AN: This chapter is one of my favorites to write about! Now, there is mayhem on the beach!
Recommended Songs
[1] Know Better - Kevin Gates
Chapter 5 - Who Really Needs Friends?
Away from the recent action and in the state city of Valle Del Mar, everyone in the city is mostly asleep. Some of them prefer to stay out of the dark while others are just…afraid of their new presidents. While they know that they should be safe since they aren't aligned with America, they know about the horrible execution of the Herreras which serves as a reminder that their new presidents are not to mess with.
However, what they don't really know is that Luna and Suarez have contrasting personalities.
Resting in the palace that used to be the home of the Herreras, the two presidents are currently playing in the bird house. Well, it is Luna who wants to go there and tries to get Suarez to come along. However, the older man is in no mood.
Luna smiles as he plays with the birds. The colorful parrots flock around him, chirping happily. They must be so generous towards them since they start sitting on his head and snuggling under his chin. He gives a few of them a pet and they chirp in response.
"Are they not beautiful, Mateo?" ask Luna in Spanish.
"The little s**ts sing like dying rabbits," grumbled Suarez in the same language, shaking one parrot off his head. "And f**k like serial killers."
Suarez doesn't really understand. Why is Luna so invested with all of this? Shouldn't they be focusing on who else dares to cross the line or have the capability to rebel against them? They should focus on finding ways to get the entire world to bow to their knees. They already murdered the last leaders, so that gave the two of them respect. There is no room for celebration yet.
"You are easily transfixed by shiny colors, Silvio," he mumbles.
Luna is more flexible however. "Why must you be so negative, my friend, in our moment of triumph?"
The younger president gingerly holds the cheeks of his older friends. He likes to do this ever since the two of them are young. Though, why is there…droplets of blood underneath his friend's cheek?
"Three cooks downstairs were second cousins to the Herreras," explains Suarez coldly. "I put them there as a reminder to our staff."
Luna looks behind to see three disembodied heads on black spikes on top of the balcony fences. While it is too dark to see and the dead faces are looking at the other way, he can see that they were ruffled really brutally due to their shaggy hair and the visible stump of where their neck should be connected.
Of course, his older friend is a sadist.
Luna turns back to Suarez angrily. "Mateo, what are you, some cat, constantly leaving dead presents at the foot of my bed?!"
Suarez rolls his eyes. "We can't have anyone trying to sabotage us if they are loyal to the Herreras."
"That doesn't give you the excuse of killing! You're going to tarnish our reputation. What happens when that happens? We will be demoted and kicked out. We need to persuade through domination and appearance rather than wiping out numbers."
"Killing your enemies is more effective than trying to get people to listen."
"You can no longer do things this way, Mateo!" said Luna as he used a napkin to clean the blood of Suarez. "Bad! Bad!"
Suarez rolls his eyes again. Luna can be such a mum at times.
"President Luna," called a staff member, watching them.
"What?" grunted Luna.
"We found something in Jotunheim."
The two presidents lift their heads in interest.
With that set, they will be getting into the details of this 'beast'. It has been rumored that the tower is holding a monster in which the Herreras exploited this to rule over the country. So what exactly did they keep there to rule over their people through fear?
And for all Task Force X needs to know is that they might have to be more quick to destroy Project Starfish.
After making sure that there aren't any soldiers or threats coming to attack them, Bloodsport makes sure that they manage to find a safe clearing in the deep jungle. Since it is getting late and that the squad probably need all the sleep they can get for tomorrow, Waller allows them to take their time with resting as long as they do not abandon the plan.
Most of the members had experience of camping outside, so they had no problem with quickly setting up mats to sleep on and building a campfire. Peacemaker opts to sleep in a hammock, so Bloodsport lets him mind his own business. Even though Ratcatcher II made a mat for King Shark, the large shark creature doesn't seem to notice it, staring off at the stars above. Speaking of which, the rat controller already went to sleep easily, snoring happily while Sebastian cuddles up. The rat still terrifies Bloodsport. Polka-Dot Man makes no fuss at all, but to just silently prepare his mat and take a rest.
Bloodsport just removes the armor that covers his entire torso. Good thing he is wearing an black jumper underneath or he would be uncomfortable. With the armor and the arsenal of weapons right next to him, he feel comfortable.
