Final Crisis (3/4)

"According to our reports, Kid Crusader, whose real name is unknown, was transferred to Belle Reve Penitentiary not long after his conviction. He was classified as a dangerous non-meta-human. He is reported to be there right now.” Mister Terrific read off a tablet, his inscrutable face surrounded by floating T-Spheres.

“He’s not.” Jonah replied. His hands were gripping the arm of a metal chair.

“We know that now.”

“Jonah, why don’t you change out of your costume.” Wonder Woman referred to his blood-soaked suit.

Jonah had been rushed to debrief after the battle in Nicaragua. The Black Ops forces unit had escaped from Jonah's grasp. They were trained professionals, adept in stealth and anti-Meta operations. Crusader’s **** was all the distraction they needed for extraction. They were lucky, Jonah wasn’t sure if he could have held back on them. Wonder Woman had been brought in as the only available high-ranking Leaguer.

“No.”

“You’ve had a tough battle, warrior.” Wonder Woman reached out a comforting hand. Jonah rejected it.

“Crusader was my responsibility.”

“We are trying our best to understand the situation, Porter.” Mister Terrific explained. “Your insight would be massively beneficial. Do you have any idea who these soldiers could have been?”

“No.” Jonah released his grip from the chair. His fingers had bent the metal around the arm. “I just want to go home.”

“Yes, that might be for the best. We can continue this debrief tomorrow.” Wonder Woman rose with Jonah. “Are you sure you will be alright for the night?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Jonah lied. He felt guilty about how easily he lied to them. They trusted him. They didn’t know the depths of his darkness. They saw the pain on his face and he led them down the path of a sad man. But Jonah wasn’t sad. He was angry. Angry enough to bring down the walls of the world.

Wonder Woman went to follow Jonah out, but he was already gone. He had portaled to Earth.

“Where is Amanda Waller?”

“Porter, you almost scared me. What are you doing here?” Robin turned in his chair to face the man who had just entered his team’s cave headquarters. He hid the shock of seeing Crusader’s blood well.

“Where is Amanda Waller?” Jonah repeated himself.

“The warden of Belle Reve? Why would you need to find her?”

Jonah placed an arm over Robin’s shoulder and twisted the swivel chair to face him. The two men shared a look of understanding. Jonah knew that if Amanda Waller were the head of some sort of suicidal tactical squad, then the bats would know something about it, and Robin knew that he couldn’t reveal too much classified information to Porter, despite his positive feelings for the man. Jonah felt terrible about using his pheromones on Robin, but his anger overcame any morality.

“I can find her for you.” Robin agreed before turning himself back to his supercomputer. After a couple of minutes of silent typing, Jonah watched with pronounced breathing as Robin found what was asked of him. “She has a meeting with the Deputy Secretary of State in an hour. She’ll probably be in a helicopter from Dulles right now.”

“Thank you, Robin. Have a good night.” Jonah placed a tense but reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“I should come with you. Make sure you don’t do anything stupid.” By the time Robin turned around, Jonah was gone. Robin understood the dangers of obsession better than most. He saw that obsession in Porter, and if he was anything like him, this wouldn’t end well. Robin flicked open his phone. “Dick, I think there’s going to be trouble in DC…”

Dark clouds hovered over Washington, D.C., threatening light rain. The sunset was setting, its final rays painted the city in a pale blue haze.

Near the Harry S Truman Building, a helicopter landed on an open stretch of grass. It was a sleek, black metal vehicle, and the unnaturally quiet rotors allowed it to arrive in the capital almost entirely unnoticed. Almost.

“I want you all on your best behavior, no funny business. Not today.” The demanding voice of Amanda Waller called to her retinue of cloaked individuals.

“Amanda Waller. Warden of Belle Reve Penitentiary and a close associate of several cabinet officials. Among other things.”

“Ah, Porter, I’ve been expecting you.” Amanda Waller turned around. She was a large woman with a broad build. Her dark, stern face betrayed zero emotions.

“And why is that?” Jonah replied with a wry grin that hid clenched teeth.

“Nothing surprises me.”

“Is that right?” Jonah began pacing around the group of people. “Nothing surprises the great Amanda Waller. You knew I was coming? And why would that be? Was it something that you did?”

“My job is to protect America. There is no greater threat to the security of my people than the existence of meta-enhanced individuals like yourself. The Justice League may have convinced the world that they are the good guys, but I know the truth. I keep a detailed profile on all of you. You, Mr. Richardson,” Waller paused to let her knowledge of his personal information sink in. “Are a stray dog pulling against his leash. And I know how to keep a tight leash.”

As soon as Jonah went to attack Waller, one of her aids revealed himself. He pulled back his cloak and pointed a handgun at Jonah. He was wearing a red and white suit with a mechanical lens over one eye. “One more step and I’ll turn you into Swiss cheese. No doctor on earth will save you, I don’t care how far you can teleport.”

“I would listen to Deadshot if I were you. He’s the best in the business and highly motivated.” Waller explained.

“Hey, wait a sec.” A woman with blonde hair and a thick Gotham accent pulled her hood down. “I recognize this guy. Yeah, Ivy and I met him once.” The woman bit her lip with fond remembrance. “I would be careful Deadhead, old portals here is real…vigorous.”

“Ah strewth, Harles.” A ginger man with a boomerang exclaimed. “You’re telling me you slept with Superdrongo here?”

Jonah ignored Harley Quinn’s comment and turned to Deadshot, “I’d like to see you try. Your shots wouldn’t get very far.” Jonah emphasized his threat by pulling out a golden amulet that hummed with fiery power. It once belonged to Crusader and protected him from bullets.

