America's Personal Meta-Team...

“Dissention in the Ranks”

(A Wonder Woman: RELOCATION Tie-In)

Task force X #3 - October, Year Four by Matt Hrubey


Washington D.C.

“The situation is getting worse.”

Amanda Waller sat back in her chair.  Her eyes darted around, searching the interior of the office of the White House Chief of Staff.  Everything was immaculate but that was the way the man was.  He was clear and concise about every little detail.  It was this character quirk that had been the blame of the White House’s often slow reaction to various situations.

Finally, Waller’s eyes settled once more on the man himself—the President’s Chief of Staff, the second most powerful man inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  It was for this reason that he was also aware of the intimate connection between the President and Waller’s Meta task force.  “What exactly do you want me to do?”

The Chief of Staff rose to his feet and moved to the window, pushing back the drapes.  “I don’t know what Wonder Woman is trying to pull with this maneuver of hers*, but it is only serving to anger the President.  We’re waiting on a report from the Marines already on the island, but should something happen, I’m sure he’s going to resort to your team.”

(*See the latest issues of WONDER WOMAN.)

“That’s nice,” Waller responded.  “I’d sure hate to see all the tax dollars invested in the force going to waste.  It’s not like the team members have spent the last few weeks doing anything but training their asses off.”

“Amanda, please, the language.  This is the White House.”

“And here I thought I was sitting in the middle of the Emerald City.”

The Chief of Staff shook his head.  “Funny.  I was just giving you the heads up.”

“Does that mean I’m free to go?”

“Absolutely.”  The Chief of Staff made his way around his desk and shook hands with the standing Waller.  “Whether you believe me or not, it is good to see you again, Amanda.  Hopefully we’ll be able to put this situation to rest without the involvement of Task Force X, but at the moment, we don’t know anything.”

Waller made her way to the door but stopped.  “That’s a nice sentiment, but for my sake, I hope that things go sour.”

“Why?”

“Well, Mr. Chief of Staff,” Amanda Waller replied.  “Let’s just say my team is getting a little antsy and they’re looking for something—or someone—to hit.”


The Citadel

The kitchen was empty save the two individuals who sat in complete silence.  The artificial lighting reflected off the linoleum tiles, giving the man and woman’s already pale skin an even sicklier appearance.  It had been weeks since either had seen the sun or since their skin had been touched by natural light.  And it was starting to drive them both crazy.

The woman rose to her feet and moved to the refrigerator, grabbing the necessary ingredients for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Reaching for a knife, Jade Nguyen rolled the utensil through her fingers before slamming it down onto the counter, splintering the tabletop.  She let out a cry of frustration before throwing the container of peanut butter against the wall.

Neal Emerson looked up from the newspaper in his hands and cocked an eyebrow.  “What the hell is your problem?”

“I have to get out of here!” Cheshire exclaimed, slamming her fists down on the counter.  For a solitary moment, clarity seemed to overcome the woman’s features as she looked at Doctor Polaris.  “Doesn’t it piss you off that Waller is keeping us locked up like a bunch of wild animals?”

“Of course, it pisses me off, but if you’re waiting for me to snap like you just did, then you’re going to be waiting a long time.”

“This is ridiculous!”

“You know what your problem is, Cheshire?”

The connoisseur of poisons frowned.  “No, I don’t, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

“You never did any time.”

“Prison?” Cheshire asked, throwing her hands up.  “Prison is my problem?  Are you mentally retarded or just plain stupid in the head?”

Emerson calmly folded up the newspaper and laid it down on the table.  “No, prison is not your problem.  The fact that you never spent any time in prison is.”

“I’ve been in prison.”

“In between your escape attempts maybe,” Emerson replied.  “Being in the joint teaches you patience.  It teaches you to learn that you can’t control everything in your life.  Like right now, Waller is forcing us to stay inside the Citadel because of national security reasons, or so she says.  Case in point, we step foot outside and any hope of those clean records goes down the drain.  In fact, Waller would probably hand either of us over to the country that pays the most for our bodies.  You don’t want that.  You wouldn’t be here if it was.”

