EPISODE 3: MAD SCIENCE
"What's with this place?" an ARGUS agent asked he walked the halls of an abandoned facility.
"It was an ARGUS research base a few years back till some inmates nearly tore the whole thing down," he explained.
The two walked in front of a group of men as they lead threw the once operational facility. The walls were covered in moss and there were leaks throughout the building.
"I heard they were doing some cross species genetics here," one of the men said.
"This place has more rumors than it deserves. They did research that's all there is to it," another said.
"Well why do they want us searching the place then? They thinking about opening it back up?"
"Who knows what Waller be thinking," one of the guys in front said.
They all entered a room that was completely flooded up to the stairs that lead to the bottom. The place looked like it had been the stage for a warzone. Wires hung from the ceiling along with vines and various other plants.
"Now what? We left are water gear back at the chopper."
The leader walked to the edge of the rail and looked down at the deep water covering the room. With a heavy sigh he turned around. "Let's scope the rest of the place first we can come back for-."
Suddenly a monstrous hand came up from the water grabbing the ARGUS agent by the foot and dragged him under water.
"WHAT THE HELL!," a soldier shouted running to the railing only to see blood to appear from the water. "SON OF A BITCH! OPEN FIRE," he commanded.
"On what we can't see anything! We need to leave now," another said.
It was too late the monstrous creature shot up from the water and began its assault on the team of ARGUS agents.
Rick was making his way down to the lower levels of the ARGUS base heading for the science section of the building. He had been filing off about the whole thing with Lynn AKA Firefly and wanted to look into it some more. He opened the door to a room where he saw tons of robotic machinery surrounding the room. Some of it looked pretty advanced way beyond what he has seen before. He stopped when he came to an armor that had a slight resemblance the Lynn's Firefly suit. The only difference was this one was silver and had no jetpack.
"That was the first version," a voice said.
Rick turned to see a man in a lab coat standing behind him. "I didn't mean to intrude…,"
"Ray Palmer," he greeted shaking ricks hand.
"Rick Flag," Rick greeted back. "So you must be the one who made Lynn's armor."
"Yes I did," he confessed. "I heard about what happen."
"Yeah…," Rick said thinking about the night Lynn died in the explosion. The only reason Rick felt bad for the death of that maniac was because despite what these people in Task Force X did they were still his team and he failed to keep one safe. "I need to ask…is there any reason his armor would malfunction and self-destruct on its own?"
"The armor itself? No, but if his weapon were to be compromised then that could have led to the explosion."
"I see," Rick replied with a nod. "It was nice getting to know you Ray."
The team sat around at the briefing table as Amanda Waller took floor. Floyd had his same uncaring look he always had, Harley was barley paying attention like she always does, Tockman was sitting straight up his hands folded, and Rick stood in the back with Lyla who had her arms folded.
"So what do you got for us this time?" Harkness asked Amanda.
"I need a recon mission done at an old ARGUS base that was decommissioned some years back," she brought up an image of the base on the screen. "We sent a team of agents there a few days ago and have yet to hear back from them."
"What was this place used for?" Rick asked.
"Experiments, supply out post, holding dangerous criminals, you name it and it was probably used for it," she explained to the curious soldier.
"Where is it?" he asked another question.
"On an island called Lian Yu," she said bringing up an image of the island.
"Purgatory," Harley causally said gazing up at the ceiling.
"What?" Harkness said.
"Lian Yu is Mandarin for purgatory," Tockman informed taking a look at Harley.
Everyone just gave Harley a strange look then just decided to ignore it not wanting to drag that out.
"I want you and your team to go to the facility and see what happened," Amanda finished.
"Alright," Rick said "Everyone to the plane in an hour."
Aboard the plane the squad sat in silence as they made their way across the ocean. Rick and Hal sat in the front as usual while the team sat across from one another in the back. Hal took a glimpse at Rick who looked like he had a lot on his mind.
"Something you want to talk about?" Hal asked.
"Not really," Rick replied still staring out the window.
"You sure. You are more boring than usual," Hal commented.
"It's just I have a feeling I'm not being told something. Amanda is holding some very important information back I can feel it."
"Dude you are a government spy. Your boss's secrets are going to have secrets," Hal explained to him.
"I get that part but when it's about my team I think I should know."
"Is this about Lynn dying on the last mission?" Hal guessed.
"Yeah but I'm not sad over his death he was a pyromaniac. When the explosion happened it just didn't look right," Rick said thinking back to that night.
"What do you mean?" Hal arched an eyebrow.
"It felt…I can't explain it."
