16182/SUICIDE SQUAD: Into Space!

SUICIDE SQUAD: Into Space!
Date of Scene:	09 November 2023
Location:	Jules Verne Museum - St. Martin's Island
Synopsis:	Felicia steals a suitable item to gain the attention of the man known as Thanatos! Now the Suicide Squad must make their move and soon!
Cast of Characters:	Wade Wilson, Melissa Gold, Flash Thompson, Felicia Hardy, Harley Quinn

---

Wade Wilson has posed:
    In the dark depths of space, brave souls put their lives on the line for their fellow beings. These courageous travelers, these hearty adventurers, they do not hesitate to put themselves in harm's way. Seeking out new lands and new people, finding the path toward a brighter future yet not neglecting the tender loving journey within... these are the tales of the voyages of the journeys of the Spaceship Indefatigable.
    And her brave crew.
    On the bridge of the exploration vessel, Captain Wilson sits in the command chair, one hand resting upon the data console on the arm of the really rather... terribly comfortable seat. He leans forwards, rubbing a thumb along the curve of his jawline as he watches the display screen showing a distant vessel ahead. The muted lighting on the bridge cast long shadows upon the features of the ship's intrepid crew as they held their stations, watching the unknown vessel creeping ever closer at sub-light speed.
    "This is damn peculiar." Wade says softly, his SpaceFleet uniform over top the red and black of his suit complementing his svelte lean super handsome physique. The black and red mask he wears merely viewed as an affectation by the rest of the crew, though the toupee on top of it was what got him the occasional strange side-eyed glance.
    To the side he says sharply, "Ensign, take us to Yellow Alert."

    MEANWHILE, In the really real world.

    Inside a vacant office building just two blocks away from their target, the Jules Verne Museum, The Suicide Squad makes ready. The team is gathered in what has become their control center for the op, though in previous years it was primarily a large meeting room that had been used for press releases and presentations. It had a bank of computer monitors that were set up to show the progress of their stealth element, one Felicia 'Black Cat' Hardy currently on assignment inside the museum. The monitors displayed various video feeds and data fed from the target location. Around the room there were several computers set up. But Wade Wilson had commandeered the large La-Z-Boy chair that had been left behind for some reason. He had moved it out into the center of the room and right now... he was leaning forward in it, rubbing his fingertip along the line of his jaw.
    He mumbles something to himself, then abruptly he shifts those white eyelets over to Songbird and says in a voice that almost sounds authoritarian, "Ensign, take us to Yellow Alert."

Melissa Gold has posed:
Sitting at the helm was the best pilot in the business. Though she had a troubled past, Starfleet had given her a second chance on life and she wasn't going to waste it. As they were ordered to yellow alert by the Captain, with the touch of a button the lighting changed slightly on the bridge, highlighting the tension of the situation. "Aye Aye, Captain." Immediately her fingers were moving over the sliding toggles and lighted displays on the console before her, making sure the ship was ready to go at a moment's notice.

In The REAL world...

Mel glanced over at Wade's order in her direction and she tilted her head slightly. "Ensign?" Because Melissa was not a Star Trek girl. She wasn't even a Galaxy Quest girl. So she had no idea what was going on here at first. It was just kind of Wade being Wade, something she was used to. "And I think we've been at yellow alert since this whole thing started," she added for good measure, looking back to the screens to track the progress. They were at a position where they would be able to Go Loud if necessary to support Felicia. Though, in all truth, Melissa didn't think it would be necessary. She had complete confidence in their cat burglar supreme.

Which is probably why she was on edge because Melissa also know that on their ops, something always tended to go sideways somehow. Hopefully this time it didn't involve Amazonian princess and the Lasso of Truth. Course, if it did, both Harley and Wade would probably be thrilled. Waller? Not so much.

Flash Thompson has posed:
There's a red shirt. There's always a red shirt. Some extra that's looking for his big break, or perhaps the introduction of a new crew member that may make his or her way into the core group and become a fan favorite. Though most of the time they are just there to be scene filler and be an FNG.

Friggin' New Guy.

At the security station, dressed in a sharp red shrit (better to hide the blood) Agent Venom stands at his console, military straight and proper. When Captain Deadpool asked for a report, he glanced over. "Standing by." reports the security officer.

