Chapter 1: Hell Beckons

More chapters on my (P)atreon at Saintbarbido.

::-::

(Davian's P.O.V)

The cold was barely noticeable. I inched in through the backdoor as the breeze ruffled my clothes once more. I looked behind me to make sure I wasn't being followed. They weren't expecting me to come but I couldn't be too sure. They knew I was dangerous and I had a reputation for not letting shit slide and this...this was...

"Fuck."

I muttered, leaning on a post and letting the weight of emotion push me to the ground. My eyes burned with unshed tears. This, this was too much man.

"You need to get up."

I slapped myself on the cheek, psyching myself up for what needed to be done. My knees gave out and I stretched out my legs, looking up and allowing the tears to fall.

"Real men don't cry. They blame it on onions or the Lakers winning."

I chuckled, remembering what Nick always said whenever he got too sappy from re-watching Friends. I swear, never met a niggah that...

There was a ruffle from over the fence as I heard Max begun to bark before going silent. I immediately stiffened when torch light started shining through the small chain link fence.

"There's nothing there man, Max is tripping as usual."

Marc's voice was easily identifiable.

"Yo! Dre, check your dog before I put a bullet through the one eyed freak."

There was a scuffle before I heard the solid thump of a fist landing on a body.

"Don't call him a freak!"

Andre yelled back.

"Hey! Hey! Stop this shit right now before Papa hears you two fuckwits."

Serena, Andre's sister and our 'girl's manager' said. She was and wasn't a pimp. She liked to call herself a 'proprietor of pussy'. Shit used to make me laugh before I went in and did time. We even used to have a little something going on in the past.

Now...all I could feel was hatred for Papa Fred and his kind.

The torch disappeared and I heard them all enter the house. Tensions were high right now but it didn't seem as if they knew that I had survived. That I had gotten out of the apartment alive. That I only had a bullet on my shoulder but was relatively okay. That I was okay only because Nick shielded me with his body.

I wrapped my fingers around my trusty Colt 1911 and removed it from my pocket, only slightly wincing at the pain in my shoulder. The blood was leaking from the hasty glued wound and I could still feel the bullet inside my flesh in the middle of the arm and chest.

I breathed heavily, studying the gun in my hand under the waning light of the moon. Then I grabbed it and placed it right next to my temple, clenching my jaw. I could do it here...right now. I could end it all.

A shot to the head and a release from this life. It would be so easy. I wasn't afraid of death. What I was afraid of, was living. Living without the most important person in my life. Bitches came and left, Nick always stuck by me. I was content to hustle for money the dirty way. Hitting up liquor stores with Dre and Marc before Papa Fred decided we were ready for the real shit.

Nick never abandoned me. Even when I pushed him away.

Fuck. All those memories reminded me of why I couldn't pull the trigger. In many ways, Papa and the Gang had been a family but Nick, Nick had been real. Nick had been the brother I never deserved. And after taking a fall for Dre over allegations about an attempted Manslaughter, he had finally convinced me to get out.

And I had agreed. I got out and my so called family tried to off me. It wasn't anything personal either. Once you're in this life, getting out wasn't easy. But...they made it personal when they took out my best friend.

That's why I couldn't let shit go. No. Most of the gang were not around. I had made sure of that. I knew how to stall them. They were over at 6th street owing to a call about our rival gang being spotted around our turf. But the ring leaders, the ones who mattered were around.

I got to my feet and cocked the gun, slowly releasing it. You would be surprised at how much noise the cocking handle makes. I stretched my neck, swallowing the grunt of pain at the agony on my shoulder. Slowly unlatching the hatch holding the backyard door closed, I snuck in. I knew this place like the back of my hand.

Max was on me in a second.

"Shh boy...go get it." I threw the piece of meat out into the street and watched the hound run after the tasty treat. He trusted me and would be knocked out for about 10 minutes. Somehow that felt worse than what I was planning.

I secured the hatch and slowly walked towards the house. The stair boards creaked when I stepped on them, before I finally reached the door step. The buzzer did not work.

Papa Fred usually made about 50k a week but he still chose to live frugally. Most of our...sorry. Most of the gang's money was spent on the corrupt cops on his payroll. I also made sure to send a little gift to some high profile news channel about just how dirty the arm of the law was. By trying to kill me, Papa had caused what he was trying to avoid.

I knocked on the door two times without a response. Andre and Marc were probably high already and lazing around on the couch while...I looked at my watch. Yup, Papa was probably watching game highlights as was his daily routine. Which meant...I felt someone make their way to the door while complaining.

"I know y'all can hear me Andre. You better not show your fucking..."

Serena's words cut off once she opened the door and found a gun pointing towards her forehead. Then she looked at the person holding the gun. My cold dead eyes stared back unflinchingly.

Serena's breath hitched. Guilt and fear warred inside her eyes.

"Davi...?"

I pulled the trigger and blew her brains out. The shot rang out through the house and I had scrambling feet.

"Serena!"

Papa Fred's voice was usually deep and menacing but today it sounded panicked and rushed.

I raised a hand and waited. The next person to come running towards the door was Marc. See, I've never really liked Marc. And Marc knew it. The second he saw me, he said,

"Shit."

And tried to roll away.

A scream of gut wrenching, ball bursting pain escaped him because, well...I had shot his balls off.

"Marc!"

Andre showed up just as Max begun to bark once more outside the fence.

Andre saw Marc bleeding out on the floor and his sister dead under my feet and scrambled for his gun in anger, uncaring that I had one pointed at his face. Andre was a bit of an idiot.

A large hand grabbed him and pulled him over the corner. Another shot rang out as my bullet managed to graze his shoulder and his cries of pain begun.

"Papa...Papa its Davi! Davian is alive!"

I could clearly hear the distress in his voice. 'Yes, you ungrateful prick, I'm alive.'

"Davian! Impossible!"

Papa Fred's voice came out of the corner.

"Fred what..."

Serena's mom, Missus M and Serena's younger sister appeared from another room.

"Martha! Get out of here now!"

Papa was quick to say and Martha obliged with a scared look on her face. I had a clear shot of her back. All I had to do was pull the trigger and I could cause Papa the same pain of losing family that he had put me through.

I breathed out and let them run through the front door. I was a monster but only to those who crossed me.