Cheshire smiled as she downed a handful of potato chips.  “You think you know so much.  What are you a doctor of anyway?  Psychology?”

“Physics.”

“Ah, I thought so.  What gives you the right to play Dr. Phil with my head then?”

Emerson shrugged nonchalantly.  “Just making small talk.”

“Okay, well, in the interest of small talk…got any kids?” Cheshire asked.  “Because I’m sure they would love to see daddy at work.”

Emerson’s smirk became an immediate frown.  “You just had to make this personal, didn’t you?  You’re one to talk about being a role model for your kids.  I know all about your daughter and your connection to the Titans.  I’m not stupid, Cheshire, I’ve heard things.”

“I swear to God,” Cheshire shouted, jumping to her feet, “if you ever mention my daughter again, I will kill you!”

“Whoa, whoa, I think we need to calm down here, Jade,” Neal Emerson responded after a momentary silence.  He sat back down.  “This is not what we need.  If you hadn’t noticed, we’re the black sheeps of this outfit.  In our best interests, we should be watching each other’s backs, not trying to stab them.”

Cheshire’s tense body began to relax.  “I…agree.”

“Good, because I refuse to be somebody’s bitch.  I like these odds better.”

Laughing, Cheshire threw her head back.

“What are you laughing at?”

“You, Polaris.  Look around you…we are somebody’s bitch.”  She threw her fist down on the bag of potato chips lying on the table, crumpling all of the chips inside.  “The United States government owns our souls.  Get used to it.”


With a grunt, the dumbbell was pushed upward before sinking back down to the man’s chest.

“…7…”

Patrick Dugan repeated the action.

“…8…”

Again.

“…9…”

Again.

“…10.”

Dugan settled the dumbbell on the notches above his head.  He sat up on the bench and took a deep breath, wincing at the pain in his arms.  It had been a while since he had truly worked his body, but he figured his present situation was a good enough reason to get back into shape.  Dugan rubbed his eyes and when he looked back up, there was a towel floating in front of his face.  He took the towel, offering a smile to the man who handed it over.  “What brings you in here, captain?”

“Please, Pat, call me Nathan,” Captain Atom responded, “and as for my intentions, I believe they are the same as yours.”

Dugan looked around at the weights and smacked his head.  “Silly me.  This is a weight room.”

“I have some extra aggravation to work off,” the captain continued, unabated.  “Our current…living situation is beginning to wreak havoc with my psychological stability.  I try to give Amanda all the faith I can offer but sometimes I think that she restarted Task Force X just to screw with me.”

“We’re all being caught in the crossfire if that’s the truth.  I mean, Cheshire for one is losing control.  If you look at her wrong, she’ll go off.  She put a Checkmate agent into the hospital yesterday because he cleared his throat as he passed her in the main corridor.”

Captain Atom gave the former Marine a sideways glance.

“Jade thought the man was coming onto her.”

“Ah,” the captain responded with a nod of recognition.  “Someone needs to lock her up for good.”

“I second that.”

Atom gave a short chuckle before a wash of seriousness overtook his facial features.  “Look, Dugan, I did want to talk to you in private and this seems as good a time as any.”

“What did you have on your mind?” Dugan asked.  He had sat back, preparing for another repetition, but decided against it following his team captain’s surprise statement.  He saw that Atom was hesitating.  “Is something wrong?”

“As much as it pains me to say this, being team leader and all, but I don’t trust what is going on inside Task Force X.  In the first place, Waller has never been the most…trustworthy individual but I have begun to doubt her decision to add Cheshire and Polaris to this team.  Jade is a known killer.  I’m all for giving second chances, but her attitude is not helping my peace of mind.  And Emerson…well, he’s just crazy a lot of the time.  Waller claims that she has some system in place to keep the man under control should he have a psychotic episode during training or in the field, but I’m not sure that I should believe her.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you’re getting at here, captain.”