----

When they were informed that there would be a newcomer to the group, Flagg had dropped Agent Venom (NO NOT VENOM, there is a difference) in with the team. A leftover from Project Rebirth 2.0, nooned knew what to do with him, so it's a test bed to see if he'll fit in with the rest of the Squad.

He has the same colors as Venom. No mouth though, and his symbiote is formed into a military uniform with shoulder guards, pouches, raised armor in places, the lower legs more thick and spiky standing out as a small difference from the rest of the outfit.

As he watches Deadpool move around the Laz-Boy as he watches the progress of Black Cat on the monitors above. "So we're just standing by in case things go sideways?" he asks, verifying the mission.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Every good space force like Starfleet needs its plucky junior officer, the crabby medic always going on about 'safety protocols' and 'supplies' and 'intracranial bomb detonating if you do that', and the charismatic captain prone to shooting first and asking questions at the full military tribunal offworld to establish culpability for interstellar war crimes or diplomatic feats. The crew is assembled, and one essential piece lounges in her seat importantly poking at a glossy, sleek screen in front of her.

On paper, the diplomatic corps officer that Felicia is covers up her expertise: tactical acquisitions. Were they on a Soviet spaxe sub, she is undoubtedly KGB or GRU, but cooler, because GRU means being surrounded by lemon-yellow talking heads. If this were a bug-themed space opera show, she'd be the one who gets the fancy dressed talking-at-people role while *actually* doing something else off-screen. For the present, unconcerned about issues of syndication rights or phasers, the white-haired woman monitors the flow of communications intently. She flicks open a message from a ship in a nearby quadrant, perusing the contents intently and keeping at least some attention on her fellow crew in case the captain says something noteworthy. Or grips his chair and sits up authoritatively in excitement and tense anticipation.

=^n.n^= Real World =^n.n^=

Tense isn't a word known to the Black Cat, partly because she lives for these moments. Revels in them. The possibility her bones aren't totally fused, either, could amount for how she glides through the museum doors with a supple assurance that fits the role of Visiting Influencer.

A smart brown bobbed wig and big round glasses scream "academic", if the plaid skirt and jacket don't. An earbud mic plausibly allows her to record her thoughts on various displays for her made-up followers -- funny how many bot friends you can buy on the dark web for rubles on the dollar. Switching channels from active record to listening comes easily, though the team waiting on her gets pauses as she maneuvers deftly through the displays with the ease of someone who knows her way around places. Which she does. Studying blueprints, security placements, guest movements, and other core details comes as naturally as breathing and prep work for the past X editorial insert days should hopefully pay off.

She heads into another gallery, leaving behind the thrills of preserved documents and old yellowing photographs for lots of clunky metalwork from the Space Age. The actual deal is "A Retrospective On Metropolitan Design: 1950-1975" or something like that, architecture and furniture and cool art. Sliding past an op-art take on Spaghetti-os, she mutters, "How is *that* worth nine point six? It looks like someone taped a label to a fingerpainting and called it a day. Let's turn our attention away from the obvious influences of commercialism on modern art to something more *exotic*." Behold: the marriage of a bucket and a red tailed hawk!

Harley Quinn has posed:
*POP*

That's the sound of pink gum 'exploding' as the Communications Officer Harleen Quinzel continues to busy herself at the communications center, a large switch table for, you guessed it, phone line switching. This is early Star Trek, right? However had she gotten this position? No one knew for sure but her knack for doing any accent any time meant she could look really professional when speaking with those alien species. It also helped she was a bombshell.

"Oi, Amanda. I gotta go. The boss is calling for the yellow alert." A roll of her eyes, "I know, riiiiight?" another *pop* of her gum as she eventually switches the phone line. "No communications yet out of the unknown vessel, Cap."

------

Harley is currently sitting over at a table, a small laptop in front of her. Whoever made her be in charge of communications? Does she even know how to use a computer? "Alright, I think I am close to doing the connect-y thing with Black Cat." she tells the group. She touches on a few more buttons. Then puts a large pair of headphones on her head.