"I'm disappointed Papa. You used to tell us you were in the Marines yet... you're huddling behind the kitchen counter like a little bitch."

I taunted, digging my hand inside my pockets and bringing out the little surprise I had brought with me.

"You're a dead man Davi! I will make you scream you little shit. I'll fuck you up like I fucked your whore mother! I'll shove a broken piece of bottle up your ass and cut off your dick and balls you fuckturd!"

I asked.

"So many profanities. Where is the refined businessman who wears the hide of a crook? Oh my bad, guess it's the other way huh?"

"Please Davi! Don't kill..."

Andre started to say before I heard a resounding slap.

"Shut the fuck up you useless piece of shit!"

I stepped over Serena's cooling corpse and arrived next to Marc who was trembling and lying on a pool of his own shit and blood. I put a bullet through his brains in disgust. His body slumped on to the ground. Max had suspiciously gone silent; I didn't hear any barking on the outside. The tasty treat had been laced with a knockout drug.

I stepped over Marc's dead body.

"So I've been thinking, Pops. I never really got to tender my resignation. I'm thinking of trying out a new career path. Subway's hiring and although I hear the pay ain't that good, it's honest work."

The door to the bathroom was now next to me. I knew Papa Fred. Fucker had a lot of patience. Too bad today it wasn't going to save him. I pulled the pins off the grenades I had been carrying then begun to count to 5 seconds.

At 3, I threw them towards the Kitchen before entering the Bathroom and jumping into the bathtub.

"Fuu!"

I heard his voice as he realized my little surprise. The curse was replaced by a loud boom that messed with my ears, left them ringing as I struggled to even breath.

Dust covered the entire room and a chunk of the door was missing. I stumbled past the debris and made my way to the Kitchen, gun at the ready.

What I saw was nothing but burnt body parts that smelled like badly cooked meat. I couldn't even distinguish who was who. I bent down and saw a piece of an eye. It was blackened but I thought the eye was staring at me in anger and bitterness.

I spit on his remains as I felt the anger and hate in me abate a little. Just a little mind you. I was still mad and I wanted to make them all pay.

The back door was slammed open as the rest of my former gang walked in with guns. The pin from the third grenade dropped onto the floor as I turned around.

"Hey boys, what took your asses so long?"

::-::

As I lay there, feeling the cold metal of the bullets inside my upper body and the burn in the wounds left by a missing leg, arm and a huge chunk of my left chest, I couldn't help but think about all the mistakes I had made. The crime life was all I had known and now it was poetically the thing that led to my downfall.

The pain was unbearable; however, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. My best friend was gone and the gang I had once called my family was now nothing but a distant memory. I had carried out my vow to avenge him and now it was time for me to pay the price.

Darkness begun to take over, clouding my vision completely until I saw nothing...felt nothing. I let go of life. My soul detached from my body. It was all so light. Light and heavy at the same time. Then I began to see something once more. A red hole that occupied center stage in the darkness. A darkness I wasn't sure I was alone in.

The red portal beckoned me and I knew that my fate was sealed. It was an instinctual feeling. I was headed straight to hell, but I accepted it with grim determination. The crimes I had committed, the lives I had ruined, the pain I had caused - all of it weighed heavily on my conscience.

But even as I spread out my hands (if I had any) and allowed the pull, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. Perhaps if I had made different choices, if I had sought redemption earlier, things could have ended differently. My background was a contributing factor but it shouldn't have been an excuse. But it was too late now. The only thing left for me was to face my punishment with as much dignity as I could muster.

And so, I took my last breath and passed through the portal, ready for whatever lay ahead. Hell may have been my destination, but it was also my penance for a life of crime.

(General P.O.V)

"You got the Disruptor?"

Queen asked Jack as she fastened her hair into a pony tail.

Jack gave a nod in confirmation, patting the briefcase on the work table before him. He opened the case and a blue light washed out. The rest of the team who were busy wearing their costumes turned to look at him. They gathered around the table to discuss the final details of the plan.

"Yeah but I don't get it Queenie. We could have used something less expensive. This thing practically blew through half of our savings."

Jack replied, grabbing the small ball on the case and turning it around his hand.

The Queen walked over and closed the case with a loud snap.

"Your run of the mill Jammer would not work on Waller's convoys." Queen answered grabbing the device from Jack's hand.

"This little baby is as rare as they come. The "Jammer-X", a device that emits a powerful burst of electromagnetic radiation, effectively disrupting any communication and radio signals within a 500-meter radius."

Ten whistled.

"Additionally, it has a secondary function to release an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which can instantly shut off any nearby electric devices, including smartphones, computers, and even vehicles. Can you guess what we're aiming for?"

She smiled.

"The Power Dampening cells and collars."

Jack muttered in realization.

Queen patted his back.

"Exactly. Our job is shut down the comms and power dampeners, allowing King and the other convicts to use their powers. He will know what to do from there."

Jack and the others nodded.

"Any more questions?"

Queen asked.

Ten, a dark skinned man who was the heavy hitter, raised a hand

"Just one, boss lady. Are you sure we should hit them 1 click away from Belle Reve? Wouldn't it be safer if we did it before they neared the prison?"

Queen nodded,

"You're not wrong. However, the League has a system for this. Batman is usually on standby, ready to jump in, in case of any interruptions mid-transit."

She explained then pointed at the map on the table that the briefcase was on.

"Then we have the Flash who trails after the transport truck up to 3 kilometers away from the prison. "she added.

"Why not protect it until it arrives?"

Ten questioned with a frown.

"The Warden, Amanda Waller. She hates anything to do with heroes or Metahumans." Queen told them as she pulled up the picture of a stern looking black woman on the screen of the computer.

"They stay out of her way and she does the same. Kinda."

Ten nodded in understanding.

"Remember the plan." Queen straightened up, looking bat her teammates. Her gaze landed on the timid looking silent girl on Jack's left.

"Ace, you will distract the Bat and keep his attention away from our plans while the rest of us go and bring Daddy home."

(Davian's P.O.V)

Fear has a way of breaking the toughest of men.

I had lived my whole existence in fear but never once did I let it break me. Instead I had honed it into a sharp blade that made me hit harder, run faster and take blows meant to keep me down only to stumble back up. Fear had been a friend. And scars had been the mark of that friendship.

