn.
But, for now he could live with that.
Next: Task Force X Meet Doomsday Jr.
For reference, Darren's physical human appearance is based off Rentaro Satomi of Black Bullet. His Doomsday form is based on the Smallville Doomsday, but smaller.
This story mixes various DC universes, mostly the DCAU with some of the Arkham-verse and the Suicide Squad movie. There may also some Young Justice Abridged jokes later on.
Finally, this is so far a mere plot bunny with some ideas; Darren going on the missions in the Suicide Squad Movie/ Assault on Arkham, becoming leader of a reformed Ultimen team (with a possible team-up of fight with the Teen Titans) and hunting for the targets Amanda gave him. Feel free to adopt and expand.
For the ones interested in ships, the original plan was for Darren to eventually start a romance with Supergirl, or the Cassandra Cain Batgirl.
Hope you like this story, have a good day.
Read and Review, would ye kindly?