"HELLO? BLACK CAT?" Major feedback most likely heard on everyone's comms.

Wade Wilson has posed:
    On the bridge of the Indefatigable...

    "Just hold fast Lieutenant Copyright Infringement." Captain Wade said as he glanced over in the direction of Agent Venom. It was the Lieutenant's first voyage out, and clearly he was suffering some hint of confusion. Yet he did seem stalwart. Perhaps if he survived this episode he would be considered a possible add-on for the crew. At least with that line he now had his Screen Actor's Guild card, so that would make contract negotiations easier.
    The good Captain turned his attention back to the viewscreen, the image of the other SpaceFleet vessel slowly approaching grew larger, its spherical foredeck growing more and more prominent. The soundtrack swelled a little, one of the motifs emphasizing the Indefatigable played in the background of the bridge, likely something written by James Horner.
    "Science Officer," Wade said.
    Across the bridge Hugh Jackman with prosthetic pointed ears lifted his head. "Yes, Captain?"
    "Scan for hypernoidominal irregularities."
    "Yes, Captain."

    MEANWHILE!

    The squeal on the comms likely does indeed cause a moment of wincing from the people listening in. Some of the team does hunch down over their computers, Skullface growling with that trademark scowl of his across his mask. Thankfully Wade is not on those comms. He has more important business to deal with in his La-Z-Boy chair.
    When Agent Venom asks his question, Deadpool points at him, "Just hold fast, Lt. Copyright Infringement."
    He turns toward Peter who makes tentative eye-contact with Wade. "Science Officer."
    Peter's eyes widen slightly, "What? Who me?"
    "Scan for hypernoidominal irregularities."
    The mustachioed Suicide Squaddie blinks a few times and shakes his head, "Um, how... how do I do that?" As he starts to look over the computer console at his desk that he is just now turning on.

Melissa Gold has posed:
On the bridge, the ensign didn't have much more to do other than look concerned as she kept her eyes on the viewscreen. If they needed to go in, she had her fingers on the controls to fire the ship into impulse power to close the distance. Warp wouldn't be necessary as it was close.

REAL TIME

And this was precisely why they were relying on Felicia to do what she did best. Mel winced and pulled the little communications bud out of her ear for a moment then looked back over at Harley. How Harley actually got that thing to connect to the comms was anyone's guess. Because Mel was under the impression that wasn't possible!

The feed from the camera Felicia was using for her 'live stream' was picked up and now was being displayed on several screens. They had also been able to tap into the security cameras for the museum, thus giving them live information on the whereabouts of any sort of security that might be present.

She glanced over to their newest Squaddie. "I considered us going in more fully," she admitted. "But let's be honest. When it comes to theft, Black Cat is the best in the business." Hopefully Catwoman never heard her say that. Thankfully, she wasn't on the team. "But we have an entrance or exit strategy that will put us right there to help her should it come down to it. But I've learned from working with this squad for a bit..." She sort of winced a little and seemed almost apologetic as she gave a shrug. "Stealth and subterfuge isn't really our strong suit."

Flash Thompson has posed:
The transmission that Communications sends out causes a feedback loop. When that feedback hits Lieutenant Infrigement, suddent he grabs his head and yelps in pain as he takes several moments to recover and get himself back under control. "My species is very sensitive to certain sounds." he manages.

--- In the Real ---

Oh, if there was confusion before... when Harley squelches the radio and the feedback squawk hits, suddenly Agent Venom's poised and nice uniform suddenly explodes into spikes and tentacles, showing hints of the man inside of it. "We will feast on her brains!" he snarls, claws forming on his hands as he prepares to lunge at Harley, as Flash fights to get the symbiote back under control, "We /do not/ EAT PEOPLE!"

Felicia Hardy has posed:
The thrilling goss from the USS Armstrong about the shenanigans among the crew of the USS Callisto clearly warrants a deeper read. Felicia obliges, because she's contractually obligated to, pinging a quick read notification and then two up votes. Because Captain Red Dude would totally approve of the tea spilling. Don't the writers have something to say about Officer this, Lieutenant That, and Second Helmsman No-Job-Now! <They wore their holiday costumes anyways, strictly flouting Federation requirements handed down that no one appear in a Starfleet or similarly identifiable branding while celebrating in public. But was it a requirement if it's not in their contract? How does this work if the contract period was suspended for ongoing interworld negotiations with the Grand V. Of the Romulans?> Such drama!