A few hours passed as Team 2 fell asleep. The nightlife in the jungle came alive of course, swarming with different small animals walking across the branches and bugs flying all over the place. It is still humid at night which makes it a little hard for the team to fall asleep.
Bloodsport awakes during the middle of night when he hears a crackling.
He opens his eyes. He is facing where Polka-Dot Man is resting at. However, he is greeted by something really disturbing.
The black-haired man - with his outfit off and leaving him in a long-sleeved white singlet and white pants - looks like he got a MAJOR allergy reaction. From the neck, to the hands to even underneath his hair. There are tumors poking around on his body, ranging from small to REALLY huge. They are all in rainbow colors which makes it really disturbing to see. Polka-Dot Man groans as he tries to stand up, feeling the tumors slowly growing and pushing around in his body. The energy is overwhelming him. It is now hard to breath since there are tumors even glowing inside his mouth, a cobalt blue glow coming out from it.
Without noticing that Bloodsport is watching, the poor man slowly got up, trying to not fall down due to how heavy the tumors are weighing him. He trips over, but quickly rushes into the privacy of the thick bushes.
Bloodsport slowly gets up, narrowing his eyes as the glowing dots coming from Polka-Dot Man disappear in the darkness.
And then, a huge glow appears behind the bushes.
A multicolor glow with…rainbow polka dots flying every way. All in bright and vibrant colors. It is like a rave party going on in the middle of the night, but this ain't like glowsticks or spotlights. All in the form of polka-dots; known to be a simple and favored pattern by children. Bloodsport can't exactly see how Polka-Dot Man is getting rid of them. Now, he is feeling uncertain about this guy's abilities.
Is Polka-Dot Man's powers even dangerous to himself?
He finally arrives back, breathing in relief. As he slowly tries to crawl back to his mat, he notices Bloodsport staring at him.
"Oh…um…I was just taking a leak," lied Polka-Dot Man.
"Are you sure you're alright, mate?" asked Bloodsport, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
"Just forget it. I told you. It's…nothing."
"I saw you with rainbow balls forming around your body from the outside and inside," muttered the mercenary. "The power dampener you had before, did it help with controlling your power?"
Polka-Dot Man shrugged, sitting down. "Too bad I can't have it with me."
Bloodsport knew that he should just let it go, but he finds himself feeling pity for this man. Polka-Dot Man is in a pathetic state with having a bright outfit and a power that seems ridiculous. Though, his power is more of a concern at this point, making the inmates back at Belle Reve appear dumber than the crust of the Earth. Despite trying to be distant and aloof to the other team members, Bloodsport couldn't help but feel sorry for Polka-Dot Man.
Before Bloodsport can say anything, he hears a squeak from Sebastian.
The rat is nearby.
He is panicking and pointing at something.
Before Bloodsport could ask, he looks up to find King Shark…holding the still sleeping Ratcatcher II in preparation to eat her. The young girl is still sleeping, smiling away even at the fishy stench of the shark. King Shark just stops upon seeing a frightened Polka-Dot Man and the glaring eyes of Bloodsport, holding the female member close to his teeth.
Bloodsport doesn't need time to take out one of his weapons from the armor lying next to him and blowing a shot onto King Shark.
BANG!
The shark humanoid stumbles backwards from the blow. Despite being hit, he is shown to be unscratched, immune to the bullet. He drops Ratcatcher II in which slamming onto the mat is enough to wake her up
"What?" she groans lazily.
Bloodsport is already onto his feet, quickly assembling his nanotech rifle. King Shark is already charging, letting out a monstrous roar. One shot. Two shots. Three shots. Bang. The shark humanoid went sliding across the floor. However, to the mercenary's surprise, the shark doesn't appear to be scratchless where a lesser man would be blown to pieces. He tries to charge back, only to be hit back by two shots.
King Shark is not happy by this. He is feeling hungry, having been long ever since he gets to eat anything.
He roars again as he hops back onto his feet and charges again.
Bloodsport narrows his eyes and shoots again. He knew that underneath King Shark's childishness, he is still a predator. The shark is indeed a threat to everyone and he can't risk that. With four shots, he got King Shark up against a tree, sweat already dripping from his shiny skin. Waller is right that he is strong, but the mercenary wishes that they could have gotten someone more trained and diligent in being a real soldier on this team.
With King Shark finally stopping and can only glare at Bloodsport, the rest of the team slowly approach. Peacemaker stands near the mercenary, naked save for a white pair of underpants. Polka-Dot Man guides Ratcatcher II to the group, making sure that she doesn't fall over by accident.
