[Rachel Roth's POV]
I sat on the balcony, the night breeze caressing my thoughts. I was lost in contemplation until Kori extended a soft drink toward me.
"Thanks, Kori," I murmured, accepting the drink and taking a sip.
"So, are you going to share what's been on your mind lately, or must I resort to my 'big sis' taunting techniques to pry it out of you?" Kori inquired. She rarely delved into my affairs, but when she sensed something amiss, she couldn't resist poking her nose. Annoying, yet strangely endearing.
"It's really nothing," I replied, keeping my recent abduction by the military and my rescue by Ace the Tyrant—who turned out to be my boyfriend—carefully concealed.
"Does it have anything to do with that boy you've been secretly seeing?" Kori playfully prodded, not far from the mark. My thoughts had indeed been consumed by Tom and the mystery that enveloped him.
"Well, it's related," I confessed, my cheeks warming at the memories of that night we'd spent together at his safe house, a night that had deepened our connection in more ways than one.
"Judging by your expression, you're quite taken with him. Perhaps it's time to introduce him to us. I'd like to get to know him and remind him of the consequences if he ever hurts you." Kori offered, her concern wrapped in her unique, caring way. We shared a laugh as we continued our conversation into the night.
I could only hope that, with time, Tom would open up and reveal everything about himself and his past.
…
It was a dark and rainy night, the scent of rain-soaked asphalt filled the air as I found myself lost in a vivid dream. The pungent smell of blood hung heavy, creating a disorienting haze. In the dream, I screamed, "Dad, no!!!" My hand stretched out toward my father, desperately trying to stop his younger brother, my uncle, from plunging a knife toward him.
"Tom, tom… Hello, earth to Tom," a voice seemed to pull me back to reality. Jason's voice. I blinked and saw him staring at me as if I were some kind of weirdo.
"Are you listening?" Jason raised an eyebrow, his eyes fixed on me.
I shook my head, trying to shake off the remnants of that haunting dream. "Yeah, sorry. Must've zoned out there." I glanced around the room, finally realizing that Jason and Leo had been competing on a PlayStation game.
"Come on," Jason grinned mischievously, thrusting a game controller my way, one he had literally ripped from Leo's grasp. "It's your turn to get some ass whooping."
I couldn't resist a smirk. "I hate to miss a chance to put you in your place and maybe deflate that massive ego of yours, but I've got some work to do." With that, I tossed the controller to Leo, who caught it with a subtle nod of understanding.
"Damn it, Tom, sometimes you're no fun at all," Jason ranted as I walked away, his attention quickly returning to the TV screen.
I retreated to my room, my thoughts shifting to the latest updates from both Deathstroke and Deadshot. I had tasked them with tracking down Black Mask, the mastermind behind the simultaneous attacks on my properties, territories, and businesses. Black Mask had disappeared the night before those attacks, making me believe he was planning to use his absence as an alibi incase Ghost somehow involved the police.
Slade had conducted a swift investigation and confirmed Black Mask's involvement within hours. Meanwhile, Deadshot had pinpointed Black Mask's location – a private lodge a day's journey from Gotham, accessible only by plane. Our plan was to let him believe he'd gotten away with it before striking and tearing down his empire, piece by piece.
My business partners had been furious about the attacks, but I managed to assure them that the culprit would pay a substantial price to quell their anger. They believed me, and the matter was put to rest as we refocused on more pressing matters.
As I continued my routine checks, a notification caught my attention – a direct message on the Architect site. I hadn't expected anyone to discover the secret room hidden in plain sight. I messaged, "I'm surprised someone was finally smart enough to notice the secret room. How may I help you?" I asked, my curiosity piqued, attempting to trace the sender's IP.
"Took you long enough to reply. Let's cut to the chase. I need your expertise and network for a job." The sender replied.
The reply came swiftly, "Of course, that's the only reason anyone would contact me through this room."
The mysterious sender continued, "I'm sure you're aware of the current situation in the nation, especially with the president's death."
"Yes, and I'm guessing you have a theory about who might become the next president," I responded, suspecting that I was talking to one of the heroes.
"What do you mean?" the sender inquired, probing my knowledge. It was finally my time to play undercover detective for the heroes, I found that to be funny because I was a criminal in their sight.
"Don't play dumb with me," I retorted. "I know you're probably one of those heroes who've been declared rogues. You're also likely aware that Lex Luthor intends to manipulate Congress into making him the next president."
If there was anything I had learnt from my days of watching superheroe movies, was that they would do anything and everything to clear their names, maybe even made a deal with the devil himself so long as they got to save the people from their bondage.
"Are you suggesting Lex killed the president?" I knew it was a gamble laying this card on the table but what were the odds of my communicating with a hero already under the control of Lex Luthor, either way I couldn't be tracked down anyway so I decided to throw a little light on the matter.