She is so engrossed in the nonsense that she barely notices the screeching feedback from across the bridge, and only sheer professionalism stops her from doing more than tossing her hair.

=^n.n^= Real World =^n.n^=

Felicia tosses her hair to cover up the bleep of bleeping fuzzy beeps that cut out Harley's voice. She confidently glides around a badly placed sign that excitedly explains the differences between chrome and zinc plating. Neon buzzes overhead, because it wouldn't be space age Metropolis without lots of signs. Frankly if Selina was here, there'd be no catfight, just lots of awesome posing and acquiring of dubious goods. Because Catwoman and Felicia are classy thieves who know the secret is making non-thieves feel good and then feel guilty. About their material possessions.

The triangular display housing the big helmet with its fantastic ear wings ripped off some passing raptor glows in blue light. A timeline on the wall displays facts she's too busy to read because they don't involve dollar signs, and provenance is determined by tiny labels and 'made in Nidavellir' stamped on the inside of the rim. Instead, she looks totally engrossed by a little screen giving all sorts of details, leaning in close to read the teeny tiny print. Her hand goes to the wall, right over a sticker-covered port a cable for the screen fits into. It's only then she deploys her claws. Techno-claws that slot right into the socket and kick out seeking a data feed while working on sniffing for different broadcast networks. Embedded software under her middle finger, thank you hard-working Bulgarian friendlies, starts running to disrupt the networks and overload them with comments and feedback cards on how awesome it is to have Spaghetti-O's and not enough representation of the dinosaurs or Gen X dinosaurs that used to once roam freely through Metropolis.

Plink! Security around the helmet and its electronic lock won't last for long against the sophisticated assault, much less a girl in a pleated skirt fetchingly leaning forward in the classic bombshell pose while doing all that hard academic lifting of reading words like 'Helmet of Norse being THOR or possibly ODIN' c. 1964. Soon as she can wiggle her way away, sliding out the helmet and replacing it with an equally heavy but much much smaller paperweight globe of "Welcome to Flushing, Queens!" will be a go. Right?

Harley Quinn has posed:
Poor red shirt. Would he survive this episode? But worst of all, would he survive the COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER? Because when first he had Harleen's curiosity now he had her attention, the woman leaning forward on her switch table.

"What else are you ...." Another bubblegum *pop*, "... sensitive about?" smoky gaze and voice that is telling that are worst DANGERS afoot than dying an inglorious death aboard the Indefatigable.

Though right before she can start doing twirls with her tongue over her bubble gum she seems to get a reading. "I am getting a voice message out of the unknown vessel, they are saying their chambers coil is overloading their comms system."

Who writes the techno-jargle of these episodes?!

----------

Harley adjusts the sound so there's no more feedback but most of all she seems surprised that Agent Venom actually speaks! "Oh shit! He talks!" that has those baby blue eyes blinking, "Thought he was this mean lean assass---" tentacles and spikes follow and she actually GRINS instead of looking terrified. "Goin' right to a gal's heart by flashing those tentacles." she winks up at him with a 'call me' gesture before her attention goes back to the 'comms' she is handling.

"Captain Wilson, I am getting a voice message, they sayin' theah chambers coil is overloading their comms system." Is this a shared hallucination?

Wade Wilson has posed:
    In the Depths of Space!

    On the bridge of the Indy, Captain Wilson looks pensive waiting for Commander Jackman to finish his scan. It's in that moment that Communications Officer Harls breaks in with her declaration of that message from the other SpaceFleet ship. He turns his masked and toupeed head sharply to the side and says quickly, "Hugh?"
    Which has Mr. Jackman quickly ducking his head into the black visor for _focused_ scanning. A few seconds later his head pops back up and he says with a hint of incredulity to his overly logical voice. "Their coil emissions are normal."
    Captain Wilson frowns and turns back to look at the screen as the SSNCCHMV-2210 Surprise positively fills the view screen with its war-like bulk.
    Then Commander Jackman says quickly, "They're raising shields..." A beat later, "They're locking phasers."
    "Raise shields!" Wade says quickly.
    And suddenly the bridge explodes with activity!
    And explosions.

