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Chapter 230: Raid on Belle Reve
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X, was a plan that perfectly showcased Amanda Waller's role as a professional pot-stirrer. By implanting nanobombs in the necks of the most dangerous criminals, she forced them to obey her commands. Although she implemented layers of protective measures, it didn't change the fact that she was playing with fire.
In the DCEU movies, the decision to form the Suicide Squad happened right after Superman's death and before the formation of the Justice League, making the timing particularly strange.
Amanda Waller: "Everyone saw how strong Superman was. We need someone who can subdue him."
The higher-ups: "Um, but Superman is already dead."
Amanda Waller: "I don't care. We just need someone who can take down Superman."
The higher-ups: "Alright. Then maybe we should contact Batman? You know, he beat Superman, and he's one of us—not an alien, not a metahuman! Why don't we ask him?"
Amanda Waller: "No. I want to find a group of bad guys who could lose control at any moment and might even turn on me. Otherwise, the plan would be no fun."
The higher-ups: "..."
In any case, it wasn't the first time Amanda Waller had messed around, and she had pulled off even stranger operations. But if it weren't for an emergency, she probably wouldn't be in such a hurry to assemble this team. The nature of this team's mission, however, might be worth noting.
Orin Vale figured this trip was a good opportunity to leave another backdoor, so he had Pal keep an eye on the Task Force's affairs. Political disputes or crime-related matters naturally fell outside his interests. But considering A.R.G.U.S. and the Task Force frequently dealt with threats on a scale comparable to the Justice League's, it couldn't hurt to keep tabs on them.
Of course, this could wait for now. He had other business to attend to on this trip.
The two underground floors held criminals with relatively low threat levels; Deadshot was already considered top-tier among them. Further down was the high-security block, housing prisoners with much higher threat levels. Detailed information on them could only be accessed from the internal server.
The prison's outer layer had a phase-interference barrier, but the interior did not. Orin Vale phased through several walls, finally passing through a thick glass door panel and stopping inside the server room.
He entered through the wall with ease, casually shaking off the electric arcs from his body. Just as he stepped forward, he suddenly heard the sound of a door sliding open behind him. He turned to see that the sensor-activated door had actually opened on its own.
So it was an automatic door. It wasn't even locked.
He'd phased through the wall for nothing...
"It seems the server room has motion-activated automatic entry, sir," Pal said.
Orin Vale paused for a moment, ignoring the awkward atmosphere and pretending nothing had happened.
"Can we not mention this again in the future?"
"No problem, sir."
The internal system had strict security protocols and access restrictions, but of course, such simple measures could be completely ignored. Orin Vale got in smoothly, forged Director Waller's access credentials, and queried the prison's internal information.
Codename: Martian Creature. As expected, it was in this very prison. Area C-703, enveloped by a complete set of phase-shift barriers and a mental shielding force field, was Belle Reve Prison's most deeply hidden secret.
"Found it."
Orin Vale nodded slightly.
"The material filling the walls is blocking your vision. Accessing the building's structural schematics to calculate the location of Area C-703," said Pal.
Orin Vale got up to leave when he suddenly heard a sliding sound behind him—the sound of the automatic door gliding open along its track.
Turning his head, he saw a portly programmer in an A.R.G.U.S. uniform and glasses appear at the doorway, looking somewhat surprised to see him.
"Unauthorized personnel are not allowed in the underground area. You—"
He paused mid-sentence, his pupils contracting as his eyes widened in pleasant surprise.
"You are... you... Agent Williams?"
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow.
"You know me?"
This was unexpected. Agent Mike Williams shouldn't have any acquaintances. After all, Orin Vale had fabricated the entire identity from scratch, right down to the face he'd casually created.
"Of course. I've read many reports during my shifts and seen your name several times... especially during that cleanup operation against the Blood Cultists. Man, you single-handedly took down the entire city's Blood Cultists!"
"Uh... thanks."
That was a surprise. He didn't think Agent Mike would actually have a decent reputation.
"Listen, it's nice chatting with you. You are...?"
"Holt." The chubby man cheerfully extended a somewhat fleshy hand.
"Alright, Holt." Orin Vale shook his hand. "If it were after work, I'd be happy to chat more. Grab a meal, have a few drinks, that sort of thing..."
"Really? You'd be willing?"
Holt's eyes lit up.
"I've never really had any friends. In school, everyone always said I was an eccentric... maybe I am a little. I only know how to deal with computers. But it's not like I do it on purpose. I want to talk to people too... especially agents, the tough guys in the Organization, heroes like you. I really like heroes, you know..."
"Stop, hold it."
Orin Vale immediately made a 'stop' gesture.
He suddenly felt that Barry should be the one to deal with this guy. If the two of them were thrown together, who knew which one would annoy the other to death first.