But it was only then that I understood whatever passed for fear back in the living world was nothing compared to the dread and terror of seeing that which you were not supposed to see. My pitiful existence was placed before the eyes of abominations and I was found lacking. The edge to total mind failure had never seemed so close.

As I approached the Red Portal, the fear of the unknown creeping up on me only seemed to increase. Despite my tough exterior, I couldn't help but feel small and powerless in the presence of these mysterious beings.

I could hear them, in the darkness. Whisper and reach out. Their hungry limbs of eldritch forms trying to grab me only to corrode and bounce off before an even stronger force. The red Portal, it protected me. At least so it could devour me itself.

I realized that no matter how strong I thought I was, I was still just a human, weak and vulnerable. Helpless to do anything. Helpless like I was when Nick died.

I let the hate and anger cloud the fear, changing it into an easier emotion, defiance. I found myself shouting into the darkness, cursing them out. For a second I felt their surprise. A mortal defying a higher power. I refused to bow my head and cower, I was determined to fight against it despite the futility. It had always been me vs everything. Even in death, that did not seem to change.

I would pay for my sins yes, but I would pay for them my own way. Unbowed. No begging or pleading.

As the Red Portal doubled in size, transforming into huge double doors that seemed to radiate intimidation, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread despite the anger that burned within me. My emotions were just a jumble of fear, despair, anger and hate.

The doors were adorned with skeletons and blood flowed from the cracks, hell's own version of a welcoming party. Ghostly gnarled arms reached out towards me, and a voice, unintelligible, begun to whisper in excitement. The sound made my soul shiver in apprehension.

I found myself wishing for divine intervention.

And for the first time in my life... something answered.

Just as I was about to be touched by the ghostly arms, there was a sudden explosion of white energy. It quickly filled the void of darkness.

I felt the abominations in the void hiss and cry out at the intrusion of power. A power that felt so majestic, I was awed by its splendor.

The doors to hell broke apart like a shattering mirror and the light swallowed my soul, stealing me away. I knew without a doubt that what had happened was highly irregular. Something had stolen a sinner from hell. Something powerful and incredible.

Feeling returned to me with a sudden jolt. I took a few deep breaths while gripping the dirt under me like a lifeline. My chest inflated with air and I let it out in fast exhales, trying to calm myself down. After a few minutes of this, I finally decided to see where I was.

I found myself lying on the wet ground before a gravestone that read, "James Gordon."

Somehow the name sounded very familiar. But apart from that, the location was a strange cemetery I had never seen before. It had a few sparse trees growing in the midst of hundreds of gravestones around the hilly landscape. Further than that was a grey mist that obscured everything.

An owl hooted from afar and the light from the half-moon above illuminated the surroundings enough that I could read the names on the gravestones.

Back to the name. I rubbed away the grass and dust covering its text.

"Beloved husband, father and friend."

"1961-2009."

I frowned in confusion. It was 2023. Despite the grave stone being covered by dust and overgrown grass, it looked fairly new. Not a decade old. This wasn't something I could solve, so I decided to pay attention to something more immediate, my well-being.

I got to my feet and patted myself down to make sure everything was right where it was supposed to be. Two hands, two legs, normal face...I breathed out a sigh of relief, sitting on the grave stone and taking a few more calming breaths.

"I'm back...how?"

I wondered, running a palm down my face. Could it have been God? I mean...why though? I was a murderer. I shook my head. The how did not matter. All that mattered was that I was alive. And all I needed to do now was keep it that way. I wasn't ready to go back there. I wasn't ready to even think about what had led me there.

I sighed and got up, dusting off my clothes...

Wait, why was I dressed in an orange uniform? And now that I mentioned it, I could feel something bulky on my neck. A collar of some kind. Trying to pull it out or look for the locking mechanism proved futile.

What the?

"Shit!"

I cursed out, panicking a little while trying to look for anything that could help me get the collar off. I was not okay with whatever was going on. Was this some sort of weird sex thing whoever had brought me back wanted me to participate in? I was starting to think maybe hell wasn't too bad.

My eyes landed on a piece of rock and I grabbed it. The rock was jagged and sharp. I aimed the edge of it on the metal collar, counting down to three before slamming it down onto it. Hard.

Clang!

There was a jolt of electric energy and I felt my entire body seize up in pain. It was sudden and acute. I fell to the ground in a fetal position and opened my mouth in a wordless scream. The pain...the pain was so great.

It went on for a few more minutes before finally ending. I slumped back onto something hard as the after-effects caused by the electric shock to my system ceased. With my body not coiled up in agony, I noticed my location had changed once more. I was now in a small cube shaped room with blue lights outfitted along the walls.

I ran a palm along the walls to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. First, I had escaped hell, then ironically I had found myself in a graveyard and now I was in a cell of some sort. I also caught the tail end of laughter coming from the walls of my cell.

"Quiet You maggots!"

A commanding voice shouted and it was only then I noticed the guards. Beyond the bars to my cell were 3 guards sat on a table with playing cards on top. I scrambled to my feet and ran over to the bars of the cell. Upon placing my palms on them, the same electric shock washed down from my neck throwing me down to the floor in painful jerks.

The laugher came back full force.

"Hahahaha."

An ugly laugh sounded out from next cell to my left. Like how you would expect a snake to sound when laughing.

"Stay away from the bars, kid."

Another voice stated from further down on another cell.

'Kid?' I was 26 years old.

The pain finally ended without me pissing my pants. I placed a palm under me and tried to get up. My hand landed on something sticky, vomit. Nothing I hadn't seen before.

"Hey, neighbor! You alright in there?"

This voice was female and came from the right.

"I said everybody shut up! Don't make me use the collar on you too. That goes double for you Clown."

One of the guards from before warned, getting up from the table. I felt his steps come my way and turned around to face him. The guard pointed his club at me from outside the cell, a stern look on his face. He was middle aged and huge with brown teeth.

"Keep your hands away from the bars and the collar. We'll get it off once we reach your new home."

"New home?"

I muttered in confusion. The guard blinked, staring at me, unamused.

"Belle Reve."

He answered then left.

"Belle Reve?"

Why did that name sound so familiar?

"I think ya fried his brains out Chief."

An annoyingly high pitched voice with a Brooklyn tinged accent spoke up. I recognized it as the one from before.

