[i][b]Belle Reve Penitentiary, Louisiana [/b][/i] Floyd Lawton and Hudson Pyle sat in the small private commissary that was exclusive to members of Task Force X. The assassin known as Deadshot and the vigilante known as the Cavalier sat across from each other, looks of concentration fixed on their faces. There were a few other men and women in the room but the two had their own corner. A team of armored guards with assault rifles kept watch over the convicts. Cavalier leaned forward and smirked at Deadshot, "Careful you don't miss, Lawton." Deadshot, the deadliest sniper alive, gritted his teeth, "I don't miss Pyle." He let out a slow breath and slid the small wood box out from the tower of blocks and carefully placed it on top. Already the tower was a haphazard jumble of blocks, ready to crash at any second. But Deadshot did not make it even wobble. Deadshot leaned back and grinned, satisfied with himself, as Cavalier rubbed his beard. The swordsman reached a finger forward to extract a block when suddenly a hand slammed on the table. The tower crumbled and crashed instantly as Deadshot's fist tightened to throw a punch and Cavalier pulled a shiv from some unknown spot. Bette Sans Soici, the Checkmate Agent known as Plastique clutched her stomach and laughed and laughed. Deadshot's fist relaxed and he grinned while Cavalier nonchalantly slid his makeshift knife back where it came from. Plastique kept laughing and a tear slid down her eye before she stopped, "My god, the looks on your faces. Two hardened killers, spooked by Jenga!" She began laughing again and Cavalier said, "I was just about to beat him too." Deadshot snorted, "In your dreams, Pyle." Plastique collected herself again and stood up, "Well Happy Halloween guys but Waller has a job for us." Deadshot looked at her, "I'm a volunteer I choose my missions unlike some people," he said with a side-eye grin at Cavalier who shrugged. Plastique nodded, "That may be true but the boss specifically requested you. Most of our big guns are in play and this is a critical op. She already sent an advance support team. We're gonna be the boots on the ground." Cavalier asked, "What's the mission?" Plastique replied, "Waller will want to brief herself. But it's international. We're pulling a lot of conscripts for this one. I got the files here." She activated the holographic display on her wrist computer showing several mugshots. Deadshot nodded, "Beast, Mister Freeze, that Alien Queen, we've got a few heavy hitters." Cavalier snorted, "And a lot of wildcards. Amygdala? Ambush Bug? That one is a maniac. This is going to be an interesting op." Plastique nodded, "Yes but we need a big team for this op. They've pulled all the conscripts into the briefing room. Let's head over there now. Unless you need to put all the little wood pieces back in the box?" Deadshot and Cavalier glanced at each other and walked off after Plastique, leaving the pile of wooden blocks behind. --- The conscripts were congregated in a large briefing room. There were rows of chairs facing a holographic projector. There were around a dozen men and women in the room, dangerous criminals and rogue vigilantes who couldn't be housed anywhere else. They had all been made fully aware of the times of their deal. Time off their sentences and fresh air in exchange for performing black ops missions for the US Government. For most of them this was their first mission for the Suicide Squad, as the Belle Reve Inmates called it, and there was a palpable tension in the air. Armed guards lined the walls of the room, ready for anything. Waller would be arriving soon and the conscripts had a few minutes to converse. Eventually Amanda Waller strolled into the room followed by Deadshot, Plastique, and Cavalier who were all in uniform with their weapons. Amanda Waller was a stout woman with a stony face, and everyone in the room immediately knew that she was not a woman to be trifled with. Deadshot, Cavalier, and Plastique all took positions at her side as she cleared her throat, "Welcome to the Suicide Squad inmates, I have your first assignment." She turned on the holographic projector which showed a map of the Middle East, specifically the area around the Quraci desert, "Bialya and Khandaq. Two of the only nations in the world to be run by superhumans. Black Adam and Queen Bee have had an increasing rivalry ever since she conquered Qurac. Now these two rogue nations share a border and tensions are rising. Queen Bee's HIVE and Adam's Onslaught groups have been wreaking havoc in the region. Thousands have died already and both nations have armies massing on the borders. It will only be a matter of time before these two throw the whole region into chaos." She displayed pictures of Black Adam and Queen Bee. Teth-Adam, one of the most powerful beings in the world, glared at the camera while the mind controller Queen Bee smirked at the Suicide Squad. Waller continued, "The Justice League has already