"Fuck!"

Master Jailer whispered in a disturbed voice.

The rest of the squad was quiet apart from the screams of the towns people as they all ran around for safety.

It was hard not to, after watching your squad mate get hit by rounds and rounds of bullets until he dropped to the ground, holes upon holes in his body and blood leaking out like an extra soaked sponge.

Dead.

Cavalier was dead.

Heretic watched with a sort of detached feeling as the rest of the shooters slowly walked over to him, kicking his rapier away.

She heard Deadshot curse through the comlink.

"Spread out!"

The supposed leader of the shooters barked.

"He wasn't the only one. Find them and take them out!"

Heretic ducked down on the roof as she realized her and the rest of the squad were quite possibly now persona non grata in the town.

"What do we do Deadshot?"

Cheetah's grim tone sounded as she herself ran for safety.

"Thanks to Cavalier, they know we're after them. They don't know who we are but we shouldn't bank on that. We need to keep away from the town, work in the shadows. Dorian has probably been transported back to the Moss Forest. We should meet up in there separately. We can't be caught all at once this way."

Heretic nodded.

"If we don't find each other in there in an hour, communicate through the comlink. And Heretic, do be careful."

Heretic huffed as she began crawling.

She wasn't Cavalier.

She wasn't stupid enough to announce her presence to a bunch of killers. Not when she wasn't all that armed.

At the same time though, she was still slightly surprised someone on their team was dead.

Oh she knew this Suicide Squad business was a deadly one, after all, Harley had mentioned it a time or two, but having witnessed it first hand… well…

Heretic jumped over the roof of a one story house and landed on a small dumpster, using it as a stepping stone and finally placing her feet on the ground.

It was quiet.

Too quiet.

Not that she could blame the people of Ulské.

When you see someone gunned down right in front of you, you'd be utterly stupid to stand and stare.

The Moss Forest wasn't exactly too far from where she was.

Just about a street away.

But those armed men… she had to watch out for them, and be prepared in case something happened.

The skies grumbled as they became even more grey than before.

It was just a little past 1pm.

She ducked as the sound of boots marching past the miniature alleyway of sorts she was crouched in.

Heretic had always hated alleyways. Ever since she had been 6 and attacked there.

It was a memory she hated yet saw as the starting point of something important to her.

She pushed herself behind the small dumpster as 2 men with guns passed by, only throwing a glance at the narrow place when a small ginger street cat made a small noise.

She let out a small sigh as they went past.

She might be able to protect herself but it didn't mean she could protect herself against men holding guns.

Not like this.

Her small journey to the edge of the Moss Forest took a bit longer than expected, but thankfully not too much as about a street or two away from her, she'd heard gunshots which alerted the gun men that had been around where she was, leaving her escape much more easier.

As soon as they were gone, she raced towards the bushes of the forest, not bothering to look back when suddenly, she felt a sort of shift in the air and she slid to the ground, just in time for a bullet to whiz past her head.

"You there!"

She cursed silently.

Of course, she should have guessed.

The Suicide Squad were going into the Moss Forest to apprehend Emile Dorian. So of course the Moss Forest, or at least it's edges, would be protected no matter how small.

She raised her head up to see three armed men as one stepped closer to her and the other two stayed a respectful distance behind.

As soon as he saw her though, his eyes widened.

"A child!"

The mouth of his gun lowered a little and that gave Heretic the chance she needed as she swung her leg to hit the mouth of the gun, making the back hit the man's nose and he stumbled back in pain.

She quickly got to her feet as the other two leveled their gun at her but she'd already grabbed her gun man, using him as a sort of meat shield as his other 'friends' shot at him continuously, ignoring his pained grunts in an attempt to get to her.

She then lit up her form, creating two neon glowing boomerang knives which whipped in the air, up in the sky and then turning back toward the two men, beheading them.

Heretic sighed as she finally let her meat shield fall to the ground, cleaning a small trail of blood on her face and breathing out as the adrenaline in her body began to fade.

"I hate this job."

She grouched silently, becoming stiff again at the sound of a gun cocking.