Bloodsport grunted, turning to Ratcatcher II. "How deep of a sleeper are you?"
The young girl just smiles blissfully. "I was having the most wonderful dream."
"If it was you about to be eaten by King Shark," deadpanned Peacemaker." Then you're psychic."
"I don't believe he would do that. He has very kind eyes."
She looks down to see Sebastian squeaking at her. He is shaking his head in disagreement before pointing at King Shark. The shark humanoid could only give the team a glare, snarling a little.
"Hungry!" he growled.
Ratcatcher II's smile is replaced with a glare. "You bastard!"
Reaching out her arm, she activates her wand. The large orb on top of it glows a white color and it seems to be humming as she turns it around, pointing it at King Shark.
That is when Bloodsport realizes what Ratcatcher II can really do.
Rats.
A lot of rats.
Rats start pouring into the jungle, appearing from the ground, trees and bushes. They completely surrounded the entire team. They nearly look like squirrels due to how they are hanging from the tree branches and poking their heads from the bushes. They all circle around them, squeaking loudly as their attention turns to King Shark. The shark is frightened by this, opening his jaw in an attempt to scare them off in return.
Both Peacemaker and Polka-Dot Man are dumbfounded by this, looking around. They aren't sure to feel uncomfortable or safe.
Bloodsport could only stare at all the rats around them. He isn't sure if they are going towards King Shark or if any of them will come to him. It would be a matter of time before a few drop in and start biting on his face. Seeing them reminds him of how contagious they can be when spreading disease on touching or how sharp (in his eyes that is) their teeth can be when sinking into the flesh. It is like a dark cloud coming over him, ready to place him in a narrow space and lock him up there in darkness…
Fear-ridden, his eyes widened and his hands are shaking, nearly dropping his rifle.
"ALRIGHT!" shouted Bloodsport, shaking. "Calm down with the rats!"
Ratcatcher II gives him a confused look. "What?"
"I have a…thing with…rats," growled Bloodsport.
The young girl stares at him in disbelief. "You have a thing with rats?"
"Yes."
"And you're on a team with me?"
"Not something I asked for!"
Peacemaker doesn't really see how distressing it is for Bloodsport at this moment. He couldn't help, but let out a chuckle. Instinctively, the mercenary begins yelling at him.
"What are you laughing at me for, man?" he said in defense. "Why the f**k are you in your underwear? Tighty-whities? REALLY?"
Peacemaker just stared at him. "Now, that's just racist."
"No, it's not racist. They're tighty-whities!"
As Bloodsport rambles and tries to explain through his increasing irritation to the confused Peacemaker, Polka-Dot Man looks around with all the rats either staring at him or trying to fend back to snarling King Shark. He realizes how much of a threat Ratcatcher II can actually be by controlling all those rats for a puzzle or to be on the offensive role. He turns to the young girl who is gaping at the argument between the two men.
"That is…a nice power," Polka-Dot Man complimented.
Ratcatcher II glances at him with a smile. "Why thank you."
A rat sitting on a low tree branch nearby sniffs Polka-Dot Man. He decides to pet it with the rat squeaking in approval of the affection it is given.
The devil's voice came crackling through their ear pieces.
"You didn't tell me you had a fear of rats, DuBois?" said Waller's voice.
Bloodsport snaps out of his ranting at Peacemaker, feeling embarrassed. "I'm an assassin!" Why would I share my liabilities?!" He looks down. "GAAAAAAAAH!"
Sebastian is right near him, holding up an orange and green leaf.
"Aw," said Ratcatcher II in adore. "He's offering you a pretty leaf to show you he means no harm."
Bloodsport is bewildered. "Why the f**k would I want a leaf?!"
The young girl just gives him a look that screams 'rude'.
Peacemaker cackles once more, finding this really amusing.
This is getting on Bloodsport's nerves. He is already freaking out and not only this is embarrassing him, but the huge army of rats are making him HEAVILY shaken.
"JUST GET THE RATS OUT OF HERE!" the mercenary demanded.
Ratcatcher II sighs a little. She might have to come back to figuring out why he gets so afraid of rats. She twists the wand again and the light disappears from it. The rats start to scurry away, running into the darkness of the jungle. Only Sebastian remains, staring intensely at King Shark who is slightly relieved that the rats aren't going to attack him. With the rats out of sight and their squeaking far away, Bloodsport lets out a sigh of relief. Peacemaker couldn't help but nod, impressed with the female member's ability.