approached the UN for permission to intervene. Superman, Wonder Woman, and several other members of the League are hosting a peace summit in Dubai. Black Adam and Queen Bee are both attending. This is the first time that League has taken an active role in geopolitics. They have a real chance of brokering a peace between the two nations. How long until the League starts running everything after that? That cannot be allowed. So we're going to broker our own peace agreement. Your mission will be to infiltrate the capital city of Khandaq and a major Bialyan military base. You will capture Black Adam's wife, Isis. She has the same powers as him but she spends most of her time in mortal form, Adrianna Tomaz." A skinny blonde haired meta named Luftballon snorted, "Isis could wipe the floor with all of us combined. If we get caught breaking in, we're screwed." Waller simply replied, "Yes which is why we placed an advance team in preparation for this op. This team includes assets that will assist you in infiltrating the base and neutralizing Isis if she assumes super form. We have little firm intel on the Palace, other than it's well guarded and includes several Onslaught members. The advance team should have more information for you." "You will link up with the team and capture Isis alive. Any threats you encounter along the way should be dealt with quickly and quietly. Onslaught and HIVE both use super-powered or talented agents. Capturing any of them would be a great boon but they are expendable. After capturing Isis you will then cross the Quraci desert and infiltrate Alpha Hive, where General Harjavti, Queen Bee's lover and military commander, will be. Intel suggests that he brought their teen son along. King Bee is expendable but Prince Bee must be taken alive. After you capture the target you will be extracted and we will take it from there." Waller stared into each and every one of their eyes, "Plastique is our field leader. If any of you disobey her orders or jeopardize the mission, she has fully authority to detonate the bombs in your heads. If you try to go AWOL you will be killed instantly. If you betray the team you will be killed. If you are captured you will resist interrogation or you will be killed. Am I clear?" she received a bevy of nods in response. Waller continued, "Each of you will be given a commlink and wrist computer that will let you communicate and share data among the Squad. It will also contain information on your objectives and everything we know about Onslaught and HIVE operatives in the area. They are dangerous and well-armed, they are not to be underestimated." "You will receive your equipment when you board the transport. You'll be inserting at night. You have five days to complete your mission. Plastique, it's your show now." Waller exited the room and Plastique, Deadshot, and Cavalier showed the new Squad members to the VTOL. It was a large craft and fit all of them easily. A small squad of Checkmate operators joined the Squad who were allowed their equipment. After getting in uniform and equipped they boarded the craft. The VTOL pilot pressed a few buttons and the aircraft disappeared into thin air as the Suicide Squad left to the Quraci desert. The Squad had an opportunity to talk among themselves and prepare for the operation. --- After several hours of travel they arrived in the desert in the dark night. It was a new moon and the desert was almost pitch black. The pilot opened the backdoor and exposed the shadowed landscape to the Squad. Deadshot looked at the conscripts and said, "Those of you who can't fly or jump or what ever the hell you need to do, strap on a chute and jump!" Deadshot pulled on a parachute and jumped out of the aircraft, followed by Cavalier. Soon everyone in the Squad followed suit, those who were reluctant to jump prodded on by the Checkmate soldiers who then jumped last. After a nerve wracking fall the Squad landed on the desert. They set to burying their chutes as the VTOL disappeared from view. The Suicide Squad was on it's own now. Plastique addressed the Squad, "We move fast to the safe house the advance team set up. Only myself and Deadshot know the location, so listen to us if you want to make it out of here alive. Be careful and be quiet. We're in neutral ground but we do not want to attract the attention of HIVE or Onslaught. We need to make it to the safe house before morning. Get in formation and let's move." The Checkmate soldiers brought up the rear and Deadshot scouted ahead, leading the Squad along as they trekked across the sand. The dunes rose and fell and no other life could be seen for miles around. The wind whistled through the desert and nothing else could be heard. The Squad would have to keep their voices down but it seemed they could talk. It was the calm before the storm Plastique knew, the calm before the mission would inevitably head sideways as missions always did. She just hoped the new conscripts were ready for it.