The Suicide Squad: Black Orchid -
Nothing but Flowers - Part Two: Breaking the Girl
Now
"Do yourself a favor. Stay down."
Black Orchid heard the woman say after throwing her across the room. She had hit the wall hard and wasn't certain she could get up even if she wanted to. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Myriad, clearly no longer in the guise of Lex Luthor, walked hastily toward the motionless Black Orchid.
Susan would kick herself for acting so impulsively if she could move. It was a grave miscalculation on her part coming here like she did. She should have realized when she and Thorn started poking around searching for clues about Project Black Orchid that Lex Luthor would catch wind of it. That man had already done enough damage in her life but was he also responsible for what she had become? Was he the reason she woke up in a hotel room over two years ago here in Metropolis with no memory of her existence?
Her whole reason for being here was based on a lead she got from Sarge Steel. Why did he not follow-up on this information if he knew Lex Corp was involved? Was it because he was afraid of Luthor or even worse, were they in on it together?
Susan's mind continued to race in several directions at once as she was picked up by Myriad and thrown across the room in the other direction. Susan needed to clear her mind quickly and focus back on the situation at hand. She wasn't going to find any answers if she didn't get out of this office building alive. The first thing she needed to do was stop this woman from throwing her around like a rag doll. The pain was excruciating as she hit the floor hard and sled several feet across the floor smashing into an office chair.
"Had enough yet?" Myriad beamed as she quickened her pace toward Black Orchid.
Could this Myriad have come from the same project that created Black Orchid? Susan wondered. She had similar powers but was much stronger. Susan lay still as she eyed a sharp metal piece from the shattered chair. When Myriad bent down toward her, Susan grabbed the piece of metal. She used all of the strength she could muster and shoved it a couple of inches above the joining of the tendon and the heel bone on the back of Myriad's right ankle. When Susan felt the Achilles tendon tear, she let go and rolled out of the way as Myriad crashed onto the office floor screaming.
Susan staggered to her feet and braced herself against the wall just out of reach from the thrashing Myriad on the floor.
"Susan I think I found what you are looking for." Susan heard Thorn say through her earpiece communicator.
"Go ahead." Susan responded.
"The Black Orchid project was run by a man named Dr. Philip Sylvia. He was conducting experiments using chemicals that seeped into pores and caused the test subjects to be fall under the persuasion of whoever administered the chemicals." Thorn paused for a brief moment. "What is that? Is someone screaming?"
"It's nothing." Susan said as she continued to watch Myriad struggle on the floor. "Anything else?"
"Only that it looks like Luthor didn't authorize the tests and fired Sylvia three years ago. Sylvia disappeared for six months and then suddenly appeared working in Gotham City under an assumed name for Wayne Enterprises."
"Wayne? Bruce Wayne? I will meet you downstairs in a few minutes." Susan said before looking down at Myriad. "Tell your boss he is in the clear for now. But I still haven't forgotten what he's done and next time I guarantee he won't see me coming."
Susan begun to walk away when she turned back around "Also, you might want to have that tear looked at before you bleed to death. But do yourself a favor until I am gone, stay down."
Then
It had been three months since Susan walked into Clayton Stoners office and asked the private investigator to look into her past. After seeing what she was capable of he quickly promised to help her. Little did they both know that the trail was cold before they had even begun. Clayton assured her he wouldn't give up the search. In the meantime Susan agreed to help him on his other cases in return for providing her a place to live and adequate funds to support her.
At the time, Clayton was impoverished since good paying cases were few and far between. He relied on supplement work as a bounty hunter, usually going after bail jumpers and deadbeat dads late on child support. Clayton convinced Susan that her ability to change her appearance could vastly improve his chances of catching these people. She was uncomfortable at first but soon found an easy escape portraying other people. Not only was it simple to get caught up in the role of a fugitive's buddy or a girlfriend, but also it allowed her a few brief moments to forget that she still didn't know who she was.
But on an off day, Clayton and Susan sat in his office reviewing case files when she received what might be the first break in the investigation.
"Okay, thank you." Clayton said before hanging up the phone.
"Was that about a case?" Susan inquired from across the room where she was sprawled out on a sofa flipping through files.
"Yeah it was about a case. Yours" He said jovially.
Susan stopped what she was doing and jumped up.
"That was one of my skip trace buddies who has a friend who has a contact over at Langley. He found a connection to Susan Linden and something called the Black Orchid project."
"Clay, we don't even know if that's my real name. So, what makes this a solid lead?
"Well it's not necessarily a solid lead because that's all he was able to pull up. But it is the first nibble we've had on the line in months, so its better then nothing."
Clayton said.
" You call that a nibble? My name being linked to a goddamned flower!" Susan vented as she sat down across from Clayton.
"It's a rare delicate flower." Clayton smirked looking up at her. "You are a rare flower."
Now
"It's all here" Thorn said handing Black Orchid a small flash-drive containing the information she obtained from Lex Luthor's computer lab.
"You are aware that after tonight, Luthor will make your life hell here in Metropolis?" Susan said as she slipped the small device in her pocket.
"Hell hath no fury like a woman thorned!" Thorn gleefully replied.
"Dreadful puns aside, thank you." Susan said embracing Rose Forrest's alter ego, Thorn.