Polka-Dot Man slowly taps on Bloodsport's shoulder. "Hey…erm…are you alright?"
The mercenary just gives him a look. "Not now, mate."
"Hey, we gonna kill Megalodouche now, or what?" asked Peacemaker.
For once, he and Bloodsport have something in common. However, Waller has other thoughts.
"Nanaue's the strongest member of your team," she reminds them. "You need him to get into Jotunheim."
Bloodsport scoffs. "Yeah, well, we can't function as a team if we gotta watch our back from one of our own eating our bollocks."
"Then you have to know how to control him because he is like a pet. I did warn you about his taste for human meat. You have to tame him with his urges."
Bloodsport is at a loss for words. He is given the task of being the leader, but there is no way he can be able to discipline a predatory shark that has the mentality of a toddler who has no idea what is right and wrong. He doesn't really have the experience of watching over someone who acts this young and ready to chomp on any of their heads. He isn't sure if they really need a muscle on the team.
However, Ratcatcher II sees this differently. She is miffed that King Shark tried to eat her, but it comes to her attention that he seems to do this out of his animal instincts rather than malicious. And he said he was hungry.
With gentle steps, she slowly bends down onto her knees, as close to King Shark as she dares. [1]
"Nanaue," she asks softly. "Would you eat your friends?"
He just stares at her with an unreadable expression. While it is nearly hard to see it, there is a trace of loneliness lingering in his eyes, looking a little emotional about that.
"I no friends," he said simply.
Ratcatcher II looks sad. "You have no friends?"
He shook his head, looking down.
Ratcatcher feels sorry for him, feeling sympathetic. She thinks about it and that maybe he got locked up in a prison where he can never really make any other friends. The only crime he seems to be doing is following his instincts. Belle Reve is really a dehumanizing environment, so it shouldn't be a surprise to her anymore that this is the wrong way to treat people as they have gained uncertainty of understanding right and wrong.
She is lucky that she stays good and true to herself so far despite committing robberies before. And the other inmates did try to help each other in some way.
"If you did," she continues. "Would you eat them?"
"Yes," assumed Bloodsport quickly.
King Shark took a moment to look at the other three men staring at him. Bloodsport and Peacemaker are giving him inquisitive looks, obviously wary of what he might do next. It comes to his mind that by trying to eat them means no good to getting friends. Polka-Dot Man looks really nervous, glancing at Ratcatcher II and himself. He must have scared the poor man when he nearly eats one of his team members.
"No?" he said in a tone of a curious child.
Ratcatcher II has a hopeful smile. "Then, can we be your friends?"
Bloodsport stares at her in disbelief. He looks back at King Shark, seeing his demeanor changing to more gentle. Is this really the way to get him to listen?
"C'mon," said Peacemaker, a little impatiently. "He's obviously lying."
Ratcatcher II gives them a look, telling them to trust her and let her try to appear to King Shark.
"If I die 'cause I gambled on love," she said. "It will be a worthy death." A smile forms on her face as she lifts up her hand for a handshake. "Friends?"
King Shark stares at her hand for a while. After a while of thinking and listening to her words properly, he took her to heart and helped him understand. He slowly grabs her hand. Bloodsport tenses up, thinking he might pull Ratcatcher II's hand off, but the two start shaking hands instead. The shark has a huge smile, looking pleased to have a first friend. The young woman chuckles happily, smiling back at the other three men to explain her point.
Bloodsport is still in disbelief. With her summoning rats and taking the time to connect with someone who tried to eat her, she is just sending of a suicidal wish. In a mission like this, this team shouldn't be filled with that many young or silly soldiers. King Shark might act up again and Ratcatcher II would be welcomed to death's door.
"You are a little idiot," he muttered before he turned back to the campsite.
Ratcatcher II tilts her head, pouting a little before becoming a little curious about this man. She was told that Bloodsport is a cold-blooded mercenary and this shows already. Like someone really hardened his heart. Does he assume people quickly instead of treating some of their team members better? But he looks like he wants to get on with his day and he appears protective around her.
Peacemaker just stood in his spot, keeping an eye on King Shark.
Polka-Dot Man nervously waddles towards them with Sebastian following. He squats down near King Shark and reaches out his hand. The shark stares at him for a while before lifting up his hand for another handshake.
