Friday 1st May 2009, 6:10.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Arkham Asylum.
"That went well." Frost snarked as she quickly hid behind the wall as the Special Crimes Unit fired at them.
"And like the hangmen, we are at the end of our rope." Ignoring the Riddler, Esau took aim and emptied the rest of his clip, bullets striking against the riot shields and bouncing off harmless. He was then forced to duck behind cover once more as the SCU opened fire once more, bits of rock being broken off by the never-ending hail of bullets.
However, he hadn't expected much else and had only used that opportunity to see how they were positioned and it wasn't looking good. Those with riot shields were crouched, covering their entire body from the front. Behind them, the rest of the guards were firing over the top, only a slight pause every now and then as they reloaded, hardly enough time to close the gap between him and them.
'Damn it, I'm so close.' Esau clutched his pistols tightly in anger and that's when he heard one of the guards crying out in pain, the firing stopping soon afterwards their formation was thrown into disarray.
Looking he saw two of the guards dead and then turned to see Deadshot running towards them, his lone wrist-mounted gun firing upon the Special Crimes Unit. However, they had managed to reform quickly and the bullets did nothing, bouncing off the riot shields much like Esau's had, their ability to recover and react was truly impressive.
This was the third unit of specially trained soldiers that Esau found no answer to beat, he was really getting annoyed with that, but he also couldn't deny how impressed he was. They were a cohesive unit, well-trained and disciplined, able to cover one another weaknesses and adapt to any situation on a dime.
It was all experience and Esau couldn't help but be impressed.
Behind him were the rest of the Suicide Squad. "You can thank us later, losers." Captain Boomerang said as he threw two boomerangs, one bounced off a shield while another managed to smack the head of one of the guards holding a riot shield.
Using this opportunity, Esau fired his newly reloaded pistol killing one of the guards that had been exposed by Captain Boomerangs' strike just as Deadshot came to a stop beside him. "This better be good." He stated, his tone annoyed.
"Believe me, it better be as well," Esau replied as he pointed his thumb towards the Riddler. "He apparently knows how to turn off the bombs." That certainly got Deadshots attention as he looked to the Riddler for confirmation.
Smiling, Edward pulled down his collar to show that on his neck was a scar in the shape of an X. "Look familiar?" There was silence as the Riddler then looked to Deadshot. "I can do it, but you've got to get me into the medical centre."
"And considering Waller will probably figure out what's happening, we're on a time limit." Esau continued. "So if we're all done playing twenty-one questions, can we deal with those guys over there?"
"Go for that room and we'll be killed," Deadshot informed as he looked at King Shark with a smirk.
'No shit, why do you think I've been stuck here.' Esau didn't voice it though, not in this situation where he needed their help.
Captain Boomerang voiced the thoughts that had already been going through his mind. "Should have brought a tank."
"We have one," Deadshot answered firmly and King Shark noticed his gaze.
The humanoid creature looked over the wall and noticed how high up they were and Esau groaned in annoyance when he saw the fear in King Shark's eyes. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," Esau muttered and then looked to Killer Frost, indicating to King Shark with his head.
There was a pause, Frost looking to Esau, then to King Shark and finally to the SCU before sighing heavily.
For whatever reason, King Shark seemed to like Killer Frost and Esau had every intention of taking advantage of that to get these bombs out of his neck.
A few moments later and King Shark was walking out with his arms raised while his eyes were covered by a bandage. On his back, Killer Frost hung there making sure he didn't walk off the edge, controlling his movements with the bandage, almost like he were a horse and she the rider.
Just as they got close to a water pipe, King Shark rushed towards it under Frost's order causing the entire bridge to be flooded with water that Frost froze instantly. Yet King Shark kept going knocking all the guards off the bridge as they plummeted to the ground, the ice under his feet breaking apart as he ran straight into the door to the medical centre and bounced straight off it.
"Let's move," Deadshot ordered as they rushed across the bridge.
"Good job." Esau congratulated as he caught up they caught up to Killer Frost and King a Shark.
"I'm just that good." She shot back as they entered inside.
On the way, Esau passed Black Spider and as he looked at him closer Esau felt there was something different about him. It was in the way he held himself, the way he seemed more relaxed and considering Black Spider was on edge constantly, it was certainly confusing. Esau hadn't seen the guy unwind ever, always tense and looking ready to attack everyone around him, yet now, his shoulders were loose and relaxed.