"That wouldn't be far-fetched," I replied, showing no sympathy for the oblivious. "His rise to power has been carefully calculated, designed to go unnoticed by the average citizen."
I'd revealed more than I intended, but the sender hadn't disclosed their ultimate goal yet. I had to demonstrate that I was indeed knowledgeable of the happenings around the country.
"That's quite the observation," the sender acknowledged. It narrowed down my guess to Batman, NightWing, Batgirl, or maybe even the Green Arrow. At least now I knew I was dealing with a seasoned hero.
"So, tell me about this job," I prompted, attempting to satisfy my curiosity.
The response came with an air of seriousness. "I want you to uncover Lex Luthor's true motives and provide solid proof. I won't accept fabrications or half-assed work."
"So, you want me to dig deep, risking my life to gather evidence," I sarcastically elaborated on their request.
"Yes, I do," the sender affirmed, their determination evident.
This task would involve infiltrating Lex Luthor's servers, offices, labs, and conducting a thorough investigation on the billionaire. It would come at a steep price.
"How much are we talking about?" He asked cautiously.
"An amount that would make even millionaires think twice," I replied to the sender.
"Can you deliver?" He probed further, testing my resolve.
"Money isn't an issue. It's a tool to get what I want," came the confident response. It confirmed my suspicion that it was either Batman or the Green Arrow. Billionaires didn't flinch at such costs when pursuing their goals.
"Okay request accepted, I'll keep in touch," I agreed, closing the room on the site and beginning my research, albeit lazily.
I picked up a burner phone and dialed a number labeled 'Slade Wilson.'
Ring Ring
"Is it time?" Slade's voice crackled through the line.
"Yes, Deathstroke," I affirmed. "Contact the boys and move out. Make it a living nightmare for him before sending him to meet the Joker, wherever he is."
"It'll be my pleasure," Slade replied.
"Good. I want you to take our new recruits with you."
Slade's gruff voice questioned, "New recruits?"
Uh
"Ace the Tyrant and Red Hood," I disclosed.
"A crazy mercenary who straddles the line of right and wrong, and the new vigilante in Gotham with skills like the bat. You have a knack for attracting outcasts," Slade commented.
"I think you and Ace might get along. Can't say the same for Red Hood."
"Friendship isn't on the agenda. It's a mission, not a social gathering," Slade grumbled.
"I knew you'd say that. Just ensure you light up his place like the Fourth of July, or at least something crazy to cover up your tracks."
"Yes, sir," Slade confirmed, ending the call. It was time to mobilize the Outlaws and pay Black Mask a brutal visit. Although he wasn't a team player as he was fond of using people for selfish benefits, he just had to obey his boss and do what needed to be done. I believe so long as everyone does their own thing but according to plan, Deathstroke wouldn't have an issue with the team.
[Lex Luthor's POV]
Lex strolled through his opulent bar, scrutinizing each bottle with a critical eye. Everything had proceeded flawlessly, without a hint of a hitch. He felt that a special drink was in order to pre-celebrate his diabolical success.
Mercy reclined on the other side of the bar, her gaze fixed on him as she rested against the counter. "Come on, Lex," she coaxed, her voice dripping with intrigue. "I know you had something to do with the president's demise. I'm just curious about how you executed it and managed to erase every trace of evidence."
Lex's lips curled into a sly smile as he reached for a bottle, carefully inspecting its label. "Try to guess, my dear Mercy." He taunted.
"I can't," she pouted. "Ever since you gained the ability to implant thoughts and manipulate minds to do your bidding, I've been kept in the dark about certain matters."
"I may have been keeping a few secrets lately, but the thrill of revealing them in due time is part of the fun," Lex replied cryptically. "As for the president, I had a special pawn take care of him."
"A special pawn? Superman?" Mercy asked, her curiosity piqued.
Lex chuckled softly. "Yes, I simply planted the idea of assassinating the president, making him believe it was an act of his own free will. I laced that thought with both anger and sadness, emotions that would drive him to take action to soothe his troubled mind."
"In that case," Mercy pondered, "one of those emotions must have been triggered, and being that you programmed the thought, it activated the command. Making him a perfect puppet, and you the brilliant puppeteer."
"Something like that," Lex confirmed.
He signaled his butler, who promptly approached the bar. "How may I assist you, Master Luthor?" the butler inquired with a respectful bow.
"Fetch me a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino from the wine cellar," Lex commanded, a gleam of anticipation in his eyes. "It's the perfect wine to complement this presidential feeling I have right now." A smug smile creeped across his lips as he turned his gaze towards Mercy.
"Of course, Master Luthor," the butler replied before making his way to fulfill the request.
"I heard they discovered that a section of the security footage from the presidential office was mysteriously missing," Mercy added, her eyes fixed on Lex, knowing her boss was definitely the mastermind behind it all.