"Friends?" King Shark asks.
Polka-Dot Man stares at Ratcatcher II. She gives him a nod of encouragement. He looks back at Sebastian. The poor rat looks afraid, but he appears to be ready to try to trust their frightening member. He turns back to the shark and smiles.
"Friends," he said.
Ratcatcher II and Polka-Dot Man spend the rest of the night helping King Shark get up and some more hand-shakes. Bloodsport could only watch in slight disbelief and a little bit of jealousy.
It seems that not having experiences of being a soldier or mercenary changes their capability of being good.
Boomerang is not in the right mood.
In fact, he finds it much harder to fall asleep.
He is sitting on a rock, staring off at the distance. He felt that he might be brooding away which is just a pathetic waste of time. However, he cannot really sleep that often. Sleep has become more of a prep luxury that would eventually be wasted. The late morning comes with the sky turning from dark blue to a grayish blue color. The sun is yet to rise from the horizon.
After all the fun of getting to fight on the beach and testing out his fresh pair of boomerangs, it all went to hell and gets f**ked up in the wrong way. It's like somebody placed a reverse card on them and threw them back. He is only relieved that none of them are really hurt. He shrugged off the stinging pain on his arm ever since Mongal accidentally injured him. He doesn't mind it.
He is only pissed that they got seperated.
He got separated from Flag. Who knows where he is now?
He got separated from Harley. What are they gonna do to her?
This team is really new. Sad souls indeed. They nearly fail their first attack, only getting away with a miracle, dumb luck and needing to retreat from all of those military grunts. Being seperated from Harley and Flag isn't any better. He finds himself actually missing them. For a while, there was tension when they first formed together as a team, but when Harley and Boomerang share the same giddiness (and craziness), and Flag starts to warm up, they become like true companions. The three musketeers.
But of course, when you're in a team filled with so many people, there seems to be no other way to keep everyone together.
He wishes he could have done something to help Harley and Flag.
Now, he has to watch out for the two team members he got stuck with.
The one metahuman who is…the Detachable Kid or what he is called? Boomerang can't really remember well due to how much noise there was at the beach fight. T.D.K tried to tend to Boomerang's injuries, even though the Australian claims that he is fine. After some convincing, Boomerang had to grit his teeth as T.D.K pulls the splinters out and wrapped his arm around in some bandages.
Even though T.D.K is a bloody fool for having a lame power, Boomerang appreciates the nice offer of helping him.
The other metahuman/mercenary, the f**king Blackguard, has become…more quiet. He didn't try to run them out already. He didn't try to make any sound. When Boomerang and T.D.K decide to tie him up to a tree to make sure he doesn't run off, he barely even try to fight back though he keeps fussing about being tied with rope…upside down no less so that they can get the blood rushing to his head to make him have a stroke.
It's like Blackguard keeps switching attitudes. First, he tried to sell them out. Now, he is resigned to being stuck with them.
T.D.K yawns, stretching his arms as he gets up after resting on the rough floor. "Morning, buddy. You know, this feels a lot better than sleeping on a bed. Getting to be outside for once."
Boomerang barely turned around to face him. Well, for the first few seconds. He thought of ignoring the others, but the Australian decided to not waste time being on his own.
"Let me get this straight," he said. "Your name is the 'Detachable Kid', mate?"
T.D.K looks embarrassed. "Unfortunately."
Boomerang smirks a little. "How come?"
"I've been stuck with it. To be honest, I struggle with coming up with a name on my own. There is one time someone tried 'Arms-Fall-Off Boy', but that sounds nice as well."
The Australian stands up. "You don't say."
He grabs one of T.D.K's arms and it suddenly comes out. T.D.K makes a mocking groan as if dying before chuckling a little. Boomerang chuckles, shaking the arm. This is actually kind of fun.
"You know, there might be other ways of using detachable arms or limbs or…dicks," said Boomerang in amusement.
"I can only detach my arms," deadpanned T.D.K. "If I do, my logo would be different."
"Speaking of which, you could just use them for other means."
"Like what?"
"Like using them as a baseball bat!" said Boomerang, swinging the arm around. "It would be effective in catching the ball and swinging them into the air. Or as a blunt weapon! Getting hit with a limb in someone's face!"