“Ah, the eye of Godwinson. A power artifact. Though I’ve been told that a guilty conscience cannot wield it.” Waller explained dispassionately.

“I have complete faith in my mission, Waller.” Jonah gripped the chain in his hand tightly.

“So, it seems. Perhaps you need further motivation.” Waller pulled a trigger with a large red button.

“As you’ve probably guessed. I am a woman who always has a backup plan. One press of this button and an explosive device planted in these three criminals will explode, killing them before you can even blink. Now you don’t want that, do you? Is your holy **** worth that?” Waller took a step closer to Jonah. “I hold all the cards.”

“Crusader died just so that you can keep your hands clean.” Jonah yelled with frustration. Memories of his enslavement by his government rumbled through his mind like lava. “All that **** for what? When the people find out about how the US is meddling-”

“You’re stupider than your profile indicated Richardson.” Waller interrupted. “You’re trapped. There’s nothing you can do without my permission. Take solace in the fact that Crusader is with his God now.

“My Taskmaster is dead! You can’t control me.” Jonah shouted in a blinding rage. With a single hand, he tore through space. A rippling portal spread around his hand and plunged his arm into it. What waited on the other side would surprise even the smug Waller.

“Stop right there.” A commanding voice boomed from above. A man encased in metal floated down from the sky. His entirely silver body was marked only by a single red star insignia: Captain Atom, one of the most powerful metahumans on Earth. “By order of the United States government, I order you, Porter, to stand down. The Justice League has no right-”

“He doesn’t represent the Justice League.” The words seemed to appear before the man. A streaking red blur of lightning in the costume of the Flash.

“Stay out of this, Wally.” Jonah muttered from gritted teeth.

“You know I can’t do that,” Flash whispered back.

“Looks like your masters are here, Porter,” Waller noted with smug indifference.

“Just stand back. I have to do this.” Jonah pleaded.

“Pull your arm out of the portal. Any **** and I’ll be **** to take action.” Captain Atom stoically declared. His arms began to glow.

“Just do as they say, Porter. We can figure this out later.” Flash appealed to his friend.

A light splattering of rain hit Jonah’s face. His body was heating up with rage. He felt panic well up inside him. He was trapped. His back was against the wall, and there was only one way to avenge Crusader and put a stop to Wall once and for all. He would break these chains.

“I recommend you listen to them, Porter. You wouldn’t want to do something rash. Especially not with a little hawk on the way.” Waller turned away from Porter, secure in the knowledge that she had won. She really did know everything.

Jonah thought about Kendra. He thought about the life growing inside her. Would he really abandon her and his child? He knew what it felt like to grow up without a father. He promised himself that he would never let that happen to his child.

Jonah pulled his hand out of the portal and covered his face. He gripped his shoulder and squeezed in frustration. A single tear escaped his eye, and he glared at Waller with pure hatred. “You’ll pay for this.”

“Face it. I’m untouchable to you heroes. I am the US government; you have no power in your arsenal that can stop me.”

“We’ll figure this out, Porter.” Flash slung his around Jonah and pulled him up.

However, Jonah felt a touch other than the Flashes. A familiar touch across his mind.

“M’gann?” Jonah pushed his mind outwards.

“I’m here Jonah. You can’t see me, but I’m here.” M’gann’s invisible hand touched Jonah, letting him briefly copy her powers. “I felt your pain.”

“Then you know what needs to be done.”

“I won’t kill Amanda Waller.” M’gann declared solemnly.

“Even after everything she’s done. After what I’ve been through?” Jonah spoke with emotions as much as words in her mind.

“I’m not a killer Jonah, and neither are you.” Miss Martian tried to soothe his raging spirit. “There must be another way.”

“Then change her! Or find something I can use.” Jonah snapped.

Miss Martian's mind-touch left him for a moment. “I can’t,” she seemed legitimately shocked by the admission. “Her mind is impenetrable. It’s as if she has the same training as the Bat Family."

Like a wavering candle, Jonah felt as though his hope was almost extinguished completely. He felt the disappointment well inside. He had failed Crusader, he was failing all the prisoners left in chains. If it wasn’t for those damn bombs…

“The bombs.”

“What?” M’gann asked.

“M’gann, how good is your phasing?”

“Pretty good. I’ve been practicing.” Miss Martian underestimated her abilities.

“I need you to do something for me.” Jonah pushed further into M’gann’s psyche, emphasizing the strength of his will. “Located at the top of each of their spines is a miniature explosive device. It is controlled by Amanda Waller and used to threaten or kill the criminals she forces to work for her. Remove them.”

“I’m not sure if I can do that. Even if I could, it’ll take a little time.”

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll help you.” Jonah rested a strong, controlling hand onto Miss Martian's mind, boosting her confidence. “I believe in you.”

“Alright...”

Jonah could sense Miss Martian floating away. Their conversation had happened relatively quickly due to the speed at which thoughts could pass between two people. In the physical world, he was being guided away by Flash, who was listing off well-meaning platitudes.

“… but we don’t know if what she is doing is illegal yet.”

“Illegal? What about justice?”

Jonah turned and watched Amanda Waller stride away with her task ****. With Miss Martian's copied power, he sent a disorienting haze towards the group. Not noticeable enough to cause confusion, but just enough to distract. In the haze, he implanted a simple understanding that would play soon:

“Break your chains! The time is right. Waller’s leash has grown inert.”