As they passed by Black Spider, Esau felt something slip into his hand and discretely looked down to see a Batarang being placed into his hand. With narrowed eyes, Esau looked to what he knew now to be Batman and gave a short nod, the plan was obvious.
-X-
Friday 1st May 2009, 6:15.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Arkham Asylum.
Looking through the windows to the medical centre, Barbara crouched down on her position on the roof of the opposite building. It provided the perfect positioning to look inside, watching the villains move chairs into a circle while the Riddler explained what he was about to do, she was able to hear it through the shared radio with Batman.
But she didn't move yet, it was her job to remain here till Batman had learned everything he needed and then she would assist in bringing them down.
Her eyes then landed on the sight of Esau as he sat down in the chair.
She had at first been angry and confused as to why he was here, that was until Batman had explained about a government task force that took convicts and forced them to complete suicide missions. Missions that had more often than not caused a great deal of collateral damage in the aftermath of their completion.
It certainly made her feel easier to know that Esau wasn't doing this willingly, though she already had her suspicions when Esau didn't even attempt to get involved in the fight back at the warehouse. He could have certainly put up a better fight than he had but instead walked away as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
Which wasn't really Esau style.
As seconds passed by, Barbara began to piece together what they were doing. 'They're trying to disable the bombs.' Barbara realised she and Batman had used the brief reprise granted by Deadshots final shot from the rocket launcher to allow him to change into Black Spider's costume but to also analyse the nanotechnology in his neck.
It was only a short analysis, yet they had managed to learn that on top of being a tracker, it also served as a bomb.
A bomb that made sure to keep them in line and the thought of that in Esau's neck filled her with anger.
Before her very eyes, she watched as all but Batman disguised as Black Spider were subjected to hundreds of volts of electricity. Their bodies tensed as they bit down upon the wood in their mouth, though the muffled cries of pain were clear to hear.
Eventually, however, as time passed things took a turn for the worse as King Shark's head exploded and then the Joker arrived.
Reacting quickly, Barbara pulled out her grappling gun and fired, allowing it to reel her in as she burst through the window into a shower of glass.
This shower forced the Joker to temporarily stop firing his gun at Batman and cover his face, leaving him vulnerable. Something she didn't ignore as Barbara threw a handful of Batarangs at the Joker while Batman interrogated Esau.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded and Esau spat out the wood in his mouth.
"Waller wanted us to sneak into Arkham and take the information from the Riddler that he stole," Esau explained and then with a grunt, began to exert force against the metal restraints. Batman in turn was unable to help as Killer Frost broke free and fired a number of icicles at him, each of them missing Esau by hairsbreadth while the dark knight flipped away.
With one final push, Esau managed to free one hand and then used it to rip off the rest of his restraints.
However, that was when the Joker gave them all a little surprise as from his jacket a number of objects fell and rolled across the ground. They were no bigger than marbles, but by the way, Barbara leapt away, they weren't harmless and he was proven correct when a small number of them exploded, and then another and then another. More and more exploded in sporadic numbers filling the room with smoke and destroying any appliance they came into contact with.
Coughing, Esau stumbled out of the door as did Frost, Deadshot, Harley and Captain Boomerang. "Anyone see where Batman and Batgirl went?" Esau asked.
"Jumped out the window last I saw." Captain Boomerang answered.
With a nod, Esau turned on his heel heading in the opposite direction of the rest of them. "Hey, where you off?" Deadshot asked and partly demanded.
"The bomb's gone from my neck," Esau stated as he looked at them over his shoulder. "I see no reason or desire to stay around and help you anymore. Be content with the fact that I'm letting you leave here alive because I could change that right now." Captain Boomerang grit his teeth and raised two of the few boomerangs he had left threateningly.
"You think you can?!"
"Please, Harley's injured and from what I saw, all of you got in each other's way against Batman and Batgirl in the warehouse. You're more likely to hit each other than me." Esau's lips twitched into a smirk as he looked at Deadshot with a calm gaze. "You're all tired and still reeling from the electricity whereas I am perfectly fine. So by all means, let's do this here and now."
"Enough." Deadshot as he regarded Esau with a curious gaze.
While everything Esau said was true, they both knew that a fight would end only one way and it was not with Esau's victory. He would certainly put up a fight and kill maybe half of them if not more, but he would lose at the end of the day.
He was good, but not that good.