Lex moved around the counter, taking a seat next to her with a mischievous grin. "I have eyes and ears everywhere. I simply issued a command to a discreet agent in the White House surveillance room to erase the footage the moment the president's demise was confirmed. He left no trace, but not before sending me a copy of Superman plunging his fist through the previous president's chest."
"As requested Master Luthor, here's the wine." His butler returned with a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino, he opened it and poured a drink for both Lex and mercy.
"Cheers to my impending presidency and my complete control over these oblivious fools," Lex declared, raising his glass. Mercy clinked her glass with his as they both savored the drink. "I already control both the men and women in Congress, and nothing stands in my way of becoming the next president," Lex boasted, his laughter taking on a sinister edge.
"What about Gorilla Grodd? The last time I saw him in one of your labs he was left in an unconscious state and things strapped to bis head, almost as if they were extracting his psychic prowess." Mercy asked as she took a sip of wine from her glass.
"It is exactly as you said, my dear Mercy. Grodd was a loose end who could be used to bring my plans to a halt before it came to fruition." He took a sip from his drink as he continued. "I had to tie up that loose end by keeping him where he would be under twenty four hours surveillance, in a vegetative state of course." He put an end to that topic as they both took the last sip of wine from their glasses.
His butler refilled their glasses as Lex continued to outline his plans to seize control of the Justice League Watchtower, in order to expand his psychic dominion over the world, unopposed. But he did so without going into Indepth detail or telling how he was going to go about it.
…
[Jason Todd's POV]
"Come on, kid, let's get moving," Leo and I were set to rendezvous with the other Outlaws at a building not far from our target, Black Mask.
Upon reaching the rooftop, it appeared empty—just the two of us. "Looks like we're early for the party," I remarked.
"No, kid, we're right on time," Leo countered, pointing to another building. I expected some dramatic entrance, but nothing happened. "Great, not only are we early, you're getting delusional," I grumbled.
"Take another look, kid." Suddenly, a metallic clunk echoed on the rooftop, and I saw Deathstroke gracefully descend, his grapple gun effortlessly in hand. He landed with a roll and stood tall.
"You're shorter than I imagined," he quipped, scanning me from my mask to my boots.
"I could say the same about you, stone-faced," I replied, confronting the formidable mercenary who'd given heroes headaches for years. Now I found myself on the same side rather than fighting against him, how ironic.
"What's up, boys?" We all turned as another voice sounded behind us, though it was just Deathstroke and me now; Leo was casually perched on the rooftop's edge.
"Dude, where'd you come from?" I asked Deadshot, taken aback.
"From the door that leads to the roof, of course. I don't always have to ninja my way around," Deadshot replied, his presence almost as elusive as the legends, the Man Who Never Miss.
"I see the gang's all here," Deadshot noted, glancing around. "So, what's the plan to take down this guy? I hear the boss wants us to put on quite a show."
"We're still missing one," Deathstroke said, checking his weaponry as he prepared to move out. "No way, Ace is joining us too?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course he is," Deathstroke affirmed. "He's just running late. If he doesn't show up in a minute, we'll proceed without him."
"We should wait for him; he's a valuable asset." I insisted, mainly because I wanted the chance to finally meet him.
"Don't worry; I have a feeling he's already here," Leo chimed in.
"Really?" I asked, intrigued.
"Don't go ratting me out so quickly, Captain Cold," Ace's voice came from above, and we watched him slowly descend to our level.
"Quite the crew of masked individuals we have," Ace remarked, observing the scene. "You're one to talk," Deadshot sarcastically retorted. Being surrounded by villains and working with them was something I thought impossible. If my younger self could see me now, he'd be disappointed. But what does he know anyway?
"Listen up," Deathstroke commanded, drawing our attention. "Red Hood and Captain Cold will cover the ground floor and work their way up. Ace and I will take the middle section and head to the top. Deadshot, you stay here and cover the roof. Shoot down any incoming helicopters; Kill the pilot if you have to."
"Roger that," Deadshot acknowledged, setting up his sniper gear.
"Everyone else, move out," Deathstroke ordered, and we dispersed to our assigned positions.
Deathstroke leaped off the rooftop, expertly shooting his grapple gun to the adjacent building and zipping through the air to crash into the middle floors through the now broken window.
"Jump," Ace instructed Leo and I. I exchanged puzzled glances with Leo who just said, "you heard the man, jump kid." He said as we backed up a few steps then leaped off the rooftop. In mid-air, our decent got slowed and we landed gracefully on the ground, rolling to absorb the impact.
I looked up to see Ace floating in sky, no doubt it was him. He gave a casual salute before flying into the building from a floor above Deathstroke's initial entry, while Leo and I were left to tackle the ground floor.
I doubt it would be a long night. Although I was initially against criminal activities until I became Red Hood, now I could finally let loose and rid this city of scums like Black Mask and his crew.
Want more chapters? Kindly visit my to read ahead./Maverick_DaSupreme