"Listen, I'm not finished. I'd love to, but I have work right now, and if I don't get going, my superiors will start nagging me. So how about we trade numbers and meet up the next time you're free?"
"Oh, of course! Yes, of course, no problem."
Even after Orin Vale left, Holt was still waving at his back.
"I'll call you!"
After shaking off the enthusiastic programmer, Orin Vale began to ponder how the pseudonym of Agent Mike, created on a whim, seemed to have unknowingly put down roots in the organization. Developing Mike's influence in the future wasn't out of the question...
After disabling the surveillance and finding the general vicinity, Orin Vale directly phased through the wall and floor.
He landed in a half-crouch and turned his head, coming face-to-face with a pair of pea-sized eyes.
Coarse skin, a massive body, and sharp, dense teeth arranged like countless jagged blades. A huge fin on its back resembled a sharp sword, and its small, bloodshot eyes were filled with confusion.
King Shark, one of the future core members of the Suicide Squad. He possessed super strength and regenerative abilities granted by his Old God bloodline, was especially skilled in underwater combat, and served as the Suicide Squad's heavy weapon.
And at this moment, this powerful mutated creature...
...was sitting on the toilet, doing his business.
King Shark, who had been happily enjoying his time on the toilet, stared blankly at the strange man who had suddenly phased through the wall before him.
Orin Vale patted himself down and stood up calmly.
"Excuse me, just passing through."
With that, he turned and walked towards the cell door. A flash of light emanated from his body, and he phased right through the locked gate.
King Shark was astonished.
*Could it be that my cell only looks like it has a door, but the door is actually fake?*
He jumped up without even pulling up his pants, mimicking Orin Vale's earlier action of patting himself down, and swaggered toward the door.
*Thud.*
He bumped his nose.
King Shark scratched his head in confusion, muttering to himself.
"Am I seeing things?"
Meanwhile, outside Belle Reve Prison.
A transparent aircraft silently approached in stealth mode. A full squad of soldiers, clad in strangely styled uniforms and fully armed, sat neatly inside the cabin.
"I trust everyone is aware of today's mission."
The team leader paced inside the cabin, his voice grave.
"After a long investigation, we can now finally confirm that the Martian is here. Mr. Manhattan said that if we don't bring back the Martian today, none of us are going home. And we will not disappoint him."
"Capture the Martian!" everyone shouted in unison.
"Very good."
The leader nodded in satisfaction.
"Then prepare yourselves. We raid Belle Reve in one minute!"
(end of chapter)
The Suicide Squad, also known as Task Force X, was a plan that perfectly showcased Amanda Waller's role as a professional pot-stirrer. By implanting nanobombs in the necks of the most dangerous criminals, she forced them to obey her commands. Although she implemented layers of protective measures, it didn't change the fact that she was playing with fire.
In the DCEU movies, the decision to form the Suicide Squad happened right after Superman's death and before the formation of the Justice League, making the timing particularly strange.
Amanda Waller: "Everyone saw how strong Superman was. We need someone who can subdue him."
The higher-ups: "Um, but Superman is already dead."
Amanda Waller: "I don't care. We just need someone who can take down Superman."
The higher-ups: "Alright. Then maybe we should contact Batman? You know, he beat Superman, and he's one of us—not an alien, not a metahuman! Why don't we ask him?"
Amanda Waller: "No. I want to find a group of bad guys who could lose control at any moment and might even turn on me. Otherwise, the plan would be no fun."
The higher-ups: "..."
In any case, it wasn't the first time Amanda Waller had messed around, and she had pulled off even stranger operations. But if it weren't for an emergency, she probably wouldn't be in such a hurry to assemble this team. The nature of this team's mission, however, might be worth noting.
Orin Vale figured this trip was a good opportunity to leave another backdoor, so he had Pal keep an eye on the Task Force's affairs. Political disputes or crime-related matters naturally fell outside his interests. But considering A.R.G.U.S. and the Task Force frequently dealt with threats on a scale comparable to the Justice League's, it couldn't hurt to keep tabs on them.
Of course, this could wait for now. He had other business to attend to on this trip.
The two underground floors held criminals with relatively low threat levels; Deadshot was already considered top-tier among them. Further down was the high-security block, housing prisoners with much higher threat levels. Detailed information on them could only be accessed from the internal server.
The prison's outer layer had a phase-interference barrier, but the interior did not. Orin Vale phased through several walls, finally passing through a thick glass door panel and stopping inside the server room.
He entered through the wall with ease, casually shaking off the electric arcs from his body. Just as he stepped forward, he suddenly heard the sound of a door sliding open behind him. He turned to see that the sensor-activated door had actually opened on its own.
So it was an automatic door. It wasn't even locked.
He'd phased through the wall for nothing...
"It seems the server room has motion-activated automatic entry, sir," Pal said.
Orin Vale paused for a moment, ignoring the awkward atmosphere and pretending nothing had happened.