The arm responds with slapping Boomerang over the cheek. [1s]
T.D.K rolls his eyes. "I can still feel my detached arms. That is why I was in pain when they were bleeding."
"Oh, you're right," said Boomerang. "You might have been a little melodramatic."
"Well, I like to see you try being riddled with a lot of bullets. I'm really surprised that you handled it well when that alien accidentally threw daggers at you."
Boomerang chuckled. "It is still sore. I honestly thought I was gonna die, so I acted brave!" He frowned a little. "And also, I heard Harley shouting my name, so…"
"Yo!" exclaimed Blackguard's voice. "Can someone please untie me now? I need to take a piss."
The two blue-cladded criminals turn their heads to the mercenary. He is already awake and seemingly fine despite hanging upside down for hours. Must be due to him being a metahuman. Blackguard doesn't look happy, squirming around like his bladder can't hold on. Being tied to a tree with ropes surprisingly keeps him there.
"No way, mate," said Boomerang as they came closer to the blonde. "You are not going anyway until Waller gives us the thumbs-up."
The bleached blonde gives them a cold glare. His hair is already back in shape after being dry.
"Would it be alright if I can pee here anyway?" asked Blackguard.
"Sure then," said T.D.K, coming close. "Just gonna zip down your…"
"I'll just do it. PLEASE excuse me."
The two men step away and look in the other direction as Blackguard fumbles trying to zip down his jeans zipper since his hand couldn't move due to the ropes gripping onto his arms. Once he found the zipper, the rest is just easy since he can move his underpants around. Boomerang and T.D.K do not dare to look as they hear the trickling noise of piss being squirted out.
Though, Boomerang turns his head around to take a peek. He sees the long stream of liquid falling into the bushes. What if he steps a little closer without being noticed to see how large Blackguard's…?
SLAP!
Another slap from one of T.D.K's detachable arms.
The teal-cladded supervillain shook his head. They are dealing with an asshole, but they shouldn't be too creepy!
Unable to even take a look, Boomerang shrugs and chuckles mischievously.
T.D.K grunts a little as he places his arms back into their sockets as Waller's voice crackles to life through their earpieces.
"Captain Boomerang, T.D.K," she called. "How Blackguard's holding up?"
"He's doing fine," said Boomerang as the bleached blonde mercenary finished up his pee time and zipped up his pants. "He just have one more wish before I cut his head off."
"Not yet, Digger. I like to report that we looked back on if Blackguard actually called the Corto Maltese Army, but it turns out, he didn't."
"What?" said Boomerang and T.D.K in unison.
"We've looked through Blackguard's profiles, gears and contacts that he knows. We checked through the cameras before he was chosen for the team and after the briefing about your mission. We tried to check if he had used one of the telephones to call the army, but he didn't. He doesn't know the contact numbers related to Corto Maltese or their military army forces or their government."
Blackguard groaned, closing his eyes. He rather be dead now because this is f**king embarrassing. He thought that he could get the Corto Maltese Army to welcome him since he knew that they might grant him more than what that devil lady could for him. His prison sentence is still so long. Now, with the lie of contacting the army exposed, he knew that he was busted for a pathetic attempt to betray his team.
"So, can we kill blondie already?" asked Boomerang, a grin appearing as he holds onto one of his namesake weapons.
"I considered blowing his head apart right now," said Waller, her voice flat and empty of any sympathy or emotions. "But he proved to be one of the most effective fighters on the beach. However, he had a tendency of backstabbing his clients and co-workers in the past before he settled into the 1000. Now, let's all decide on what to do." Her voice suddenly sounds a little angry. "Blackguard, any reason why we should let you continue your mission and trust you?"
Blackguard frowned, looking away from the two men staring at him.
"Anything, Blackguard?"
Still no word. Blackguard closed his eyes, waiting for the painful but quick death.
"She is calling you, mate," said Boomerang, prodding him on the head. "Are you trying to come up with a speech like the blonde American presidents?"
Blackguard scoffed. "What do you want me to say? Do you think any excuse out of my mouth is going to help?" He laughs mirthlessly. "When you live the life of being a mercenary with getting all the gold and hoes and stuff people don't usually get in life, you can't really trust anyone. You can only trust the ones who have greater power than you. I usually try to chase that."
"And you think that we as a team are pathetic compared to you?" asked T.D.K.