"Trust me when I say those are the kinds of feelings that are better left alone. You don't want to uncover something that will have you sitting in the back with them," Hal pointed his thumb at the group of criminals.
Rick went back to staring out the window continuing to have a bad feeling about whatever it is Amanda is hiding from him.
"So cowboy I heard you beat Harkness over there in your little game," Harley said to Floyd.
"A game you started by flipping out and I didn't have my weapons so it didn't count," Harkness said in defense.
"Sounds like a boy crying over spilt milk," Harley said.
"Do I really need to sit here and listen to you two," Floyd said in annoyance.
"I'm just taking up for you cowboy," Harley said fluttering her eyes.
"Why do you call him cowboy?" Harkness asked.
"Cowboys are good with guns, he's good with guns," Harley simply said. "Try and use that pea sized brain of yours."
"What do you have against me clown girl?" Harkness said.
"I don't like you," Harley told him.
"Why not?"
"I just don't."
"That's not a reason."
"It is for me."
"OH MY GOD!" Floyd yelled as the plane descended onto Lian Yu
Rick was greeted by a small team of ARGUS agents that met them on the islands airfield. Rick took a moment to take in the scenery. The place was full of green and wildlife that consumed the entire area. He could see why ARGUS would set up a base here because no one in their right minds would want to come to this place.
The team entered a tent where the commanding officer sat looking over what looked like an old blueprint. He looked up eyes falling on Rick and the team. He gave them a curious look and got up to greet them.
"Welcome to purgatory," he greeted Rick with a handshake.
"Thanks for having us," Rick responded.
"Let's go ahead and get the update out the way. We sent a team to the facility and have not heard from anyone not even a call on the radio for help."
"You think there dead?" Rick guessed.
"Unfortunately," he said with a hint of remorse.
"What could it be?"
"Who knows?" the commander said. "That damn place has always been more trouble than what it was worth."
"Why was it shut down?" Tockman asked.
"I guess to keep it as vague as possible…they had problems with some prisoners years ago that shouldn't have been here anyway."
"What do you mean?" Tockman pushed the topic.
"I won't say any more than that considering a lot of that information is still classified."
"We don't need any more anyway," Rick said tuning to the team "Let's get a truck so we can see what the problem is. Tockman since this is not really your thing you should stay in the camp."
"Agreed," he responded.
The team walked out of the tent and hopped in a truck heading to the mysterious ARGUS facility.
They shortly arrived at the base that was hidden behind a lot of trees and various tall plants. Rick and the team jumped out of the truck and began to scout the outside of the base. It was covered in old moss and the walls ha cracks all around it.
"Who the hell would set up a base here?" Floyd came out and said.
"Are employers?" Rick said approaching the entrance to the old base.
The door was busted open and had claw marks all over it and several giant dents. Rick slowly walked into the base and saw how old it really was. No one has used this facility in years so why was Amanda sending people in now of all times. The team continued through the halls till they came to an intersection.
"Alright, Harley you're with me," Rick said. "Floyd and Harkness you go that way and report whatever you think is important"
"Why can't I go with cowboy and you get boomer man!" Harley whined.
"Because I don't trust you," Rick bluntly said. "Let's go!"
"I moment of peace without that crazy chick clinging to me," Floyd said as he and Harkness went the other way.
"I will never understand how someone gets that crazy," Harkness replied.
"I don't want to understand. I just want to get this mission over with. This place gives me a bad feeling," Floyd said.
Rick and Harley continued in silence as they turned another corner. Rick noticed a door that looked like it led to a lab. Rick held his gun tight as he entered the room that had lab beds spread out across the room.
"This place gives me the creeps," Harley said looking around nervously. "I feel like a ghost is going to jump out."
"Ghost aren't real Harley," Rick said walking up to what looked like a jail cell in the lab.
"You need to spend some time in Gotham," she said following close behind.
Rick looked inside the cell and saw a skeleton that was fully clothed.
"A male, late forties maybe early fifties, he has been here for five to ten years," Harley said analyzing the skeleton.
Rick just raised his eyebrow looking at the intelligence Harley just showed. "Smart and crazy is a dangerous combination."
"What are you talking about?" Harley said confused.
"Never mind," he said shaking his head.
Rick started looking through the skeletons cloths while Harley gave a disgusted look on her face. Rick went through its pockets and found a book inside. He left the cell looking through the book and saw all the pages were blank.
"Was is supposed to be a journal?" Harley asked.
"I don't think so. This looks really old and would have at least been used once if it was just a journal."
"What do you think it's for?"
"I'm not sure, but…"
"Aye Captain," Harkness came in over the headset.
