The Scars Left Behind
This is the Sequel to the Harlequin and the Bat and The Harley and The Ivy.
Important notes: I do not own Batman or any portion of the franchise. I give all credit to DC Comics and respective owners. Except the characters I wrote in my profile.
Warning: Violent scenes to come. These stunts are done by highly trained professionals and should not be imitated by anyone. Except those proficient in martial arts training and weapons, even then it shouldn't be imitated.
Chapter 11
*March twelfth*
(Bill's POV)
Bill held the latest paper and crumpled it. He heard Deathstroke come in "What's the plan now?"
"The plan stays the same. But I'm taking the initiative." Bill answered getting some gear ready
"What initiative?" Deathstroke asked as he saw Bill equip several pieces of tech: unusual metal boots, a Utility Belt, a remote control and a grapple gun.
"The Arkham Initiative; don't try and stop me Slade." Bill spoke with a threatening tone.
"Who's stopping you? I'm coming with you." the experienced mercenary spoke
"I'm going too." Killer Frost spoke behind the two.
"Frost?" Slade questioned
"I want to see how much you care for Wayne." Frost smiled, Bill sighed and walked out the door and left for the main computer. "Learn know how to drive yet?" she asked wondering if Bill gained his licence
"Nope." Bill answered plainly but with a twinge of anger
"Then let's move out. I don't want to be here when Waller finds out we're gone." Slade spoke collecting his gear.
"She won't know a thing." Bill spoke while typing away at the system.
"What are you…?" Frost wondered as she saw Bill pull up the main files on every member on the Suicide Squad.
"Done…now let's go, Wayne doesn't have long." Bill said pulling up his overcoat. "Get the others; I'm not leaving anything to chance."
"What did you…?" Slade wondered then asked "When did you grow some balls?"
"When someone threatened Harley's family!" Bill answered exiting the building.
*forty five minutes later*
Each of the members of the Squad stole away in the armoured van and went their way to Arkham. Deadshot and Copperhead were reluctant but learned on who Wayne was and decided to get a ransom for him. Deadshot drove as he looked the most normal, Frost and Copperhead learned about Bill's connection to Wayne and what Bill owes him. "So…you're not gay then?" Copperhead asked
"Do I come off as gay?" Bill asked since he's been asked this question so many times before "I've got a family. And I owe Wayne. That's all." Bill explained
"Okay sheesh, just asking." Copperhead asked
"What's the kid's name?" Floyd asked being a father himself
"Thanks for joining the conversation." Slade joked
"I can't…" Bill said solemnly
"Why, not allowed to see them?"
"No; because my helmet has a two way radio implant and Waller may be listening." Bill explained knowing about the tech in his helmet.
"I'd like to meet them when this is over…" Frost smiled
"Don't push it Louise." Bill spoke sharply
"We're here." Slade spoke as they approached Arkham Asylum Maximum Security gates "What now?"
"We: get in, get Wayne, get out. That's it." Bill explained
"Yeah…how are we supposed to get the guards to let us in? Ask politely, Brit-Boy?" Copperhead wondered in sarcasm
"Not exactly…" Bill explained his plan as he gave an internal smile.
(Bruce's POV)
*Hours before the Squad was assembled*
Bruce was fitted for his Arkham uniform and was let into his cell, he managed to keep his head low but it wasn't easy being the most famous man in Gotham. Each of the cell mates were both terrified of Wayne and eager to get a piece of him. "We're gonna get you Rich boy, you're gonna get yours Wayne!" all sorts of sneers and remarks. But Bruce kept his head, since he wasn't able to have any sharp objects his morning stubble was coming through and his hair was losing its well-kept manner.
"Good morning Mister Wayne. How are we this morning?" a guard asked with sarcasm knowing that he got a few gut punches in last night.
"I'm fine…" Bruce spoke darkly
"Good, cause it's breakfast; on your feet!" the guard said pulling Bruce to his feet following a punch to his gut. "Better get used to it, cause I'm gonna enjoy this everyday till retirement!"