She turned towards the bushes to see another gun man, a vindictive look on his face and before he could fire though, Cheetah lunged through the bushes at him with an animalistic growl, ignoring the man's wimpy scream as she slashed at this throat and he died slowly.

She stood back up from her crouch, a look on her face.

"Come on, we should start our journey before others arrive."

Heretic nodded as she began removing her blending in outfit, leaving her black fits which had been underneath and running after Cheetah, into the Moss Forest.

It was quiet, and it was dark.

Cold and wet too.

But it was beautiful.

But none had the chance to gush about that at the moment as they continued to run so as to distance themselves from the edge.

Cheetah was faster and more agile, seeing as she was well… a cheetah.

But Heretic was no slouch too, as she ran a bit behind the older woman, occasionally copying the doable lunges and acrobatic movements she did.

A small learning experience in her opinion.

Finally, they stopped as the skies seemed to darken through the small spots of the skies they could see and the 13 year old let out a small sigh of relief as she sat against a large moss tree, her bag in her lap.

Cheetah stood tall though, eyes looking around and her ears twitching through her blood red hair as if trying to catch sight, scent or noise of anything moving.

After about a moment, she turned to the teen who was currently gulping down water.

"We can stay here for now. It's pretty covered. At least till we catch sight of the others."

"And if we don't?"

Cheetah shrugs as she sits down too.

"Then we find our way. Dorian already knows people are after him. We can't afford to loose him when we're this close already."

Heretic nods and Cheetah cursed.

"That idiot Cavalier. If he'd just waited like a normal person would, we probably would have gotten to Dorian and this would have been over."

She then turned to the younger girl.

"Hope you weren't too disturbed seeing him die like that. Then again… I just saw you behead two men so…"

Heretic snorts.

"I don't really care that he's dead if I'm being honest. It was his fault in the first place for acting so stupid and idiotic just cause someone like Waller gave him the go ahead."

Cheetah snorts before pausing as she tilts her head.

"Someone like Waller?... You don't trust her?"

Heretic huffed.

"I don't trust anybody. Especially anyone in the government. Why does Waller want to kill Dorian? There are a number of things she's hiding about this mission."

Cheetah shrugs.

"That's politicians for you."

Heretic's eyes darkened.

"Yes well I hate politicians. Every single one of them."

"Past experience?"

Heretic turned away.

"Something like that."

It was quiet for a while, only the usual forest insects making noises, and Cheetah spoke up again.

"Do you have any family outside?"

The green eyed girl shook her head as she braided her hair into a single braid.

"No. My aunt and uncle are dead."

"No parents?"

"Dead."

As a young child, ever since she could talk or even think rationally, Heretic had always wondered about her parents.

And she remembered the first and only time she'd asked Petunia about them.

There was this look in her aunt's eyes.

Very easy to spot because Heretic had questioned the woman suddenly.

The look… it made her think, that maybe… just maybe…

But then Petunia had snapped out of it, telling her they were dead and to never ask her such nonsense again.

She hadn't bothered.

What good were dead people to her?

Right from her child years, living with the Dursleys and regarded a freak by the neighborhood… it had made her a jaded being.

"Were your aunt and uncle harsh to you then?"

Heretic turned to her startled and Cheetah continued.

"You had this look on that spoke of dislike and quite possibly hatred."

"Well, when you put it that way. I hated them. They were the worst. And they deserved their deaths."

Even though Heretic might have been taking it too far with that, it didn't change the fact that as a jaded being, this was how she saw things. And this was how she saw the perfect punishment for such a family.

She was not only jaded, she was a slightly disturbed kid too.

Cheetah hummed with a nod.

"You won over your enemies. Very admirable. Take it from someone who still has her own opponent to win over."

"And who would that be?"

Cheetah growled quietly.

"A very annoying demigoddess who would meet her end by my hand, one way or the other."

Heretic nodded, turning away as her mind got caught up in the flashbacks of her childhood.

As long as she could remember, she'd been with the Dursleys.

Until a few months after she was one, apparently.

From what she could remember, they had hated her from sight.

They had used her like a maid since she could walk.

