TeenTitans Presents; Renegade – Prison Break – Break Out!
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Chapter Eight: Read It and Weep
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Not a very glamourous chapter title, yet it may leave a lotto be desired. Also!~ Never go two almost weeks of just rinsing hair before highlights.Last time I had those done was…2018, and the cut was too much….ugh! I wentthere to fix a bad job I did when I still had medical issues and…a desire to doa "pageboy" cut. Anyway….extree – extree! Slade is in Belle Reve, or is he??
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A dripping faucet was his morning alarm as the black sackwas pulled off of the man's head.
"You got a lot of nerve, beating old me down to –
A hit so hard that the cut in his mouth reopened, Sladedidn't have time for a "yo mama" contest.
"The Bat." The merc seethed and cracked his knuckles besidea Sladebot with a video device in its grip.
"He got away from yourtrap."
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~ Master Bruce! ~
The fog was thick as Crane made his way, while Brucecoughed and crawled for a window, half of them sealed.
He'd been in this space before. Gotham. The year, 89".
His apparatus had failed and Crane's gun was justupdated. He'd been seeping in a breath until he'd found the way out of thatburning factory.
Just like Crane to pull a job to take his mind down apeg. He should be rotting in Arkham, yet someone had been generous and neededthe man to turn another prison into a duplicate Asylum…
"Dick…" Groaned the billionaire, his eye on the land lineas he took the thing and wrenched it up, cutting glass with a THWACK to theexterior, shards falling as his arms had gone wiry.
"Have…no choice…" Bruce looked below. He could grab theside, break the fall. His pocket had a Wayne Industry designed piece of gearfor the job as a knock at his door had the billionaire avoid cuts and scraps ofhis clothing left to the police.
He flew down, falling until the item in his hand had himinches from the ground.
"Good….pen knife…" He huffed, the right timing enough,until the gas bomb exploded and he had to duck, take cover where none couldsee.
The vehicle would stop in a few minutes. He'd sent adistress beacon just before. Knowing that he had to leave this city, thatsomething foul was trying to keep Wayne from the truth.
The bat mobile was there as he stumbled into its autopiloted comforts. The screen lit up, the butler showing as his face washardened in fear of losing the bat to madness.
"Alfred….anti….venom…"
~In the glovebox as usual, sir. ~
Grunting, Bruce dragged a hand forth while the makeshiftlimo took his butt back to Gotham to recharge, to think and to heal. With a bitof gas to counter the other down his lungs and now in his veins, he puffed onemore time to procure that precious oxygen before finally speaking his mind.
"Slade is too close to Dick; Crane won't be far behind,and Alfred?"
The butler looked on, as Bruce's eyes had started todroop by the drug's active side effects.
"I want this me, deadfor a while." He announced,unabashed at the requested demand. "I want them to think I went missing or thatmy attempted murderer succeeded in getting what he was after."
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"Rise n' shine, Sleepin' Beauty!"
Dick felt the drool on his cheek as he brushed it off withthe back of his sleeve. Besides being in a cell next to his full time babysitter…wasn't she supposed to be…in her own cell?
"They only had the brunch thing goin, but you an I can goover the plan." She handed him the tuna melt as his eyes flicked back at thepony tailed terror.
In his cell.
With him.
Dick sputtered a complaining strand of incomprehensiblesounds before clinging to the wall and banging down hard on it.
Harley shushed him, yet as her arm reached out to coax thekid that she'd gotten Waller's ok –
"YAH!" He put her to the mat, arm behind her back as sheyelled out and stomped her feet in a fit.
" Yow – OW owww !!" She whined."I'm on your side, remember!??"
Dick breathed again, his hands going over his eyes as shesaw him again, shaking like a leaf for being this tense.
"Is it the dust?" She stood and cocked her head sideways, anarm to his shoulder despite the scare attempt. "I see dead people apparentlynow, but that's never been my M.O… Ya' know."
"Don…don't tell, Waller…" Dick hiccupped, rubbing his faceas she viewed how lost his features had become due to Crane's possible bullcrap.