"I warned you Quinn."

The guard said, pressing a button on a device strapped to his hips. There was the sound of electricity zapping someone, followed by deranged giggles that came from my cell neighbor.

And like bolt of Lightning, I immediately realized where I was and where I was headed.

The clues came from the three distinct names.

James Gordon.

Belle Reve.

Quin.

Fuck. I'm in DC.

(General P.O.V)

"Strange, update me on the progress of our prisoners," Amanda Waller barked as she strode into the Task Force X military operating office.

It was a sprawling space designed for maximum efficiency and productivity. The walls were lined with state-of-the-art technology, from high-definition screens displaying real-time maps of locations of interest to the United States Government, to advanced communications systems connecting soldiers in the field with commanders back at headquarters. Though Waller's brand of 'Soldiers' were not usually the patriotic type or even the type to play nice with the authorities.

The centerpiece of the room was a massive, curved display that spanned an entire wall. The display showed a 3D representation of Belle Reve, complete with surveillance feed of each cell block, individual inmate's cell, levels and real-time weather data.

Surrounding the display were rows of sleek, ergonomic workstations, each outfitted with multiple monitors and a suite of powerful software tools. From here, analysts and prison guards could pore over the camera feeds to monitor any unusual activity and prevent riots or escape attempts. Their duties also included, developing operational plans for when Task Force X was deployed on the field and tracking the movements of enemy forces in real time.

In one corner of the room, a secure communications hub hummed with activity. Here, operators could tap into satellites, intercept enemy transmissions, and coordinate with military units around the world.

And The person sitting on top of it all was Amanda Waller. She was ruthless, experienced and smart. Willing to make or break any rules to further her own goals. High risk missions that could only be carried out by expendable soldiers. Skilled and superpowered Criminals that the world wouldn't miss were they to die.

Hugo Strange, a bespectacled tall man with a bald held and beard, pulled up a reel on the display in the middle of the room.

"Quite a roster we have this time around Ma'am."

He told her.

The first image showed a hulking, muscular figure with a heavily textured, scaly hide, sharp teeth and glowing red eyes that reflected an animalistic nature.

"Killer Croc."

Amanda muttered.

"I was wondering when the prodigal son would return."

The next image showed a blonde female, with white pasty skin and a deranged smile on her face. She was posing for her mugshot.

"Ugh. Why am I not surprised?"

Waller frowned in distaste.

"The good thing is that Floyd is getting his teammate back."

The reel changed to show a middle aged man with a scruffy beard.

"Firefly."

Hugo told her.

"Next." She responded, uninterested.

The next image showed a man dressed in a crown and a costume that carried a playing card motif. The literal King in the deck of cards.

"King, a member of the Royal Flush Gang."

That grabbed Waller's attention.

"We have one of their original team members here right?"

She asked.

Hugo nodded, pulling up a different image, this one showed a completely white figure, a large behemoth of a man with a sinister smile on his face.

"Ace, an Android with super strength. We keep him on sublevel Z. Unfit for Task Force X recruitment due to his mechanical nature."

Waller nodded.

"What about King, is he useful?"

"Very. King, real name Joe Kearney possesses a metagene that allows him to control minds. He was captured by the League during a failed heist in Montreal. They also seem to have replaced Ace with a new member. A girl."

Waller leaned back on her seat.

"Interesting. Move on."

"And last but certainly not least, your own personal pick."

Hugo pulled up the next image on the reel and a note of nervous anticipation appeared on Waller's face.

"Davian Mabuz, 19 years old, no codename, metagene unknown, troubled kid, went to Juvenile detention from age 13 when he caused a massive explosion in downtown L.A., responsible for the death of Gotham P.D commissioner James Gordon."

On the monitor was a young African American teenager with silver hair. Waller leaned forward, examining the image.

"The hair is a feature of his unknown metagene, correct?" she asked.

Hugo shook his head, pulling up more images of a younger Davian. "He grew up in an orphanage, and as far as the matron can remember, he has always had the silver hair."

Waller hummed thoughtfully. "Children can be vicious. He was probably an outcast for most of his early childhood."

"Here's to hoping Mr. Mabuz finds a place to belong in Belle Reve," Hugo said.

Waller frowned, throwing a knowing look his way. "Well? Out with it then."

She knew he had reservations.

Hugo hesitated, adjusting his glasses. "Merely an observation, ma'am. Within him is an incredible power. A power that I am not confident we can control."

Waller took a deep breath, letting it out slowly with a thoughtful expression. "That's the thing, Strange. We don't need to control it, we just need to point it at our enemies."

Hugo wondered, "Is that why you hurried up the process of his case? It was highly unusual. It seemed as if the investigation was glossed over."

Waller made a noise with her throat. "The state understands that no matter whether he was guilty or not, a statement needed to be made, otherwise we would have other criminals, both metahuman and normal people, thinking they could get away with killing a police commissioner. They were all too willing to place Mr. Mabuz under my care. This way, at least he is useful to the nation."

(Davian's P.O.V)

10 minutes had passed.

There was a clock above the table with the three guards on it. 10 minutes that I used to come to terms with my new situation. I was alive. And it only hit me that I was not only still breathing but doing so in a fictional world after 5 minutes. The rest of the 10 minutes were spent trying to think of a way out of whatever mess this body's last occupant had gotten himself in.

Yeah, that was the other thing. I wasn't in my body as I had initially thought. For starters, I was missing a few notable scars. One on my left hip from a stray bullet and a long jagged one on my left arm. They had been the mark of my survival.

I was also not as tall as I used to be. My real body has been cresting at 6'3, nothing to scoff at but nothing outstanding either. I knew guys who got drafted who were way taller. Most of them stood at 6'5 and above. The point is, I was a tall ass dude but from what I could see, this body was barely over 6'1. I was 6'1 at 18/19, which meant that this body was barely out of adolescence.

I tightened my fist, seeing the muscles of my forearm ripple slightly. He wasn't as built as I was either. I felt a certain lack of...strength.

'Tap.'

I looked up, staring at the right wall of my cell.

'Tap.'

There it was again. I looked at the guards and noticed that they were doing their own thing, playing cards. I dragged myself across the floor and leaned on the wall where the sound was coming from. Another tap sounded and I reciprocated.