However, even if they were to call him out on his bluff, the fight would be long and tiring, giving Batman and his sidekick or the guards at Arkham time to get here and pick off whoever was left.
"We need to leave now." George looked ready to argue at Deadshots words, but he instead thought better of it when he noticed Harley following after him and the dangerous look in Esau's gaze.
Clicking his teeth in annoyance, Captain Boomerang spat on the ground and left in a huff.
"You not going to go?" Esau asked as he noticed Frost still remaining behind.
She walked towards him slowly and deliberately. "I am." She replied before coming to a stop, with one hand she pulled down his mask and leaned up to give him a kiss that was short and passionate. "Just wanted to give you a parting gift. Don't forget above me. lover boy, I'll make sure to rock your world again when we meet next."
"Next time we meet, we won't be on the same side and I'll put you down." Blowing him a kiss, Frost just smiled as she walked after what remained of the Suicide Squad, not in the least perturbed by his threat.
Shaking his head, Esau turn back and continued to walk away from them and Arkham altogether.
-X-
Friday 1st May 2009, 6:40.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Arkham Asylum.
With a gasp, Esau's head broke the surface of the cold sea and looked back to see Arkham Asylum behind him with a number of police boats in the surrounding area. It had taken a great deal of stealth to avoid the number of police officers that had flooded into the asylum and even more when trying to avoid the boats patrolling the water surrounding the small island.
However, he had done so and pulled himself up onto a small ledge that sat just above the surface of the water and below the bridge leading to Arkham.
He hadn't noticed in the walls of Arkham, but the night was starting to give way to day as sunlight slowly streamed across the sky illuminating all below. Realising this, Esau moved further back into the shadows and looked around for a way to get out of here without being seen.
"Hello, Esau." Spinning round, Esau let his right hand extend in order to cut whoever was behind him. He hit nothing but air as he went with the momentum to see that the figure who spoke had already predicted the move and avoided it with ease. "I thought it would be best to meet you in person at last."
"Deathstroke?" Esau questioned as he looked at the tall, muscular figure clad in an orange and black combat suit, two pistols at his side, a large broadsword on his back and a couple of knives strapped to his body and it made Esau nervous. "What'd you want?"
"I want to once again extend my offer of training." Deathstroke offered. "I imagine you realised after your fight against Killer Croc that you still have quite a ways to go and no doubt, you realised today that you are once again, not quite strong enough for some of the bigger players out there."
"Bigger players? There wasn't much in there that I struggled with."
Deathstroke chuckled as if finding his words amusing, which he did. "Really? Then what about Amanda Waller and the bomb she planted in your neck." Deathstroke suggested amusedly. "I believe you misunderstood me when I said I big player. In this world, the big players aren't just those that can go against Superman or some of the other big hitters of the Justice League. No, it's also people like Amanda Waller and Batman, people who make up for a lack of strength with intelligence and cunning."
There was a pause as Deathstroke allowed Esau to absorb his words.
"What I'm offering is training to not only allow you to fight on par with the likes of Batman but also gather every bit of dirt and every nasty secret people like Amanda Waller have and use it to crush them. If you want to create a world in which Barbara can be safe, you'll need resources and information. Being a mercenary is an easy way of accomplishing that." Deathstroke explained with finality.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Esau pretended like he wasn't intrigued or tempted by the offer. "And what makes you think I want to create a world like that?"
"Don't play coy, Esau. It doesn't suit you." The mercenary said simply. "We both know the truth so let's not beat around the bush. You want to save Barbara and you'll need to take out everyone who is a threat to that. And in this world, everyone has their own agenda and therefore, is a threat."
"You're talking about me wanting to create a world of peace where no one fights," Esau stated and Deathstroke remained silent. "Surely for a mercenary like you, a world of peace would run you out of business."
"I doubt you'll succeed, but if you do I'll be long dead by that point."
"And whys that?" Esau asked.
"Because I will have been hired by people to kill you. All to stop you from achieving that goal." Deathstroke answered. "If you succeed it means I failed to kill you and therefore, I'm dead."
Esau remained silent just looking at Deathstroke unsurely.
"Esau Jacobson, do you really believe that you can save Barbara and Jim without sacrifice? Look at what you've already done, how many people you've killed all to save them. And you'll have to kill many more." Deathstroke's voice was calm and took a tone of amusement. "At least as a mercenary you'll get paid to do it. So what'd you say?"
Deathstroke extended one hand and Esau stared at it.