"Honestly, I feel that I was in the same boat as the rest of you. But I really want to get out of Belle Reve. I want to continue trying to reach for the best opportunity I can grab. It's all about getting power, right? And I thought, if I managed to sway the army, then I could win with them. We would win the world."
Boomerang snorts a little. Trying to rule over the world might be fun, but the brightest light bulbs would just explode easily.
"Though, I guess that like me, nobody is willing to share."
"How do we know that you aren't going to betray your team again?" asked Waller.
"Well, initially, I thought of running off," explained Blackguard. "But there is a bomb in my head I remember. And now that the army saw us, I don't think they will be happy to see me again."
Boomerang could tell that Blackguard is not lying. Seeing his dull eyes and downcast expression, Blackguard is being honest. The mercenary is just pathetic. Really pathetic. Thinking that it would be a bold move to get out there to sell them out. And now, knowing that failed and he is already going to be turned on by everyone, there is no way out of this. Blackguard is in a hole, resigned to his fate. He is ready to take the drink and just wants to get over with it to avoid all that stress and drama. He doesn't even want to go anywhere now.
Boomerang shook his head in disgust. "For the record, that was the lamest betrayal you tried to do, douche. I did one before, but it was to test out on something and it is only one casualty. You, on the other hand, tried to bring down the entire team. Did you even think this through before you decided to?"
"I thought me being a mercenary of the 1000 would give me recognition and approval by Corto Maltese," said Blackguard. "I get too fast sometimes."
Waller is silent for a long time as well. "At the moment, I have yet to come to a decision on whether Blackguard should be killed. However, with all members survive and now on the island, we need all hands on deck to complete this mission."
"But Harley, that empress planet and the German pimp are captured!" protested Boomerang. "How else are we going to complete something like this?"
"Trust me, Captain Boomerang," said Waller. "You'll be surprised of what Luna would do in response to identifying the team during the beach fight."
Boomerang is about to protest, but when he thinks about it, he decides it should be best not to argue against Waller. The memory of seeing her threatening one of the members' daughter is still fresh in his mind, though he doesn't know where that DuBois guy is right now. Besides, didn't she told them that Luna and his coup are anti-American? Mongal and Javelin are technically not of American citizenship, and Harley is just…wild, causing a lot of mayhem. He feels that Luna might not be merciful towards them, regardless of their loyalty to America.
"Are you saying that Blackguard comes along with us still?" asked T.D.K.
"Correct," said Waller. "Blackguard is one of the powerful metahumans, being able to create energy shields and constructs. He can act as your shield for the mission. But makes sure that he doesn't try to sidetrack again."
Blackguard is surprised by this. "What? You're…giving me another chance."
"You were acting foolish when on the battlefield at first, however, if you want your freedom, then you have to show that you can earn it from us."
T.D.K is skeptical about this, whispering to Boomerang that this might be a bad idea. The Australian agrees, though he thinks that Blackguard would make a really good human shield.
"Don't look at me, mate," said Boomerang to the mercenary. "I could kill you, but Missy won't allow me."
"And how do I know that I can trust you?" asked Blackguard. "I'm not taking any sides, but if I go along with you two…"
"Then you have to trust us. Fair dinkum, all of us are now having a complete piece of s**t between us and the Corto Maltese government. We have to serve our life sentence as the safest and possible way to get our prison sentences reduced. But we don't know if you are going to try to run out again. Trick us. Turn your back against us. You already did that and look at the results. Now, you have to show that you have to get that trust back if you want to live."
Boomerang crosses his arms, glaring at the dumbfounded Blackguard. While the Australian loves to play as the joker of the team, he has his qualms and firm beliefs. And maybe being on the team helps him with acting a bit more responsible when taking into the action and looking out for the other members.
While he is still unsure about the newbies, T.D.K seems to be a fun and somewhat good guy to hang around with. Possibly, the closest thing they have to being the 'gooder' guy of the trio like Flag is. And while Blackguard was a douchebag, he DID save his life and that got Boomerang a bit confused with the mercenary's morality. Maybe Blackguard has some honorable qualities?
Besides, Boomerang is still sore from being separated from his buddy Harley. So, he is not in the mood to be always jovial.
T.D.K gives Blackguard a pleading look, saying 'if you help us, then we can help you as well'.
Blackguard sighs, knowing that this is the best way to help him live since death would eventually be worthless. He gives the two a look that screams 'fine then, but don't blame me if anything goes wrong'.