"Pst, can you hear me?"

I was still not completely convinced that I was in a fictional universe. However, if this was a prank, then it was too elaborate. I glanced at the guards once more. They weren't watching me.

"Yeah, what do you want?"

I responded keeping my voice low.

There was a giggle followed by the sound of a body shifting.

"Did you actually do it?"

Harley Quinn asked.

I blinked in confusion.

"Do what?"

"Oh come on! You Know what I mean! Stop stalling, pudding and I can maybe perhaps not really protect you from Batsy when he comes for your ass."

What the fuck was she talking about?

"Listen Clown, I have no idea..."

"She's asking if you're a cop killer."

A loud, deep and growling voice spoke up, interrupting me and filling the entire truck.

The guards paused in what they were doing. A baleful look was sent my way from two of them.

"shut the fuck up Waylon."

The Guard from earlier told him in a low tone.

"Or what?"

Shit. Waylon? That's fucking Killer Croc.

I was in the truck with Killer Croc and Harley Quinn. This is not good. Not good at all.

"Muhahahaha! What did it feel killing him? Personally, I would have burned his body right infront of his wife and kids!"

The mood in the whole truck turned sour.

I don't think I was making any friends with the continued implication that I killed someone. A cop no less.

"Yo watch your mouth. I didn't kill anyone, you sick fuck."

My anger was flaring up as I tried to defend myself.

"Hahaha."

Harley started giggling.

"Is he serious?"

Another voice asked from a cell further down.

Even the guards looked skeptical at my claim. It was clear no one believed me. And why would they? I was in a cell and they weren't. In the eyes of the law and basically everyone else, I was a criminal. Even though I had no recollection of what this body had done.

"You ladies need help with shutting up?"

The senior guard asked, tapping the device on his hip. Everyone got the message and settled down. I ran a palm down my face. Yeah, maybe hell wasn't too bad.

'I have no one to watch my back now.' I realized, the thought getting followed by a stabbing pain.

Nick would have told me to...

I cut off that thought quickly, distracting myself by watching the guards. They usually sent scathing looks my way.

The truck had been moving for the last 15 minutes, couple that with the time I had spent passed out and hopefully we would be reaching our destination soon. I didn't like the way the guards were eyeing me.

But first, I needed to know what was going on.

'Tap.'

I listened carefully and a second later, a response came in the form of a tap.

"Hey," I started off in a low whisper.

"I didn't kill anyone. And if I did, I don't remember it."

"Gasp! You don't remember it!"

Harley's voice was almost loud enough for the guards to overhear.

"Shh! Not too loud."

I told her. Luckily, they hadn't turned our way.

"Sorry."

She said sheepishly.

"But how can you not remember killing Gordo?"

My brain froze.

Gordo?

Did she mean James Gordon? Was that why I saw his gravestone in that graveyard? Because I was responsible for his death?

Unaware of my preoccupied mind, Harley continued talking.

"...he's like the Bat's eyes on the ground! He's been a thorn on my and pudding si...oh wait."

She abruptly went silent. That grabbed my attention.

"What is it?"

I enquired.

"I think I hear something...uh Mr. Copkiller, I think it would be best if you ducked."

I didn't even mind the insult. This was DC, when a crazy bitch like Harley Quinn tells you to duck, you fucking duck.

I didn't care that I landed on my earlier vomit. There was a sudden vibration that passed through the walls of the truck and the blue lights from the power dampeners shut off. Which meant...I grabbed for my inhibitor collar and pulled it off my neck.

The guards were just now realizing that something was up. Then the truck slammed onto something and I found myself flying face first onto the wall. Pandemonium quickly broke out.

(General P.O.V)

"Flash, status update."

The fastest man alive brought his fingers to the earpiece under his costume.

"It's like you said Batman, they were waiting. They are ready to intercept the trucks."

He answered the Dark Knight.

"Copy that. Prioritize the guard's safety, then move in for primary target."

The Dark Knight ordered.

"Roger."

The Flash increased his speed as he saw three high tech bikes break off from the deserted landscape and cover the sides of the middle truck. He had to let them stop the transport.

"Batman...are you sure about this? It doesn't exactly scream hero you know."

He made his reservations known.

"Flash, I need you to keep your head in the game."

"Yeah I am, it's just..."

"Can you do that? This is important. We need to make sure that everything goes according to plan."

Batman interrupted.

Barry slowed down in his run before stopping on the side of the road. He removed his mask and ran a gloved palm down his face.

"Look Bruce, we're breaking god knows how many laws by helping a supervillain crew break out one of their own from a prison truck. So excuse me, if I'm not too keen to do this."

There was a few seconds of silence from the other side.

"I understand. You can abandon the mission anytime, Flash."

Then the comms went dead.

"Son of a..."

Barry cursed out, his hand slashing out at the surroundings in a fast motion and slicing off the corner of a boulder by using a jagged steak of yellow lightning.

"Flash, can you hear me?"

Barry blinked looking around.

"Yeah, J'onn. I can hear you."

"Above you."

The Flash wore his mask before turning his head skyward.

The air rippled, Martian Manhunter appearing.

"J'onn, what are you doing here?"

Barry wondered in confusion. He thought only he and Batman knew about this 'off the books' mission.

"Back up. Batman sent me."

Manhunter replied, descending onto the empty road.

"Why am I not surprised?"

The Flash rolled his eyes. That was such a Batman thing to do.

Manhunter looked at the road ahead of them. The convoy could be seen a few hundred meters away. A blast of sound reached them as the first vehicle skidded on the road, derailed by an attack from the front.

"The Royal Flush Gang have begun their attack."

Manhunter noted.

The Flash lowered his body, ready to use his superspeed to interfere.

"Wait."

Manhunter stopped him.

"Do what you need to do, we'll discuss everything after this is over."

The Flash rose up.

"Do the others know?"

Manhunter made no reply.

"This has the potential to break us J'onn, I hope you understand that."

Streaks of lightning surrounded the Flash and he was off on his first step, blazing along the road in a red blur. Manhunter watched him to before taking flight and following behind him closely.

"J'onn?"

Batman's voice came in through the earpiece.

"We are moving in. Communications will be down."

Manhunter told him while drifting along the air, quickly coming up on the three derailed vehicles.