Bruce got his breath back and walked to the cafeteria where he was surrounded by the most psychotic villains in the criminal underworld: Crane, Zsasz, Tetch, Lynns just to name a few. Bruce managed to eat his meal but still struggled because of the punches he's been given. His table was only inhabitable by him but then someone came over: Edward Nygma. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Bruce Wayne; hard to imagine seeing you here with the scum of the earth." Bruce remained silent and tried to eat his breakfast. "Fine; don't talk to me. But you'll never survive another day if you don't make friends on the inside Mister Wayne." And Nygma left for his regular table. Bruce continued eating and then left for the recreational room.
Inside Bruce was approached by Sidney Debris (AKA: Sid the Squid) who saw that Bruce was reading alone and walked to him. "H-hi; I'm erm, *gulp* I'm Sidney Debris." Sidney stumbled over his words "But my friends call me Sid the Squid." He offered Bruce his hand.
Bruce looked at him and remembered that he put Sidney here after he pretended to be dead to get at Rupert Thorne's drug trafficking ring. Bruce reciprocated and shook Sidney's hand "Pleasure to meet you Sidney."
"Gee, thanks. No-one's shook my hand in a long time." Sidney recoiled to the thought on shaking Bruce's hand
"Why's that?" Bruce asked knowing full well what the answer was.
"Well…I sort of…almost killed Batman." Sidney stumbled over his words again then blurted them out; he recoiled to await a grip or punch of some kind.
"Really…?" Bruce wondered even though he's lived through it.
"You-you're not going to grab me?" Sidney realised about the situation
"Why would I do that?" Bruce asked
"Let's just say…" Sidney stated to speak then looked in both directions for anyone and everyone "*whispering* things have gotten crazy ever since the new guards showed up. The guards beat up any and everyone who hasn't got powers: you and me included." Sidney spoke with his hand covering the side of his mouth. "I'll tell you later but right now we've got to make it look normal…ish." Sidney continued to whisper then moved himself back to his normal position "anyway I'm the guy that almost killed Batman…weirdest few days of my life…"
"Why don't you tell me about it?" Bruce asked
"Really? Sure, okay!" Sidney was inquisitive then ecstatic and began to tell his story.
Hours passed and soon it was time for lock up, Bruce bid goodbye to his fellow inmate and went back to their respective cells. But a guard threw Sidney in the same cell as Bruce. "Since you two like each other's company so much enjoy it for the next seventy to eighty years!" the same guard who punched Bruce laughed, before all the electrics went off and the inmates and guards heard a large boom coming from the ground level. "What the hell?!" he yelled
(Harley's POV)
*minutes before the attack on Arkham*
Bat-Shard, Batman and Robin were out on patrol, looking for anything that could exonerate Bruce, they unveiled that Bruce doesn't have a doctorate in medicine and based on Harley's psychological profile on him he couldn't have killed anyone because he mentally can't due to the incident involving his parents. Even with all this evidence, Gordon tried to get Bruce bail but the Chief had her hands tied because all these politicians and other rich people were forcing her to keep him in Arkham. Harley tried to put on a brave face but began to hate every rich person and politician that wanted to keep Bruce in custody. 'Bill was right…Rich people do exploit weaknesses' she thought to herself.
"We're getting him back Harley. We will get him back." Dick spoke through Batman's cowl
"I know…but who'd be twisted enough to frame Bruce?" Shard cried
Robin placed his hand on her back "That's what we're looking into."
Just then a shadow emerged behind them; they turned and beheld the Rogue. "Freaking Hell!" the group shouted
"Didn't your mother teach you it's rude to sneak up on people?" Batman shouted, the Rogue just stood there and handed a file to Bat-Shard.
"What's this?" she asked hoping to get something out of him but the Rogue just stood there and then tapped the front page. Inside they saw the evidence they needed.
"Thomas Elliot. Who's Thomas Elliot?" Robin asked
"One of Bruce's old friends…Bruce's father saved Thomas's mother from a fatal car crash. And since then he's become one of the greatest surgeons in the world…" Oracle explained through the headset, the Rogue managed to overhear Oracle and nodded.