They'd stuck her in a cupboard like an unwanted pet.

She'd cooked and cleaned for them and the first few years with them, she'd been quiet.

Enduring the things done and said to her, until frustration gave way to anger and stubbornness.

She learnt how to talk back, scream at them. Be brave, mouthy, and rash which led to the Dursleys giving her a couple of slaps when she mouthed off too far.

But Heretic never cared.

She embraced such bruises with strong shoulders. Even when they locked her out of the house or in her cupboard as punishment. Even when they decided not to feed her out of spite.

She didn't care.

She didn't loose herself.

Not even when rumors went around that she was a little thief, that she was a bully. That she was disrespectful and ungrateful to her relatives who took her in.

No.

She ignored everything, throwing back glares that were thrown at her.

Giving sneers back to those who sneered at her.

She threw back insults to the adults and watched with a vindictive smirk, the horror on their faces when they realized a little girl like her knew words that she shouldn't.

And then the names came from then on.

From little runt, to scoundrel… criminal… delinquent… miscreant… and then… the one that finally stuck in their mouths.

The Heretic.

The one who stood out from the rest in a negative way.

The one who didn't adhere to their social norms.

The odd one out.

The unwanted.

Heretic.

And she embraced the name to spite them even more.

She would never conform to their norms.

Not when the norms of little whinging was to be their version of 'normal'.

They saw her as unnatural.

"Are you all there?"

The sound of Deadshot's voice over the comlink startled her back into reality as they both sat up.

"Yes. We're here."

Cheetah spoke.

"I'm with Heretic."

She heard him sigh a bit.

"Well good."

"Oh you're alive little muffin! I had been so worried!"

Harley gasped into the comlink and Heretic rolled her eyes though there was a small upturn to her lip.

"I'm here with Harley and Master Jailer. Are you both safe?"

"Yes. We managed to get into the Moss Forest. What about you three?"

Cheetah questioned when it seemed like Heretic wouldn't bother to talk.

"Same. We just got through. How far in are you both?"

"Not too far. We'll wait just a bit. Follow the small lake you spot just on the east side and it should lead you straight to us. Any word from Waller yet?"

There was a small pause and Waller spoke up.

"You have anything to say to me?"

"What the hell was that, Director?? Couldn't wait for the whole team to congregate first??"

Master Jailer finally spat out and even Heretic nodded.

"This is a mission. You take every chance on the table."

"But not like this. You made me leader for a reason. And you went behind my back to—"

"I don't care what you think, Lawton. You all work for me. When I tell you to walk, you walk, when I tell you to jump… you do so with style. This is no laughing matter. Dorian has done truly disturbing things and needs to be put down."

Deadshot scoffed coldly.

"Well look where that got you. Cavalier's dead!"

"He was expendable."

The cold way it was said, made the team quiet immediately, and Cheetah growled lowly at that.

So the rest of the team was just as expendable??

Heretic got a small tick in her eye before a vindictive feeling got through her.

"Just like the Americans 2 years ago, Waller?"

There was another pause again.

"What?"

Master Jailer asked through the comlink and Cheetah's head immediately snapped to the grill direction.

"What Americans?"

Harley asked but Heretic said nothing, waiting for Waller to say something instead.

"Get to work."

Was all she said and Heretic scoffed amused as she went back to packing her things, ignoring Cheetah's curious look.

There was no need to say anything now.

Not when it could be something used against Waller.

And especially not when she had a damned bomb at the base of her fucking neck.

May 10th, 2006.

Gotham Orphanage.

Gotham.

Leilani Potter had always been a beautiful and rather eye catching girl.

With exquisite features she'd gotten from her parents, though no idea which.

With her black hair, emerald green eyes and pale skin, she was almost like a modern day snow white in the dreary Orphanage.

It was probably what made the lady of the Orphanage treat her better than most of the other kids.

She'd been at the Orphanage for a week now and compared to how others were treated, she noticed she got more serving than the others for food, got to bathe more than 4 times a week because of the shortage of water they occasionally had, and her clothes, though still old and worn, were much better stitched than most.