"You and I do not need words. We share a bond okay? So go to Gotham and take care of your business. "
"Luthor still has to answer for a few things even if he wasn't directly involved with what I have become." Susan pulled away from Thorn as tears began to well up in her eyes. "I will be back. I promise"
"And I will be waiting." Thorn responded. "Are you sure you don't want my help in Gotham?"
"No. There's less of a chance of being noticed if I go in alone. I just feel like I am so close to the end now. The last thing I need is to draw attention from a certain pesky rodent."
Then
Months had gone by since Clayton discovered a link between Susan Linden and the Black Orchid project. As each day passed, Susan lost hope of ever learning the truth. She continued to work for Clayton Stoner. She no longer looked at what she did as an escape though. She became obsessed with it, constantly pushing herself and her abilities. She was no longer content with playing bit parts for small reward. During this time, Stoner had quickly become the most feared and respected private investigator in Metropolis. His reputation soared all while Susan contently stayed out-of-sight.
In an attempt to find a case that would satisfy Susan's increasing desire for bigger and bolder ventures, Clayton Stoner agreed to take an out of town job.
Clayton began to explain the job to Susan. "Jack Dodd is the owner of a large chemical research company based out of Gotham City. After years of rising costs due to strict government regulations, Dodd was forced to bring in a financial partner to keep the company afloat. He chose his brother, Marshall Dodd, who has had a successful career in the banking industry. But after several quarters of little to no growth, Marshall Dodd recommended to sell the company to a multinational corporation over seas."
"This sounds very exciting." Susan said sarcastically, "Why did you think we would be suited for some type of corporate investigation?"
"Because I have a plan that I think you will love. Now can I finish?"
"By all means."
"Jack Dodd believes that one of his companies security analysits is involved with selling company information to the corperation intersted in buying out the company. He feels this person is not only ruining his company but in turn will force him to sell his company to the overseas outfit for little or no money."
"So we were hired to help a rich guy before he goes broke? Wheres the fun in that?"
"Three weeks from tonite there is a charity event at the Gotham Kane plaza. It's one of the biggest events of the year and all the players will be there including the five securitys analylists from the Dodd company and investors from the overseas company. You will be attending this event."
"So who am I going in as?" Susan inquired showing slightly more interest.
"Some rich socialite. That part doesn't matter. Once your inside I need you to determine which analyist is in bed with the multinationals because they will more then likely make contact with them sometime during the course of the event."
"So how am I going to do that if we don't know which of the five is involved?"
"This is the part you're gonna love. Through out the evening, you get to play the role of all five of them!"
Three weeks later…Susan had expected the hardest part of this was going to be keeping track of the five security analysts, not only their locations but who she was playing at any given time. What she didn't anticipate was that someone else had ulterior motives that evening and was playing the role as party crasher. Enter Pamela Isley, also known as Poison Ivy.
Susan watched as Ivy began to scream out about how the planet is being destroyed by the chemicals that these companies were producing. Then she went on about how everyone here would die a slow painful death because of the chemicals that she has pumped into the room all evening through the air ducts. Collectively they would need to come up with one hundred million dollars before any of them would have access to the antidote she carried in a small vial around her neck. She watched as several people began to cough some even falling to the floor gasping for air. Susan quickly found that what ever was in the air hadn't affected her yet.
At that moment she made a decision. This was no longer about inside trading or corporate greed, this was about life and death. Susan's mind shifted into overdrive as she quickly assessed the situation. There were three armed thugs with gas masks blocking each of the potential exits while Poison Ivy was setting up a wireless computer in the center of the hall. She yelled out that she would take bank transfers until her demands were satisfied in full. Susan couldn't see a way of defusing the situation without people dying. But if she stood there and did nothing, people were sure to die as well. Finally, there was no way to guarantee that Ivy would release the antidote she claimed would reverse the effects of the poisonous gas.
Susan determined the best course of action was to get close enough to Ivy and look for a chance to take her down. She was still in the guise as one of the analysts, one that she noticed was one of the victims already passed out on the floor. At least it would allow her to move in without drawing to much attention to herself.
She was in position when the lights inside the hall went dark. The remaining coherent party guests screamed as gunfire erupted. Susan dove in the direction where Ivy was standing just before it went dark. When the lights returned she was standing over Poison Ivy holding a small vial in her hand, her foot firmly pressed on Ivy's throat.
"I will take that." She heard a gruff voice speak from behind her. She slowly turned around as she stood face to face with the mysterious Batman. She felt exposed as she no longer was hidden behind one the disguises she had used that evening. Unsure of what else to do, she handed him the vial.
"Get yourself checked out. The paramedics will be momentarily." With that he wrapped Ivy up in his cape and was gone. The Gotham police entered seconds later to find all of the gunmen had been contained. Batman had defused the entire situation and then had vanished. It was in that moment when she was determined to be something more then a delicate flower. She would fully embrace her namesake, whose true existence was but a myth to most. She would become the Black Orchid.
Now
Doctor Philip Sylvia entered his home shortly after ten p.m. He poured himself a drink and sat down in his usual living room chair. He took a shallow breath as he felt a sharp painful twinge in the back of his neck. He was barely able to move as he watched the crystal glass slip out of his hand and fall onto the hardwood floor. He began to panic when he heard a voice speak from behind where he sat.
"It's called the Dim Mak' or death touch." Black Orchid whispered as she slowly moved from behind the chair to face him. "You have thirty seconds to decide whether you are going to tell me everything you know about the Black Orchid project or you will most certainly experience a quick but excruciating death."
To be concluded…