In the middle was the transport truck, ahead of it and flipped on the side of the road, was the lead car and behind both was the last car. The latter was parked sideways.

The Flash had quickly come in and saved the soldiers on the lead car, running them far away to safety due to their injuries. The other soldiers hiding behind the last car had their weapons trained on Ten, who was standing on top of the transport truck.

Queen and Jack covered the front of the Transport truck.

"I'll handle the Flash, cover Ten."

Queen ordered Jack.

Manhunter decided to go with Batman's plan, waiting for the Flash to return. J'onn had his reservations but he knew that this would go much more smoothly if he was involved. He could only hope that the fallout from their actions would not be too great.

(A few minutes earlier)

(Davian's P.O.V)

Having your face slammed onto a metal wall was not in any way fun.

I felt a sting on my upper lip and ran my tongue on the spot, tasting blood. It was busted.

There was a loud thump coming from one of the cells, followed by shuffling feet and then a burst of gunfire.

Shit.

I ducked back onto the ground and scrambled further inside the cell, placing myself at the corner.

"No! No! stay back!"

One of the guards cried out, a heavy set woman who had looked at me as if I had stolen her lunch. From my position, all I could see was the overturned table they had been playing cards on and one of the guards huddling behind it, his gun shaking in his hands.

We made eye contact and I could see the panic in his eyes.

The gunfire intensified out of my range of vision.

"Jefferson! Get off your ass and help us! Jefferson!"

The senior guard yelled. I heard the telltale signs of a gun being cocked before a scream followed his words.

"Fuck you motherfu... argh!"

Something smacked onto the bars of my cage, splashing red liquid across the vomit covered ground. I looked down and it turned out to be a hand holding onto a gun. The guard who had been huddling behind the table looked at the gun and then at me before raising up his weapon my way.

What the?

"No no no no... I'm not gonna pick it up! Don't shoot! Don't fucking shoot!"

I raised my hands up to show him I was harmless, knowing in his current state, all logic had been thrown out of the window. Then his eyes went unfocused and he brought his weapon up to his temple and pulled the trigger, blowing his brains out.

I gulped.

This was DC.

Mind control.

It was easy enough to know what was happening. Along with Harley laughing like a mad woman and Firefly's cries of 'let me out Man', whoever had attacked the truck had managed to shut down the inhibitors and a few bars were not enough to keep someone like Killer Croc locked inside.

He had gone on a rampage.

There was a final gutting cry and the last of the guards, the senior one flopped onto the ground outside my cell, a chunk missing from his neck.

"Ptew! Taste like day old bacon."

The deep voice I had heard before commented.

Holy...

I was locked inside the truck with other killers. My next move was clear enough. I moved slowly and grabbed the hand holding the gun outside the bar and dragged it in as quietly as I could, taking care not to be noticed.

Footsteps rang out inside the truck as I tried to ply the fingers off the handgun.

"Hey copkiller, what you doing?"

Harley asked in a sing song voice but I ignored her.

There was the sound of metal getting bent and torn off before it fell onto the ground in a loud clang.

"Bout fucking time, you walking eyesore." Firefly said.

I was getting better at recognizing them by matching the names the guards had called them with their voices. There was at least one more guy in here with us that I didn't know. He must have been the one with mind control.

"Firefly firefly..." The deep and gravelly voice from before tutted.

"Have I ever told you how fucking annoying you are?"

"Hey what are you...let go of my hand!"

There was the sound of a crunch, a very familiar noise that I identified as an elbow getting broken.

"PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! PLEASE DON'T..."

Firefly's cries were pitiful.

"Shut up. I haven't forgotten what you did to a few friends of mine during one of your fights with the Bat. You're going to die Firefly."

"No Croc... please...I..."

There was an audible snap and then the sound of vomit.

"Hahahaha, Holy Shit Waylon you just tore his head off!"

Harley commented while pressing her face onto the metal bars.

"Too much gore for you, your majesty?"

Croc asked the other convict. They didn't answer, only the sound of their vomiting could be heard. I finally managed to get the gun off the dismembered limb, quickly getting acquainted with it. 'I might need it soon,' I thought.

It wasn't a regular handgun but luckily it shared enough similarities that I could cock it and point it before me, waiting.

"Hurry up and get me out of here, Croc!"

Harley yelled.

"Coming."

Killer Croc answered in exasperation.

"Oh and can you see my bat anywhere?"

"No."

Croc answered, along with the sound of another cell being torn open.

There was a tap from the wall.

"Hey, psst. Listen Copkiller, I don't like that you killed Gordo, but I also don't think that you should die. You talked to me even though you called me Clown, which I totally am not. So here's the deal..."

I leaned closer to the wall.

"Gordo and Waylon have a past. He's helped him and a few of the street folks out one or two times during winter."

My eyes widened.

"Which means..."

"He's coming for me."

I muttered.

"Yeah."

Can't wait any longer. I stopped leaning on the wall and breathed out. Then I pointed the gun at the lock and pulled the trigger. There was a loud bang. The kickback was not as forceful as I was expecting though.

The door refused to budge. I shifted my feet and aimed the gun slightly at the corner. The second shot dug into the lock and tore off a section of the metal. The door swung open and I immediately ran out.

The instant my foot was on the other side, I slipped on the patch of blood on the floor and I fell onto my back. Breath left my lungs from the slam but I recoverd quickly out of necessity. The fall had turned out to be a blessing in disguise as a large scaly arm had passed above my head, tearing off the corner of the cell in one single swipe.

I didn't think, I rolled away clumsily as my hand came up, aiming the gun at the huge hulking monstrous form of Killer Croc.

The fear was there, driving my actions as I pulled the trigger.

The resounding crack rang out along with his head getting knocked back. Killer Croc growled, the sound sending a fresh wave of terror down my spine. I quickly got to my feet, tightening my hand on the gun and refusing to show I was scared. Guys like Killer Croc loved it when you shit your pants.

"That didn't do a damn thing."

He told me, his eyes looking at me viciously.

It took a second for me to take in the scene outside my cell and understand the chances of getting out of here were incredibly slim. Different parts of the human body were strewn about haphazardly, both belonging to the guards and a middle aged man whose held was lying near my feet. And the thing responsible for all this was looking at me like a meal.