It definitely did not endear her to the other kids who came to dislike and envy her and those like her.

It definitely led to the occasional bullying here and there but Leilani was no pansy girl.

She gave as good as she got, and occasionally got some cuts and bruises which made the lady of the Orphanage angry whenever she could spot it on her skin.

Thankfully, Leilani was the sort to heal faster than normal, and such petty squabbles never got to her.

Another orphan girl who hadn't bothered to join the bullies told her it happened occasionally when there was a 'favorite' but they would stop soon.

"Favorite?"

Leilani had asked the 8 year old girl who helped braid her hair one evening.

"Yes. There's always favorites here. Especially the beautiful ones. Like Olivia Ellis. She's always treated like you, didn't you realize?"

It was true.

Olivia was the same age as Leilani and had been at the Orphanage since she was 4. She had golden brown hair and baby blue eyes with tanned skin and was always more smartly dressed than the others.

"Why's that though? What makes us so different from the rest of you?"

Leilani had asked and the 8 year old shrugged.

"You guys are really beautiful. Maybe she's hoping you'd attract the more rich members of the elite society into adopting you guys and leaving hefty donations."

When Leilani thought of it, she could definitely see how it made sense.

But the 8 year old Lisa wasn't done as she whispered excitedly.

"Also… most of us are waiting to see if you'd end up disappearing just like the others."

Leilani frowned.

"Disappearing? Why?"

Lisa squealed happily at the chance to tell a riveting tale.

"It happens about once or twice, a year or two. It's sort of a tale around here. The well treated kids always end up vanishing from the orphanage, never to be seen again. Their things gone. It's like… they never even existed!"

She whispered in a voice that sent chills down Leilani's back.

"Where do they go?... Is it really real?"

Lisa nodded strongly.

"Well of course it's real! Last year, one of the older girls, Tilly Baker, 12 years old, treated really well by the lady of the Orphanage, disappeared early one morning. One of the boys had said he'd seen her escorted into an expensive looking black car by the lady."

Leilani frowned.

"Anyways, you shouldn't take it too seriously."

Lisa grinned.

"It's sort of a tale us normies have for you guys treated better than the rest of us. We know you all end up getting adopted by the rich, so you end up leaving discretely. For security and all. I heard the lady saying it one day."

Lisa sighed, a wistful look on her face.

"You guys are so lucky. Getting to live it large and have huge rooms, money and anything you want! Better not forget me in the wild!"

At that, Leilani didn't know how to feel.

Getting adopted by elites…

What would that even be like?

Would she be treated like a princess and have people ready to feed her, people to cook for her and answer her every needs?

Such a future… it looked so surreal!

But… with what Lisa had just told her… it might not be too far from her reach.

…

...

…

At the same time though, she was still at the Orphanage.

As weeks turned to months, she came to a realization that the Orphanage didn't have much money to it's name. Even she herself, being treated better than some didn't change the fact that compared to an average family in Gotham, her way of living would still be pitied.

It didn't help that Leilani suspected that the lady of the Orphanage had more and kept them to herself.

And so, it was sort of a fight for survival of some sorts.

The kids were allowed to go to the public school not too far from the Orphanage and we're trusted to come back on their own.

Stupid, yes.

A couple of theirs had ended up kidnapped, or lost over the 3 months Leilani had been at the Orphanage.

It didn't stop her from occasionally sneaking out of the Orphanage on some evenings, scavenging through dumpsters for any loose change she could find as well as anything that caught her fancy.

Gotham was a dark and lonely place for the church rats of the underworld.

You have to look after yourself as best as you could.

After all, even the Dark Knight proved no help in these parts.

Hi all!

So this is the new chapter! And they're finally in the forest.

Cavalier's dead though... their team's down by one, lol.

I wonder what that 'story' from Lisa was all about. Is it real? Or is it the twisted mind of children making up stories, like Lisa had said?

If you have anything against the flashbacks well... I'm not stopping it since I need it to tell her story. This is her Origin Story after all, and the second part is more or less going to be stuck in the present so try to endure however you can.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Please leave positive comments!

Thank you!!