"Fine then," said Blackguard. "I'll be at the back. Deceit doesn't really work anymore."
"Excellent choice," said Waller. "Let him go."
Boomerang slices the ropes and Blackguard comes crumbling onto the floor. He took the time to stand and stretch his limbs, feeling a little paralyzed. After rolling his neck, shoulders and shaking his legs, he feels that he is ready.
"So," said Blackguard, leaning against the tree. "Yo, what is our next task? Do we continue?"
"It's early in the morning, so you three can get a headstart," said Waller. "We're currently looking out for Flag, Savant and Weasel and if we are able to track them near you, we'll let you know. There is also another team that just entered another beach."
That's funny, thought Boomerang. He thought that it is just him and his group supposed to take on the mission. He is never told that there is another team on the island. Is that the one where DuBois is arranged to?
"Got it then, mate," he sighs. "Let's go, mates."
"I'll go in the front," said T.D.K as he got his GPS watch ready. "I need my cardio for today."
As T.D.K starts getting himself ready and collects his helmet, Blackguard tip toes towards Boomerang, tapping him on the shoulder.
"What is it?" hissed the Australian thief.
The blonde mercenary sighs. "I know that you won't listen to me, but…" For a brief moment, he looks sympathetic. "I'm sorry about you getting separated from your friends."
Boomerang blinks again. Blackguard is switching his attitude again. This mate is a bit strange. Which reminds him…
"Why did you save my arse two times at the beach?" asked Boomerang.
Blackguard rolls his eyes. "Let's not talk about it. It doesn't even matter anymore since I tried to betray you."
"But, just for f**k's sake," said Boomerang, curious. "Did you…save me just to try to get back onto the team for safety?"
Blackguard groaned. "Ugh. No way! I was just making sure that I don't get to see another body being blown to pieces right next to me. I would love to see you and the others die if I am not too squeamish of blood."
T.D.K chuckles, turning his head to the two. "It sounds like you are lying again."
"No, I'm not!"
Boomerang chuckles a little in amusement. "Well, be strong, blonde. You have a nice delicate spine to bend and break and put back together again."
"We'll see about that," muttered Blackguard.
There isn't any other word between them after they got all their clothes and gear ready before moving out. While they know that they might not be able to reach their other fellow team members, they have to complete the mission. As long as one of them is disciplined enough to not backstab again, then they should be fine.
After all, Boomerang is hoping he can complete this mission.
Nothing like adding up to his success streak.
AN: Honestly, I understood why they had to remove the first deleted scene of Suarez and Luna, but I felt that this should be their character establishing scene as we get to look into their personality. Luna is just this pretty boy, distracted by the lights and he acts as the charmer. Meanwhile, Suarez is a cat after all.
It took me a while to finish the scene of King Shark nearly eating Ratcatcher II and everything else that has to be explained in the scene. It's one of the emotional and tense parts with Bloodsport's fear of rats and the young woman befriending King Shark. I tried to place myself in the shoes of these characters and see what they are thinking. And I gave a bit more character shine to Polka-Dot Man since I was worried he would be in the background the whole time.
There were a lot of theories that Waller gave Blackguard the go to sabortage the team, but here? No. Even though Waller sounds like she knew something about Blackguard trying to betray and actually planned it as all...well, part of the plan, I noticed that she is blinking a lot than usual. And when she speaks, for some reason, I thought I heard a crack or nervousness in her voice. I don't know, I might be dreaming. However, I thought it would be interesting to see if Blackguard actually tried to do the betrayal on his own...though he came off as an idiot as he realized.
Boomerang's speech to Blackguard on getting their trust is a reference to 'The Day My Bum Went Psycho - Zombie Bums from Uranus'. Yes, that book.
Speaking of which, Blackguard is going to have a VERY complicated personality than how he was originally portrayed in the movies and maybe the comics. However, he is still cocky and can be overconfident.
I think I'm going to have a lot of fun writing Boomerang, T.D.K and Blackguard. Though, I hope to write more on Harley, Javelin and Mongal as well, though they will have to appear later.
As for Flag, Savant and...(*chuckles*) Weasel, you'll see soon of how they ran into the resistance.
Thanks for reading this chapter! This story is still in-progress, so be ready for more updates. If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite this story, so you can get updates about this story. Make sure to review this chapter on what you think about this chapter. I'm OK of hearing improvements from you (please no flames).
Until next time, keep on rocking!