Apart from Harley, Croc and I, there was another dude sitting inside a cell with a small smile on his face. He was at the furthest corner, which was weird until I realized his play. He was the reason why the transport truck had been attacked. He knew that he was being rescued and was sitting away from the middle of the truck because that was where...

Oh so that's how it is.

I turned the gun towards Harley's cell and put a bullet through the lock. She didn't even flinch, merely giggling and saying,

"Nice shot."

Then the gun was quickly pointed back at Croc's face.

"I didn't kill him, man."

I told the angry and hungry metahuman.

"Don't care. Gordon was good people. Any last words kid?"

He took a step and I shot at his feet.

"In case you didn't notice, I'm a pretty good shot. I can have one in your eye before you close the distance between us."

My tone was steady, my aim unwavering.

I spared a quick glance at Harley. She looked exactly how I thought she would, dressed in an orange uniform, pale skin and blonde bleached hair fastened together in pig tails.

"Hey Quinn, you mind talking to your friend and telling him to back off?"

Harley laughed at my words, ignoring me in favor of looting through the dead bodies of the guards.

"She ain't going to intervene, the Clown and his crew stay out of my way and I do the same."

Thunk.

Something light, landed on the roof of the truck. More gunfire started ringing outside the vehicle. Any second now...

I subtly moved back from the middle of the truck, still keeping a careful watch on Croc. So far my threat seemed to be keeping him at bay.

"There's nowhere to run."

He liked his bloodied lips. Any second now. I reached the other wall of the truck and prayed I wasn't wrong. I had been given another chance at life, at redemption. I wanted to avoid death for as long as I could.

Here goes nothing.

"Fuck you, Groot."

Then I pulled the trigger, aiming the gun at his face.

Croc snarked and jumped at me, clawed hands pulled back and ready to rip me to shreds. Right that second, the metal ceiling to the armored truck caved in, following an attack from purple energy blasts. The roof fell on Croc and buried him onto the floor in a timely intervention.

(Davian's P.O.V)

The gun in my hand was immediately pointed at the new arrival. A woman, dressed in a tight outfit carrying a playing card theme.

"Eyes up here darling."

She said, her hands lighting up with purple aura. A conversation happened between our gazes and negotiations fell apart.

"By the time you flinch, there will be a bullet in between your head."

I threatened.

"Careful Ten. This one has bite."

The words came from the last convict, who up until then had been silent. He walked out of his cell with a certain swagger.

"Glad to see you're safe, my king."

Ten greeted, her aurafied hands still aimed at me.

"Yahtzee! Now I look awesome."

Harley stated, calling attention to herself.

I blinked in surprise, momentarily forgetting about the hostile environment.

"What the fuck are you wearing?"

Harley had exchanged her orange clothing for a guard's uniform. She ended up undressing the senior guard, worn his blood soaked shirt and tied a belt around the mid-section to keep it from flapping up. There was nothing much below her hips.

"What?"

She shrugged.

"It's an artistic approach to this beautiful moment! I've never had anyone break me out of the can before!"

"Yughh"

Ten recoiled at her cheerful attitude.

"See what I had to deal with?"

King told her, holding out his hand and receiving a bundle from Ten.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Harley turned to me and asked.

I shrugged while lowering the gun but ready to spring up and defend myself. Harley shrugged back and turned away to continue picking through the guard's items.

I had no eyes on me. I needed to leave before that changed. I shrank my body onto the wall of the truck and looked around. There was the exit to the truck that looked like it needed a code to unlock. Fuck. Where am I...

A brief sensation of the floor shifting saved my life. The roof over Killer Croc flew up as he threw Ten and King away.

"Now where the fuck were we?!"

Croc snarled angrily, sharp teeth on display and torn clothes peeling off his form. He raised a hand and brought it down on top of my head.

The blow was too sudden; I couldn't react fast enough. It felt like death was coming for me a third time.

Bang! Bam!

Purple aura blasts landed on Croc's face, throwing off his aim, causing his clawed hand to dig onto the floor of the truck, which was now looking shredded. A small slit appeared on the hip of my uniform. I scrambled away.

"Hey Toad face, no one fucks with me!"

Ten had managed to land safely and immediately attacked. Then she added two more Aura blasts to the mouth of the angry reptalion.

Croc was thrown away, causing him to stumble on to the wall and buckle the truck with his weight. I didn't think. There was only one way out and it was through the roof. I took a step, kicked off Croc's shoulder and grabbed the edge of the hole Ten had made when coming in.

"Hey! wait for me!"

I felt something grab onto my leg and I almost lost my grip. Looking down, Harley's face was beaming up at me with a smile.

"Hold on tight!"

She said in that annoying sing song voice and heaved, pulling me down to push herself up in a flip. My eyes widened as I lost grip.

"Whoaaa!"

I fell and landed on top of someone. I think I might have cracked a rib.

"My Heroo!"

Harley laughed and jumped away.

That fucking bitch!

"King!"

Ten's voice came from the left in a hurried shout.

I rolled away just a snarl sounded out and Killer Croc slammed into the body I had left on the ground, missing me with just a few inches. He added to his momentum, launching himself right into Ten, before both burst out of the truck. The truck shook again and my head was slammed onto the corner of a cell, as it rose up into the sky before smacking down.

I blacked out.

A wet sensation crept down the back of my head, causing me to touch it and see blood. I was cut. My body was also lying on something rough and hot. The road. I was outside the truck and I think I had a concussion; seeing double vision and all that. My body was scuffed up too but thankfully there were no deep injuries.

I crawled towards the side of the road. The tall grass would let me disappear and we could see about finding a way back to civilization, if I didn't die in the wild first.

(General P.O.V)

Ten had miscalculated. Attacking Killer Croc had been a mistake. After her first few shots landed, Croc had shrugged everything else away using his tough skin. Growling out in fury, the animalistic villain had jumped at her.

"Stop beast!"

King luckily stood infront, using his mind control to hold back Croc.

"Are you alright, Te...oof!"

One of the convicts, the black dude with a gun, fell on top of him and Ten knew shit had hit the fan.

"Eat you!"

Croc snarled and ran towards the pair on the ground. Davian rolled away and Ten watched in shock and anger as Croc slammed into King's body, stabbing through his belly with his claws before using his momentum to plow onto Ten while she was distracted.