"He'd have the skills to do it. But: why?" Dick asked. The Rogue pulled a page and showed the picture of an almost completed Bruce Wayne mask made of human flesh and a financial statement and proposition.
"It says here: that if any remaining member of the Wayne family is either incarcerated or killed, that the company and funds will be transferred to some outsider company…" Robin examined the page
"Bruce never got something like that, he told me so." Bat-Shard explained and looked at the Rogue who pointed at the name below.
"Thomas Elliot…"Dick was stunned as he saw the name.
"This is proof! We've got him!" Bat-Shard spoke with joy
"But it's not enough…we need to find him and get the truth from him. Thanks for your help Rogue…Rogue? Geez he's just like Bruce in that aspect." Dick explained and thanked the Rogue but he had disappeared
"Guy's we've got a problem!" Oracle spoke
"Oracle, what is it?" Batman asked
"Arkham is under attack! There's a full scale assault pf the island!" Barbara explained
"We'll be right there. Do you have visuals?" Bat-Shard asked in a semi panic worried for Bruce
"No, all the electrics on the island are down! I can't access the cameras!" Oracle sounded stressed
"We'll get there before anything big happens!" Batman reassured them and saw the Bat-mobile down below.
"Let's move!" Robin shouted
(Bill's POV)
*two minutes before the assault*
"Yeah…how are we supposed to get the guards to let us in? Ask politely, Brit-Boy?" Copperhead wondered in sarcasm
"Not exactly…" Bill explained his plan as he gave an internal smile. "Go to the chatterbox and say we're here for a medicine drop off." Bill explained
"So not to arouse suspicion…clever." Floyd found it intriguing.
"We stun, not kill. We're not here for bloodshed, just Wayne." Bill explained as Floyd worked the chatterbox in the background
"A waste of our talents; what's that?" Copperhead groaned then asked what the remote was for
"Our time window." Bill explained cryptically.
"We're in." Floyd signalled success
As they approached the back passage, four guards went up to the van and opened it up only to find the Suicide Squad. The guards were knocked unconscious and left on the ground; their clothes were taken and now worn by Deadshot, Killer Frost and Copperhead. Bill flipped a switch and all the lights went out around Arkham. Each member but Bill were shocked after all, Bill did design the emitter himself. "The hell was that Hyde?" Killer Frost asked
"EMP emitter, we've got fourteen and a half minutes." Bill spoke putting the remote back in his pocket and moving his hand around the wall "Frost, here." Bill pointed and Killer Frost froze the wall and Hyde punched it through exposing the women's washroom. "Come on eight minutes left." Bill spoke walking in first.
"When did Hyde grow some balls?" Floyd asked
"When someone threatened Harley's Family…that Quinzel woman's." Deathstroke explained
(Bruce's POV)
"What was that?" he asked
"I don't know… Stay here you scum!" the abusive guard commanded. As the inmates gathered to the Great Hall, Sidney stayed near Bruce. The Man who almost killed Batman and the Identity Thief seemed like a force to be reckoned with. "What the hell is going on?" he shouted as a single man crashed through the wall causing debris to fly everywhere.
"Looks like we're in trouble." Bruce said to himself
(Bill's POV)
"Inmates and Guards, may I have your attention please?" Bill spoke clearly as the dust settled "This is a kidnapping. Give us Bruce Wayne and no-one gets hurt."
"Screw that you're going down scum!" a guard fired his gun into Bills chest but each bullet bounced off
Sighing Bill lifted the guard and threw him to the floor. "I'll ask again: where's Wayne?" The inmates pointed the way to let the Masked Goliath walk towards Wayne who was the shield to Sid the Squid. "Ah, Wayne; there you are. You're coming with us!" Bill said with a reassuring tone to the upper level
"Why should I go with you?" Bruce demanded an answer from his friend
"It's either the easy way or…" Bill started to speak as the Squad entered some at a time holding the Guards at bay. Then Bill lifted the guard who shot at him by the scruff of his collar "I crush this guy's head in with my boot; your choice Wayne." Bill commanded. Bruce saw that Bill wasn't joking and went down to them "Quickly, quickly. We've a deadline." Bill mentioned about the EMP knocking down the power.