“Nathan.”

“Nathan.”

Captain Atom stood up and began pacing back and forth in front of the seated Dugan.  “What I’m saying, Pat, is that you’re the only one I trust and I want you…no, I need you to watch my back.  In return, I’ll watch yours.  We’re playing with fire as long as we are involved with Task Force X, and I don’t want to be burned.  Especially if someone else’s life is hanging in the balance.”

Extending his hand, Dugan rose to his feet.  “You don’t even have to ask, man.  My feelings are in the same boat.  Waller blackmailed me onto the team with the safety of my family.  I don’t trust her anymore than I could throw her and she’s a big girl.  As long as I’m here, I’ll do my duty to my country, but the minute Waller fucks up, I’m gone.”

“Thanks, Pat.”

“Hey, don’t mention—”

And that’s when the alarm went off throughout the Citadel.

The Womb was not unlike the Situation Room inside the White House.  It was outfitted with all of the necessary equipment, every piece financed through the United States Defense budget.  Video screens covered every wall, showing everything from television reports to satellite images.  As the members of Task Force X filed in for the first time, they each noticed that the screens were all displaying similar photos.  That is, the subject of each picture was a single woman.

“I’m sure you have all noticed a theme going on in this room,” Amanda Waller said, beginning the briefing without an attempt at an introduction.  “Let me assure you that I have not picked up a weird infatuation.  In fact, the woman in these pictures is the target of your very first mission.”

Captain Atom scanned the faces of his teammates and knew that they were all pondering the same thing.  They weren’t sure which was more surprising: the fact that the Force was finally being sent on a formal mission or the fact that the target was a prominent member of the Justice League.  As if giving words to his thoughts, Atom pointed at one of the many screens and stated, “That’s Wonder Woman.”

“Very perceptive of you, captain.”

“No, I mean that’s Wonder Woman.”

“I understand and I’m telling you that you’re correct, captain,” Waller replied.  “Don’t get used to it.”

“How could Wonder Woman possibly be a target?” Dugan asked.  He looked up and down the table, seeing that everyone was asking themselves the same question.  “She’s a saint.”

Waller shrugged.  “Then maybe her and God had a falling out because as of 0645 this morning, Wonder Woman became a felon.”  The outrage at such a statement, especially from a former Leaguer, prompted Waller to continue.  “This morning an island appeared off the coast of New York City, specifically Manhattan Island.  It was picked up on radar and a special operations unit of Marines was sent in to investigate.  From preliminary reports, the Marines have been met with violence and I have been ordered to brief you all on the chance that the Marines will require your help.”

“How do you even know that any of this is true, Waller?” Cheshire asked.  She was unconsciously adjusting one of the prosthetic nails on her hand.

“Because,” Waller replied, reaching for the television remote, “Wonder Woman went before the United Nations and admitted her connection to the island, Themyscira.”

“Couldn’t it be possible this is all some kind of misunderstanding?”

“Of course, captain, but I’m not in the business of misunderstandings.  Themyscira appeared out of thin air, infringing upon American land.  That breaks several laws and sanctions.  For the moment, the general order is to take control of the island.  After that, who knows?”

Captain Atom shook his head.  “I don’t know if I can—”

“You are all a bunch of hypocrites!” Waller shouted back, cutting Atom off.  “You bitch and moan for an opportunity to get out of this place and you’ve finally got one.  Yet, now you’re all shying away?”

“For the record, I don’t have a problem with this,” Cheshire spoke up.  Polaris agreed with a head nod.

“It’s just that Diana is—”

“I doesn’t matter what she is, captain.  She broke national law and now she’s going to pay.  You will go to Themyscira and commandeer control of the island because that is your mission.  Do I make myself clear, team leader?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Atom replied with a half-hearted salute.