"Why not? You're seeing that psycho in your sleep! And youused ta be gorgeous!" She exclaimed, noticing how Dick's face was tearstreaked from the previous night. "Can we just… talk?" He rasped, her eyes onhim as she bobbed her head.
"Anything you want, let me ask my boys in the mess hall -OH!!I forgot they have poppy seed mini muffins, Super – fance….but, yeah! Ican do a quick session. Pencil you in for a tele visit? Get ready cause youwill be one – hundred and ten percent cured at the end of this trial….ehem, yagot any reliable bat - insurance?"
Dick snorted, laughing a little at her change of face. Shegrinned back and they sat, this being the kind of progress Waller was after inreal life.
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Crane's alter swept into the office where it was off limits.HA! He'd gotten one dead, and ten to push to the brink of madness. So what ifDeathstroke was going to kill him like a Suicide squad flunky? He pulled andtugged at the metal band around his throat.
"Make up a stronger formula and give it to the others, hesays… fah! Does he know how possible that is for me!? Farfrom it. I ama man of science after all. Not even Fries or Langstromcan outsmart my odds….Good call…now." He switched on a bit of detail; a sessionbetween a bird and a jester.
"No, no. I need you two to stay…" He walked over tohis equipment and pressed a switch, the red dot beeping on a dime. (He'sactivated the reagent.)
"To stay mytest dummies, until I get the boss's okto kill one of youbrats."
Mostly Harley, while the boy was to be kept alive.
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"Did you know that approximately ten murders were reportedin the entire WEEK as of last month in Louisiana? I think that might be anepidemic goin' on. And why are they serving fish sticks to grown ass adults forlunch?? I demand to speak to the person in charge."
Growling into his food, Dr. Psycho had to keep an eye on theones possibly responsible for attempting to murder the man in the basement.
"Was his name, Jorge?" Asked Floyd to the psychic man besidehim.
"I don't want to bring Waller's wrath in here if we keep on giggling'and prattling on like a bunch of Sheilas." Tutted George as he took a swiftbite of his tex - mex style omelet.
"Why should we even BE on lookout at this point." Floydshook his head, finished with whatever he'd piled onto his plate to lookpreoccupied. "I'll head to the yard. We should vamos as soon as –
The clack of the entrance opened to reveal a reason to stayseated.
"Not good! Not good!" King Shark scuttled over and harshlywhispered to his companions.
"He's too good looking to be locked up! Who has hair that shiny!"
This was hell. Was that…
"You can't be joking, even once??
"It's gotta be a robot." Psycho attempted to connect. "Noreal pulse in there, no heart."
"He's probably just some sociopathic murderer, mate." Georgerolled his eyes, warily searching the man as he went to seat himself. "He'snever thought to keep it pumpin' in there, shite bastard."
While two underlings were already giving him the best lunchoptions from the good menu.
"I understand he had immunity and if he is….you know." Kingswallowed, sitting back down next to Floyd with a huff. "Then how do we book aman who knows the system better n' Waller?"
"Wait!" A hand signal from the newbie in morse code. Nocamera could have caught that, yet Psycho smirked by the reason behind it.
"We've got a new player among us, my friends." The doctorsat back and kicked up his legs.
"Huh?" King didn't understand, until his snout smelled thereason and gasped.
"Oh…. oh !"
"Wait, what is this all about, blokes?" George and Floydwere out of the loop, so Psychotelepathically sent an invite to Harley and Bruce himself.
Who was right across their table in a rather suitabledisguise.
"He's not dead yet, amigos." Floyd smiled and shook hishead, getting his tray up. "I can't wait to hear HER go on about this one!"
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Waller had Bruce come in, orange suited and just lookingridiculous in his new get up.
"Are you sure this –
"The one after Dick was after me, Amanda." Bruce cut her offsharply. "I have to find Crane since no one else has been capable since thisall started. Harleen is in the same boat as my ward." He recalled.
Waller made an appreciative sound before typing something upon her desktop. "I did get that file by the way."
"As you should, and I need to be sure that Dick's attorneywon't try to brainwash him if he gets another shot. Can't you fire him?"