Ten instantly brought her hands behind her and shot out aura blasts that destroyed a hole on the wall of the truck, preventing her body from being squashed into paste. So when Croc slammed into her, both of them sailed out of the truck and onto the road. The truck rose up due to the force of Croc's lunge, before landing hard on the ground, throwing Davian out through the same hole.

Croc and Ten fell right into the middle of Jack's assault on the soldiers hiding behind the final car.

"King! Ten!"

The aforementioned Jack let loose a thin laser beam that carved the range rover in half, an explosion ringing out soon after the laser touched the gas tank. Jack covered his face as the shockwaves managed to ruffle his clothes.

He was then at Ten's side the next second, helping her up from the ground as they watched Croc and who he had in his hands.

"That's...not good."

Jack commented.

Croc raised his hand, his long clawed fingers wrapped around King's neck. King groaned, his arms around his mid-section, trying to stop the heavy bleeding from Croc's earlier attack.

"You...pay for this..."

King growled out in pain.

"Shut up." Croc shook him, eliciting another wave of pain in his hostage.

"I had no quarrel with you c listers. You jumped into my fight and so you're gonna die."

He threw at Ten and Jack.

"Where the fuck is Queen?"

Ten bit out low, swallowing a groan as she leaned on Jack. Croc wasn't someone both of them could take down. With Queen their chances rose up dramatically.

"The Flash or something. The mission is officially FUBAR. Let alone rescuing King, who's bleeding out by the way, we would be lucky to escape."

Jack replied.

"Guess that makes me the leader." Ten smirked, before a serious look appeared on her face as she faced Croc. Her back straightened up.

"Let. Him. Go."

She threatened with false confidence.

Croc squeezed King's neck.

"Make me."

The mood was tense and charged, a fight about to break out.

"Sup guys."

Something or rather someone appeared in a flash between them.

"""Flash"""

Three voices sounded out almost simultaneously.

"What did you do with Queen!?"

Jack's eye lit up, a laser beam shooting out of it.

His chin was immediately knocked towards the sky, the red beam cutting through the clouds above. The Flash had hit him with an uppercut at speeds none of them could perceive.

Jack's surroundings changed as he blinked, trying to think clearly after the stunning blow. He stopped and found himself restrained by power dampening cuffs and in the back of a police truck with Queen.

"Get ready, Harvey. I'm bringing the rest in."

He heard the Flash say outside before the doors to the truck closed.

"Jack! Jack! Wake up!"

Queen told him with urgency, slapping him with her restrained hands

Jack shook his head but before he could say anything, the truck buckled as a restrained Ten and Killer Croc joined them inside. They had power dampeners on their hands except for Croc who was unconscious. His was on the neck. Ten looked around before raising a foot and slamming it down onto Croc's face a few times. Then she spat on him.

'They had all been captured.' Jack realized with a sigh.

"What happened? Where's king?"

Queen demanded from the two.

Ten and Jack looked at each other.

"Your plan failed."

They both answered.

(Elsewhere)

"Ma'am we just lost all communications with the prisoner's transport convoy."

One of the techies informed Waller. She rose up.

"Pull up satellite imaging on their last recorded location."

The overhead display changed as a new window popped up.

"That can't be right. They are not showing up on the feed."

Hugo commented.

"Pan out."

Waller gave another order that was quickly followed.

"Dammit! Still nothing."

She slammed a hand onto the table before looking up.

"Our systems have been hacked."

She concluded.

"Initiate Priority level: Ultra Violet."

She ordered with a furious expression.

"Assemble Task Force X. No one fucks with the Wall."

She hit the table with her palm again.

The Flash had just dropped off King at the Gotham City General Hospital. The transport carrying the convicts was also headed to GCPD for due processing. He made it to where J'onn was, a couple of kilometers away from the location, the Royal Flush Gang had attacked the convoy.

J'onn was seated on a rock while looking down at a passed out Davian.

"He managed to run 4 kilometers in under a few minutes on a rocky terrain with a concussion. Lost consciousness soon after."

Manhunter explained, making the Flash whistle.

"For a normal human, that is impressive."

An odd expression came over his face.

"But he's not normal is he?"

J'onn smiled.

"Correct, Batman showed me a clip of him in his...other form. He could move fast. Faster than your average speedster and his strength...he leveled an entire building merely from the initial burst of power. Was 17 then. Luckily, it was a Wayne enterprise project."

"Bruce took care of it. Hid the culprit from the public."

The Flash said.

"And James Gordon paid the price."

"Mmmh." Manhunter hummed.

"The point is, he has powers and his other form. Why would he not use them to escape? Batman brought me in so that I could calm him down in case he lost control."

"And to also wipe out the memory of him being there from the other convict's mind."

The Flash added

"And of our involvement as well. Everyone who saw you, only knows that the convicts were captured while fighting amongst themselves."

Manhunter told him.

The Flash breathed out in relief.

"Good. I don't want Waller sniffing around my city looking for any trace of our guy here."

The Flash looked up and frowned underneath his mask.

"I can tell that something is still bothering you."

Manhunter looked at him.

"You too."

The Flash looked away grimly.

"J'onn, 4 people died. 4 people because we decided to hang back even when we knew they were about to be attacked. I... I know our hands are not completely clean, when I started, I hit too hard sometimes you know...but. But, today I felt dirty. I feel so... dirt...

The Flash's eyes glazed over.

"What was I..."

Barry asked himself, trailing off upon Manhunter's voice.

"Barry?"

The Flash looked at J'onn.

"Huh? Sorry I must have gotten lost in my thoughts, you were saying?"

Manhunter blinked.

"It's quite alright. I was just telling you how there is something strange with 's mind. I can't read it but more than that, it reminds me of a Union of psyche."

"Ooookay, and I'm guessing this Union is bad?"

J'onn lifted off the rock, flying up and looking down at the Flash next to an unconscious Davian.

"Not bad...more worrying."

"And that's not ominous at all."

The Flash quipped, grabbing Davian from the ground.

"Let's meet back at the rendezvous point. I might have to take a longer route around Gotham to avoid the cameras. Can't be too careful."

Manhunter nodded and left.

The Flash looked down at Davian and sighed.

"This better not bite me on the ass."

Then he was off.