15544/Talk to the Wall

Talk to the Wall
Date of Scene:	03 August 2023
Location:	Belle Reve Penitentiary
Synopsis:	Diana confronts Amanda Waller about the Suicide Squad. Different philosophies are shared and a compromise of sorts found.
Cast of Characters:	Amanda Waller, Diana Prince

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Amanda Waller has posed:
The conversation between Diana and the Wall had been a long time coming after the Amazon Princess discovered the truth about the Suicide Squad. Or at least part of the truth. A meeting had eventually been set between a supposed representative that led the team and Diana. The location? Belle Reve prison. Perhaps not the most glamorous of places but it's told Amanda Waller rules here.

To receive Diana was a tall, muscular man. Angular features, clearly military. He greets Diana with a sharp nod, "Good evening, Princess Diana." a beat, "I am Colonel Rick Flagg. I will bring you to Ms. Waller. Please come with me." the man starting to lead her through the halls of the prison. They do not go through any cells of course, corridors leading mostly through office spaces that are emptied at the moment besides a few guards and soldiers here and there. They watch the approach with some surprise, clearly not having been informed of this.

"It's not often we get visitors of such reknown." Flagg says as they walk, breaking the silence after a while. "I hope you are able to find what you are looking for." he smiles just so as they start approaching the end of the hallway where a pair of closed doors are at. Beyond? Amanda Waller. And the truth behind the Suicide Squad.

But can Diana handle the truth?

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana does not visit prisons very often, if you can believe that. She's helped put a lot of people in them, maybe even this one. But with business pending here today, she arrives, and she arrives dressed in a crimson hued business attire skirt and blazer outfit. With her hair tied back in a loose ponytail, and her eyes covered by a pair of black framed glasses that help give her a air of regality, and professionalism, Wonder Woman meets Mister Flag, and she offers him a sweet soft smile with her crimson painted lips.

"Thank you, Mister Flag." She even tells him in her naturally smokey voice as he escorts her to Waller's office, or wherever the woman may be residing here today!

Once there, Diana is ushered inside, her eyes quickly moving to fall upon Amanda's location, and she greets her too with a smile. She's no reason to be anything but pleasant with her, even if she's come on less than stellar terms.

"Thank you for seeing me, Miss Waller." The Princess is quick to say upon arriving, offering her extended right hand to the other woman to shake as well, Diana's heeled shoes carrying her a couple inches over six feet in height this afternoon.

Amanda Waller has posed:
The doors open to a rather spartan-looking office. Void of most decorations save file cabinets and a computer on the desk. A few papers are around but the impression made is that this is quite the neat, organized person.

Even if she isn't that tall, standing at a very non-impressive 5'1" tall. Size doesn't seem to matter to the woman as she meets Diana's gaze directly, studying her posture and manner. "Of course. Least I could do to one of the heroes of Earth." she replies easily, extending her hand to shake Diana's, her grip strong even if certainly not as strong as an Amazon! "Please, sit." she gestures to one of the chairs, waiting for her to settle down before sitting behind her table.

"What brings you all the way to Belle Reve, Princess Diana?" it's the kind of tone that's telling she has a good idea of what it is.

Flagg makes his way into the room too and closes the door behind them, stepping to a side and folding his arms together as he listens to the conversation.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana does indeed perch herself upon the edge of the chair, her back kept straight as she affords another look over to Flag to see that he's electing to stay and participate in the meeting, even if peripherly. She looks back to Amanda then when the woman seems to wish to get straight to it.

Another warm smile is given to Amanda before Diana lays her hands together over her lap, and lowers her pointed chin ever-so-slightly. "Yes, well. I am sure that you heard about my involvement in the situation at the Technology Convention in Atlantic City?" Diana starts, her heavily accented English pleasantly enjoyable to most ears. "I... had quite an interaction with one Wade Wilson there-after, and a dear friend in Harleen Quinzel. Both of them... well they both spoke of some rather concerning information about a possible project that you are in command of?" She states, and also poses as a question at the same time.

Another look is sent to Rick on Diana's right side, but she doesn't linger it long as she regards Waller again within a mere second or so.

Amanda Waller has posed:
Flagg seems to be mostly on listening duty now, perhaps here to give his opinion even if requested but mostly he listens, lips pressed to a thin line as they get right to it. Not that he expected any different. Waller isn't the type to lose time with niceties.