"I want to know: Why?" Bruce asked as Bill moved him forward
"That's the ultimate question isn't it Mister Wayne: Why? But to answer yours: A ransom. A half a billion dollars goes a long way for your head." ($500,000,000 in American terms, but £500,000,000,000 in British terms. In case you're wondering) Bill led him to the exit but asked an unusual question "Just asking Mister Wayne: were you injured in any way; during your stay here in Arkham?"
"What sort of question is that?" Copperhead shouted
"Just humour him. Answer him Wayne!"Deathstroke answered
Bruce answered hoping Bill wouldn't do anything stupid "The guard you threw: he punched me in the gut three days straight."
"Thank you mister Wayne. Hold him." Bill thanked Bruce and asked Killer Frost
"Wait. What are you doing?" Bruce struggled to be free from Frost's grip but his hands were linked in ice.
"Urgh…what are you…?" the Guard groaned before his arm was pressed upon "ARGH!" his scream filled the room along the chatter from the inmates and Bruce trying to stop Bill from killing him.
"You like punching inmates? You like the power you abuse? One limb, for each day." Bill taunted him as he broke the guard's left arm with his foot. "One." As the guard begged for his life Bruce tried to reason with him but Deathstroke was holding him back.
"Hyde, we don't have time for this! Let's go!" Deathstroke roared
"One minute…" Bill answered as he broke the guard's right arm, as the guard screamed in pain Bill spoke "Two."
"Hyde, stop this! He isn't worth it!" Bruce tried to reason with him but it fell on deaf ears
Bill gripped the right leg of the guard and broke that. "Three…" he let the broken limb fall and went to the group. "Let's go, Batman and his friends will be here soon." Bill then saw Jonathan Crane now healed in the crowd. "Crane!" Bill called out seeing the group part exposing Crane to the goliath.
"Y-yes…?" Crane feared for his life.
"Rook to E-five; checkmate." Bill spoke
With the entire Arkham populous wondering "What the hell is going on?" Crane was frozen in fear and whispered "Brom…?" Bill nodded and left with the group with Bruce still struggling "My God…"
The Squad left with Bruce, now dressed in an Arkham officer uniform, to the exit; Bill turned around and commanded "Frost: seal the exit. I don't want a riot in Gotham."
"Got it!" Killer Frost understood and froze the exit.
"Right we've got your boyfriend. Let's go!" Copperhead spoke much to Bill's chagrin.
"He's not my…*sigh* we can't. The EMP wiped out the battery; give me a minute to fix it." Bill groaned
"Any reason they think you've got the hot's for me?" Bruce asked
"Probably because I owe you one." Bill explained
They had three minutes remaining.
(Waller's POV)
"Where is Task Force X?" Waller wondered as she entered the empty headquarters "what's this?" she wondered at the note, which read:
To Commander Waller
Went out for burgers
Be back soon
Hyde
"Went out for burgers?!" She grew in anger and crumpled the paper and went straight to the computer and looked at the locator that was implanted in Hyde's helmet. It located him at the park. "Does he think I'm an idiot?" she hacked and unscrambled Bill's false location and found him nowhere. "Where are they?!" she slammed her fist into the computer desk.
(Bill's POV)
"That's far enough Suicide Squad!" Bat-Shard spoke with authority after slamming Killer Frost to the ground.
"The Bat-Bitch? Is nowhere sacred anymore?" Deadshot groaned in anger
"Really? You're going to piss her off more?" Hyde questioned his colleague "Turn away Bat-Shard there's five of us and one of you." Hyde bargained with her
"There's more than one of me." Bat-Shard spoke with a grin as vines wrapped around the Suicide squad members.
"The Hell?" each one of them exclaimed except Hyde.
"Our newest partner: Nightbloom." Bat-Shard welcomed the new member in her scantily clad suit that didn't reveal her true identity.
"Take a: good look boys, because you're going to Blackgate for a long time!" Nightbloom spoke with a joke.
To be continued
I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter as I have writing it.
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The next chapter coming up soon.
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