"What is it Boomerang?"
Floyd and Harkness stood in the flooded room where they laid eyes on the bloody corpses of ARGUS agents.
"We found the ARGUS agents. All dead," he said plainly.
"What was the cause of death?" Rick asked.
"Why are you asking that idiot?" Harley suddenly said.
"Why you little," Harkness began to steam.
"They look like they were torn to pieces," Floyd cut in.
"Stay where you are. Me and Quinn are on the way."
"Copy that boss," Harkness said. Floyd was looking at the dead ARGUS agents then the room full of water. "You playing detective or something?"
"I think we should wait outside," Floyd said walking towards the door.
"Why scared of a little water," Harkness said following.
In a blink of an eye a huge creature jumped from the water and came crashing down behind them. Harkness pulled out his boomerangs while Floyd pulled out two guns.
"What that hell?" the Australian said.
Rick with Harley moved down the hall towards their fellow team mates position when they started hearing gun shots. The two looked at each other than sprinted towards the sound turning a corner to see something that was hard to believe. Deadshot and Boomerang were in a fight with a giant…shark…man.
"You got to be kidding me," Rick said opening fire with his machine gun.
"SHARKNADO!" Harley screamed firing her pistol.
The bullets bounced off the creature's skin as he turned to look at who was firing. He roared and charged at the two with his rows of teeth ready to bite into them. Rick and Harley moved out the way and regrouped with Floyd and Harkness.
"Guess this is what killed the last team of ARGUS agents," Rick reloading his gun.
"Who cares just bring that thing down," Floyd said bringing up his wrist mounted guns and fired.
Harkness threw two boomerangs the barely scratched the monster. Floyd's bullets bounced off not doing any damage at all.
"I think we need a new plan," Floyd said.
"Leave it to me," Harley said who began running at the monster. She do numerous flips jumping into the air and came down with a flying kick. "FLYING TIGER!" The monster grabbed her leg before it could connect with his face. "Uh oh," Harley said. The monster flung her across the hallway making her hit a wall hard.
"Any more bright ideas," Floyd asked as he saw the monster approach.
"Pretty sure we come up with something better than that," he said looking at Harley.
"Harkness slow him down," Rick said running over to Harley.
Harkness pulled out a boomerang with glowing green lights and tossed it at the monster. When it connected it burst into a gray like slime that held the monster in place.
The team ran away while the creature struggled to get free. The team ran into a room that was also flooded with water. Rick held Harley in his arms as they could hear the giant footsteps approaching.
"What's with all this damn water!?" Harkness yelled getting ready to pull out a boomerang.
Rick set down Harley and got ready for the Shark man to enter the room. The giant creep out from behind the door entrance and was ready to charge when Harley suddenly shot up and wrapped her body around the monsters face. The creature reached to grab Harley off only for her to flip over him and kick him into the water. Harley then jumped up grabbing a loose wire in the ceiling. As she came down the shark man shot up from the water. Harley drove the wire into the things head and sent sparks flying all over the place electrocuting the beast. They both went crashing into the water causing Rick and the rest of the team to stare in complete shock.
"What did I just see?" Harkness asked
"Just go with it," Floyd said as he and Rick looked into the water where the big creature was floating while Harley sat crisscrossed on its back.
"I think it is still alive," Harley said with a smile.
A few hours later the shark man was tied up and was being shipped to an ARGUS facility. Rick and the team stayed behind with the other ARGUS agents who set up a campfire at their base on the island. Everyone was getting along pretty well despite the fact that some of the ARGUS agents had doubts about hanging out with criminals. When the alcohol came out that all changed. Rick set close to the fire away from everyone looking at the book he found on the dead body. He had a feeling there was more to it than just a book full of blank pages. He got closer to the fire and saw as writing began to show up on the page. He got closer to the fire and turned the pages as more writing reveled itself. They seemed like pages full of names. Some he recognized and some he didn't.
"Hey Rick come on," Harkness shouted holding a beer.
"Coming!" Rick shouted back putting the book in his pocket.
He doesn't know what the book means but if it can lead to something about Waller then he will look into it on his own.
Amanda entered the highly secured room where the shark man was still bound by the metal restraints. She looked up at the creature with a grin.
"You've gotten bigger since the last report I got about you," she said. "Your name was…Nanaue correct," Amanda said picking up his chart.
"No…KING SHARK."
NEXT. EPISODE 4: WELCOME TO MASCOW
A/N: I know it has been a while since I posted for this story and that's because I had to go back to the drawing board on a few things but i think i got it all down now.
TILL NEXT TIME!