"Yes, I have received the report." Waller assures Diana in a calm manner, resting back on her chair, "I have spoken with them after. And the rest of the team. They had a story to tell." one of her eyes twitches as she recalls the crayons Deadpool used to depict it all, "An operation against AIM, done with some success. That technology won't be coming out to the streets anytime soon." she leans forward after, "What concerns do you have about the group?" a beat as she considers the next words.

"About the Suicide Squad."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana is about to speak again when Amanda interjects with the group's name. The name alone seems to strike a chord inside the Princess' mind, but her head gently shakes side to side once. "Well, according to what the two of them told me, and bare in mind Mister Wilson was under the influence of my lasso's compelling properties to urge him to tell the truth as he perceieves it to be... This, team, sounds as though they are being forced in to performing tasks for you, under the threat of their own personal harm, should they reject you." She replies, taking a second before continuing.

"I was told there were, or are... implants. Explosives being put inside of them as well?" She questions now with a tilt of her head toward her right shoulder, her expression clearly questioning on such a method.

"All of this, is concerning to me." She softly adds then.

Amanda Waller has posed:
"Do you know how valuable time is? For someone like you?" Amanda replies, dark gaze fixed directly on Diana's, unafraid. And perhaps worst of all a full believer in what she is saying, "On average 4.7 people die for every minute you spend here with me. We factor the rest of the Justice League in and those numbers increase. In the past this metric had been higher. 7.6 in the last year. 10.4 on the previous." Waller shakes her head slowly. "You know this already I am sure, but we have /not/ been winning the fight against crime."

A pause as she looks to Flagg, then back, "The only way we figured to make casualties decrease was implementing more effective teams. Like this one. Taking care of dangers before they come to your attention." she explains, "Before those dangers become insurmountable and you and the rest of the League needs to be called. That is how we save lives in the suicide squad."

"These former criminals, they are given a choice to be part of it. Forced? Hardly so, but they get benefits, like reduced sentences. Or in the case of your friend, making sure she doesn't get behind bars again."

The woman pauses, letting that sink in before adding, "You are free to use your famed lasso on me if you do not believe my words."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's stare straightens as she sits on the edge of the chair on the other side of the desk from Waller. She drops the inside of her dark eyebrows down a little, creating a crease between her brows, as some measure of what the other woman says seems to disagree with the Themysciran.

"We do not turn convicted criminals in to puppets of our own desires, let alone rogue agents at our beck and call... Amanda..." Diana states, using her first name to trying and sooth some of her words here. "This isn't right. There are any number of ways to create a team of capable individuals, to help push for justice, and safety of innocents, but this is... this is nefarious."

Diana draws in a breath then, her shoulders rising a little as she tilts her chin down again, her eyes on Amanda's through the vanity glasses she's wearing upon her nose. "I am rather certain this is entirely not legal, either. How you have managed to get such a thing in motion is perplexing to me, and concerning that you would think it to be a good idea in the first place. I am not sure what your intentions here truly are, but I urge you to shut this down before something terrible comes from it."

All of this is said from the Princess, without giving any consideration to Rick at her side.

Amanda Waller has posed:
Waller even opens her arms briefly to the side as if to show she's talking serious about the lasso usage, the woman's unwavering stare remaining squarely on Diana's. This is clearly not someone easily intimidated, or scared, the briefest hints on that gaze of someone that has gone through a lot in life, "You call them puppets and I call them serving society and becoming better themselves. Perhaps some of them will realize they can do better by helping instead of..." she gestures around her, "... doing whatever brought them to this place. Yet don't be mistaken, this is not about them, but about the innocents they can and do save in every mission they go in."

"Not more illegal than the CIA." she notes, lips creasing to a line, "And you know we won't shut down. Yet I am willing to listen to your suggestions. It's why we are having this conversation after all."

Flagg remains quiet for now, like a nice ornament on the wall. A 6 foot tall, solidly muscled ornament.

Diana Prince has posed:
The response that Amanda gives to Diana, causes the Princess to gently exhale.  She glances away to the side of the room opposite from where Flag stands, then regards Amanda again, a moment later.

"I would like the names of everyone involved in this project, top to bottom." Diana states, though does she really have the authority to ask for such a thing? She is an Ambassador, she's a prominent member of the Justice League, but she's not ... in one of the infamous alphabet agencies, nor an elected official of anything within the United States.