"Tried that." She shook her head at the billionaire. "His hireswere explicitly drawn for some reason, so I'm not allowed to tell him to packup his things. Has to be interference of a bribe. Something to keep him in hisposition for another's offer. And you know as well as I do."
"Slade wants Dick out of Belle Reve, even if someone elsehas to suffer."
"Right. Team Seven. Task Force X. None of it fazed him sofar, never made a dent in that armor, so a little toxic fear gas if he decidesto nuke us into insanity?"
"Another Arkham while Dick is back in his care. And onlybecause I wasn't there like I –
"IF you take on this mission, I can't promise to protect whoyou are to any of your enemies." Waller told the bat's alter. (Important forlater to know!)
"I understand. I barely got back to the manor in one piecethat night. Was out for days before I gave in. But this is right. Dick has toknow –
"He's a mess, Bruce."
Bruce stared at her, the unthinkable dawning.
"He's not sleeping, he only just ate a full meal todaybefore vomiting that back up. The drug is out of his system we are seeing,but…something has me to wonder about the contents of this…Dust."
Bruce's eyes flickered up at Waller's desk.
"Did you say, Dust?"
"Military advantage to torture prisoners with more thantheir fears, but with the ones they caredabout. Psychological warfarethat Deathstroke supposed took from a facility in –
(Making it up!) "Bosnia." Bruce muttered. "Ra's had the planto use that one method and pollute the air; the citizens would turn then overto his law and order to form a political coup. To find his words as –
"An absolutetruth. And who do you think your wardhas been up talking to every, night?"
Bruce's body moved, hands to Waller's desk as his lipsgasped out one name that came directly to mind.
" Slade…"
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Bruce left the office, once turning the corner before beingambushed by a rather short prison inmate.
"So, you got the cahonesto do some good, and bad… Mr. Warbucks."
Bruce sighed, not particularly wanting the enemy of his allyWonder Woman to yank his chain so hard it cut through the skin. "Naw, youcaught me, but am I? Ya just foolin, doc."
"Aww, look at your little punk accent! Cut the bull, Billionaire."
Bruce clammed up, the good doc shutting off surveillance fora short window of time to talk things through.
"You know that there is a possibility that one of the reallaw breakers works for Waller. WAAYbefore we got put in the slammer,mind you."
"Your point."
"Ah, dumb andgifted? Am I to be so fuckingsane?? Aha, then…! Let me put this is into an easy to comprehend fashion…Every.Mother fucking. (Sorry! Anti feminist here for dramatic effect!) Pussy whippedlittle cock sucker in this joint is out to get the Bat IF he EVER is FOUND out!So, I suggest you Don't Fucking draw attentionto yourself, because have you seen half the guyswho dohave a posse?? They areall fucking animals !You can't compete if one of them is connected toSir Brainwashingdick hole…. pant! So, for the love of tom and fuckingJerry! Do NOT actlike a king in here. The only one who gets thatrole isthe dip- shit that kisses so much ass that hisassis never bleached again – no savethere! Even when he bleaches thatthing raw! And this is my fucking cover, so the next time you wanna lieto MY face!... do itlike a side kick. M'Kay?"
"Fuck off, ya' kiss up." Bruce snorted, the man making himthink before half - assing his acting job.
"Glad we had this chat." Smiled the doctor as both partedways.
Dr. Psycho nodded as the cameras were back up, the hallsvacated as only a morse code of fingers between them said plenty.
~Welcome to the pen, we'll be sure to get you up to par,so don't lose your ass to the biggest thug before Waller gives us the go ahead.See you in the next four hours, will send coordinates of the place and headspace so… DON'T Get CAUGHT. ~
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AND to decipher the coded words Psycho tried to use? All underlined,read and weep!
DON'T DRAW ATTENTION TO YOURSELF. HALF THE GUYS ARE CONNECTEDTO AN ACT. THAT ROLE IS HIS. SAVE FACE. DO IT!
Could Waller be behind those sentiments, or is itsomething else at work? Remember; Waller is not a fan of capes, so could shenot be double crossing the billionaire in turn? Why did Psycho give Bruce sometough love there? Next chapter will explain!!