"Can we not mention this again in the future?"
"No problem, sir."
The internal system had strict security protocols and access restrictions, but of course, such simple measures could be completely ignored. Orin Vale got in smoothly, forged Director Waller's access credentials, and queried the prison's internal information.
Codename: Martian Creature. As expected, it was in this very prison. Area C-703, enveloped by a complete set of phase-shift barriers and a mental shielding force field, was Belle Reve Prison's most deeply hidden secret.
"Found it."
Orin Vale nodded slightly.
"The material filling the walls is blocking your vision. Accessing the building's structural schematics to calculate the location of Area C-703," said Pal.
Orin Vale got up to leave when he suddenly heard a sliding sound behind him—the sound of the automatic door gliding open along its track.
Turning his head, he saw a portly programmer in an A.R.G.U.S. uniform and glasses appear at the doorway, looking somewhat surprised to see him.
"Unauthorized personnel are not allowed in the underground area. You—"
He paused mid-sentence, his pupils contracting as his eyes widened in pleasant surprise.
"You are... you... Agent Williams?"
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow.
"You know me?"
This was unexpected. Agent Mike Williams shouldn't have any acquaintances. After all, Orin Vale had fabricated the entire identity from scratch, right down to the face he'd casually created.
"Of course. I've read many reports during my shifts and seen your name several times... especially during that cleanup operation against the Blood Cultists. Man, you single-handedly took down the entire city's Blood Cultists!"
"Uh... thanks."
That was a surprise. He didn't think Agent Mike would actually have a decent reputation.
"Listen, it's nice chatting with you. You are...?"
"Holt." The chubby man cheerfully extended a somewhat fleshy hand.
"Alright, Holt." Orin Vale shook his hand. "If it were after work, I'd be happy to chat more. Grab a meal, have a few drinks, that sort of thing..."
"Really? You'd be willing?"
Holt's eyes lit up.
"I've never really had any friends. In school, everyone always said I was an eccentric... maybe I am a little. I only know how to deal with computers. But it's not like I do it on purpose. I want to talk to people too... especially agents, the tough guys in the Organization, heroes like you. I really like heroes, you know..."
"Stop, hold it."
Orin Vale immediately made a 'stop' gesture.
He suddenly felt that Barry should be the one to deal with this guy. If the two of them were thrown together, who knew which one would annoy the other to death first.
"Listen, I'm not finished. I'd love to, but I have work right now, and if I don't get going, my superiors will start nagging me. So how about we trade numbers and meet up the next time you're free?"
"Oh, of course! Yes, of course, no problem."
Even after Orin Vale left, Holt was still waving at his back.
"I'll call you!"
After shaking off the enthusiastic programmer, Orin Vale began to ponder how the pseudonym of Agent Mike, created on a whim, seemed to have unknowingly put down roots in the organization. Developing Mike's influence in the future wasn't out of the question...
After disabling the surveillance and finding the general vicinity, Orin Vale directly phased through the wall and floor.
He landed in a half-crouch and turned his head, coming face-to-face with a pair of pea-sized eyes.
Coarse skin, a massive body, and sharp, dense teeth arranged like countless jagged blades. A huge fin on its back resembled a sharp sword, and its small, bloodshot eyes were filled with confusion.
King Shark, one of the future core members of the Suicide Squad. He possessed super strength and regenerative abilities granted by his Old God bloodline, was especially skilled in underwater combat, and served as the Suicide Squad's heavy weapon.
And at this moment, this powerful mutated creature...
...was sitting on the toilet, doing his business.
King Shark, who had been happily enjoying his time on the toilet, stared blankly at the strange man who had suddenly phased through the wall before him.
Orin Vale patted himself down and stood up calmly.
"Excuse me, just passing through."
With that, he turned and walked towards the cell door. A flash of light emanated from his body, and he phased right through the locked gate.
King Shark was astonished.
*Could it be that my cell only looks like it has a door, but the door is actually fake?*
He jumped up without even pulling up his pants, mimicking Orin Vale's earlier action of patting himself down, and swaggered toward the door.
*Thud.*
He bumped his nose.
King Shark scratched his head in confusion, muttering to himself.
"Am I seeing things?"
Meanwhile, outside Belle Reve Prison.
A transparent aircraft silently approached in stealth mode. A full squad of soldiers, clad in strangely styled uniforms and fully armed, sat neatly inside the cabin.
"I trust everyone is aware of today's mission."
The team leader paced inside the cabin, his voice grave.
"After a long investigation, we can now finally confirm that the Martian is here. Mr. Manhattan said that if we don't bring back the Martian today, none of us are going home. And we will not disappoint him."
"Capture the Martian!" everyone shouted in unison.
"Very good."
The leader nodded in satisfaction.
"Then prepare yourselves. We raid Belle Reve in one minute!"
(end of chapter)