"This, by all accounts, feels like a team of rogue assets, being put in to some shadowy strike force, under the penalty of punishment if they do not comply.  But, perhaps I am wrong.  This is why I am here, Amanda.  Please, provide me with all of the details on what this team is, their mandate, and a clarification on the options that its team members have to both participate, or choose not to participate, either immediately or down the road.  I need to know if these people are being treated fairly, because the conversation that I had with both Mr. Wilson and Ms. Quinzel would indicate that this was forced labor, under threat of something potentially terrible should they wish not to play in this game you have created."

She pauses.

"I have helped you with this, Amanda.  Be it bringing in Ms. Quinzel, or Ms. Darkholme.  I do not want to regret my involvement in this.  I ask that you provide me with full disclosure on all of the details of this group..."

Amanda Waller has posed:
Amanda's gaze narrows back at Diana. This isn't the kind of woman used to relinquishing control of anything. So she remains in silence for a time, considering. Or perhaps they entered a stalemate. The silence lingers almost as if it would turn into a breaking point but eventually there is a cough.

From the ornament.

"Perhaps we could show Ms. Prince what we do convince my teammates to work with us." the man says. A pause as he waits for Waller who just nods for the man to continue talking and Flagg does so, "Many work for us to reduce their prison sentences, others because they get to go out of their cells. Yet for it to work we need a reasonable threat to keep some of the more dangerous elements in line. The missions are already hard as is without having to worry about someone thinking on escaping, or simply killing for the fun of it. It's why the idea that they have explosives in their heads came up."

He goes towards the computer screens, pulling up a few images, "We have someone working for us that is quite good with illusions. That someone was able to do a very convincing act about a few convict's heads exploding during a mission, all fabricated by us. From there it was simply waiting for the rumor to spread."

"If you want more information I am sure Director Waller can give you more info on the operation..." Flagg says with a brief nod, but then Waller intervenes and adds, "I can offer you information to an extent, there are many redacted parts that I can't obviously offer anyone. Not even a prestiged member of the Justice League like you."

Diana Prince has posed:
When Flag begins to try and offer some measure of explanation for the explosives angle on coercing these people in to obedience, Diana gives him her undivided attention.  His explanation doesn't really settle well within her either.  Another back and forth look is given to both Waller, and her partner, before Diana draws in a light breath through her pert nose.

"This is immoral." She tells them both, simply stating her viewpoint on it.  "I am sure you both have convinced yourselves that this is a means to an end.  That this will garner the results that you desire, and since it is with 'criminals' that that somehow justifies it..." She trails off there, letting that sink in as she shakes her head side to side softly just once.

"I do not support this." She states, as she moves to stand up from her chair.  "I ask that all information, a full roster of those who you are manipulating like this, be sent to me by the end of the week... and if not, well, I will go public with everything you have told me here today.  If you are confident in your standing with all of this, then I doubt that will bother you.  But if you are not... well, I suggest you provide me with full disclosure on the details.  These people.. may have earned a place in a prison cell, but that does not equate to forced servitude under the guise of being murdered."

The Princess gives Flag another look, this one sharper than she's stared upon him up to this point.  But Waller, Waller gets Diana's last jagged gaze.  "I thought better of you, Amanda." She states before she turns to take her leave.

Amanda Waller has posed:
"The world is not black and white, Wonder Woman." Waller talking again, unwavering stare! "We all must make hard decisions, and this is mine. The world isn't fair, we can only hope to level the odds." she says back at the Princess when the Amazonian begins to get up to leave.

"I can have the info on those involved in the project sent to you." She eventually concedes, folding her arms together, "What will you do with the information though?"

It's clear she doesn't want that information to be circulating around.

Diana Prince has posed:
Standing once more, her heels carrying her well over six feet, Diana stares across the desk to Amanda.  The question is met with a second or two of silence, before the Princess responds.  "I plan to speak to every single one of the members, to let them know that if they do not wish to be apart of this, that I will help them find a way out of it.  Additionally, I plan to make sure that it is well known that I do not endorse this, even if I helped you by bringing you two of your team's members."  Another little breath is taken, allowing another small pause.

"Amanda.  This is hubris.  I believe you feel that these people have specific skills, that you would like to put to use in ways that you believe would push a positive outcome. However, you cannot form your own team of 'Untouchables' by force, and coersion. I have said my peace, however, and I will stop with the lectures, for now.  I look forward to the information coming to my Embassy.  You know where to send it."

Another light nod is given to Waller then, along with a measuring stare sent toward Flag.  Diana's memory is flawless, she'll remember his face, and for some reason she feels that might be of use for later...

The Princess turns then, and begins to see herself out.