The second that the briefing had finished, Waller had moved from the Womb to the nearest elevator.  She hit the button marked BASEMENT and waited patiently for metal box to take her to the final destination.  There was a soft ping before the doors parted.  Amanda Waller moved with a purpose, the heels on her shoes clicking against the off white of the tiled floor.

Stopping in front of the boiler room, Waller touched the door, confident that her identity would be discovered by the fingerprinting technology that had been hidden within the door’s exterior.  It took a moment—a moment longer than Waller would have preferred—but the door slid open and Waller moved inside.

What should have been the boiler room gave way to stainless steel and laboratory equipment.  The area was small but it served its purpose.  Lying upon a dirty workstation, tools and stationary flittering about, a short man snored away.  Waller couldn’t hide the disdain on her face.  Of course, the man was just another tool, but seeing him in such a manner was pathetic.

“Good afternoon, ma’am.”

Waller turned, following the voice.

The head popped up from behind a matching set of filing cabinets that held the woman’s files.  The lady was chaotic in appearance; her strawberry locks in disarray around the edge of her face.  Doctor Peters pushed the glasses up on her nose and flashed a smile.  “What can I do for you today?”

“Good afternoon, Leyla,” Amanda replied, returning the pleasantry.  “I came to check on our patient.  How is he feeling today?”

“About as good as someone who was put through a forced lobotomy and several weeks of extensive psychic reeducation can be.”

Waller frowned.  “You don’t agree with my methods?”

“I’m not paid to agree one way or another.”

“I like the way you think,” Waller responded, shrugging.  “If only my team could learn such sentiments.”  She moved to the side of the short man, the only other person in the room, and poked him in the side of the head.  A single groan was elicited but the man refused to awaken.  “Is he sleeping?”

“Drugged.  He was becoming addled and I decided to put him out before he hurt himself…or me, for that matter.”

“Well, I need him up immediately.  Task Force X is being sent out on a mission as we speak and I need my insurance policy up and running.”

Doctor Peters shook her head.  “There’s no way.  He’ll be too weak.”

“Give him a pot of coffee, kick him in the balls…I don’t care what you have to do but I want this little troll awake and transmitting,” Waller ordered.  “If something happens in the field with Polaris, all hell can break loose.  That can’t happen, especially not on the first mission.  I put my neck out there bringing Neal Emerson onto the team in the first place.  I need—”

Sighing, Doctor Peters threw up her arms in defeat.  “I’ll do the best I can but I can’t promise anything.”

“I don’t need promises as long as you can get the job done, Leyla,” Waller said before turning and heading back out.

“Wait, ma’am!”

Waller turned back.  “What is it?”

“My patient’s mind is already fragile.  I understand you need him to return your machine, but I can only keep his mind together for so long.  All this manipulation is going to turn him into a vegetable if not kill him outright.”

Waller considered the words but, in the end, decided she didn’t care.  “That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

For a moment, Leyla Peters knew exactly why everybody hated Amanda Waller.  When the moment passed, the doctor went back to work, reaching for a syringe and a packet of smelling salts.


Waller moved next into the Mission Control room inside the Citadel.  It was from here that all Checkmate operations were supervised.  There were Checkmate agents everywhere, their black and gold uniforms giving the area the appearance of twilight.  Waller leaned against a metal railing, looking out over the entirety of Mission Control.

“Somebody give me a report,” the American Director of Meta-Human Affairs ordered.  She rubbed her eyes, the day’s events starting to exhaust her.  “Somebody!  Anybody!”

“Ma’am, Task Force X is gathered inside Talon Alpha, waiting for your command to lift off.”

Waller looked down at the woman who had spoken.  A hush seemed to fall over the room while they awaited the Director’s order.

This was it…

Waller looked down at the floor for a moment before looking up and out over the room, her eyes encompassing all of those present.

And a single word sent Mission Control into a flurry of activity—

“Go!”

Next Issue:  Check out WONDER WOMAN #24 before heading back to TASK FORCE X #4 for part three of “Relocation!”

Story © 2006 Matt Hrubey and may not be reproduced without permission.