    While inside the Office Building...

    The very moment that Agent Venom roars and lashes into a shape of wild tentacles and spikes and spines, shrieking with a snarling rage, Wade /LEAPS!/ out of his chair and hits the ground heavily on the floor! And lies there.
    Around the room several of the other teammates get to their feet quickly, Vlad's voice rising up to a high shrill tone as he yells, his bat wings flaring, "What the fuck man?! What is wrong with that dude?!"
    While Skullface quickly stumbles out of his seat, the office chair tipping over with a BANG!

Melissa Gold has posed:
Shields fell to the FNG who hopefully wouldn't die immediately to an explosion at his station when the ship was impacted by the fire, despite the shields certainly being brought up just in time to save their asses. Because that was how such things went. And there had been so many FNGs that had been eliminated from the crew in that manner when they did an episode on the ship instead of going down in a landing party with gold and blue but just a single redshirt FNG who never made it back. It was sad. They'd have a little ceremony later then replicated cake after. Cause that's what they did.

IN REALITY...

Unlike some of her teammates, Melissa at least had a little information about their newest member. But that didn't make this any less of a surprise and thus she too was on her feet and taking in a deep breath while dropping into a ready position for physical combat as well. For those that knew her powers, that breath was the important part.

"Nobody is eating anybody!" she ordered, just in case it became necessary. "Because if you don't like sound... Let's just say this would be your worst day if you tried."

She stood back in a normal way, holding hands up and out in a placating motion. "It was an accident. Everything is good."

Though something did occur to her. "And we /might/ be okay with eating people in the right circumstances. This just isn't it." One never took an option off the table with the situations the Squad got into!

Flash Thompson has posed:
The shields fell, and it seemed like the FNG was doomed, yet another unnamed credit in a series of unnamed credits, before it's claws lash out. Grabbing a hold of the sides of the metal, it rends around his fingers as he pulls himself back within. The tentacles and spikes settle and reform, becoming the military uniform it was before as he glances towards the communications officer.

"My race are known for their hardiness and longegevity." he responds to her calmly, "You will find that I am able to take... a lot." His large eyes do not betray if there may be a steamy subplot there or not!

--- At HQ ---

"On it!" Flash growls at Songbird as Agent Venom manages to pull himself back together. "Goddamit, you should know what sound does to a symbiote, it's basic knowledge!" He draws in a breath and the symbiote's flesh falls back under Flash's control and Agent Venom's military form retakes. "I'm aware of your abilities. We will make sure to stand upgrange of you."

He says nothing on the idea of 'eating people'." That's a discussion for the symbiote later. "We're cool. Everyone's cool."

A look is shot at Harley, but there's no immediate response to her 'call me' gesture.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Where did the explosions come from? Why are electrical sparks erupting from one of the glossy panels that doesn't even have electricity going through it? Felicia curses under her breath and steadies herself, pushing back in her chair and grabbing an enormous manual from a drawer. Starfleet Federation diplomatic standards gets used to thoroughly smash and smother a little plasmic burst, then another as more explosions show up for no reason other than the senseless need for excitement. "Communications officer, an astute assessment of our situation, please!" She turns quickly enough to see chaos a few meters on. "Ugh! Captain, your mother wants to know if you intend to come to the starbase for dinner and she's hailing us *right now*!"

She looks at the scorched remains of the book and promptly hurls them over her shoulder where it beans some poor security grunt emerging from the elevator with force enough to knock him out. Extra... Or invader?!

=^n.n^= Real World =^n.n^=

Unaware of the chaos except for the obligatory innuendo, the cat burglar is halfway to snatching that pretty piece of sparkly art when Eugene's loud statement comes through. Her purr? It's a *purr*, rolling Rs that's the bidet answer to the French using silk. "We do if they ask *just right*."

Not helping things. She plucks her modified claw-glove from the socket. Out comes the paperweight to play nanny for the security system, slipped in as she scoops up the grandiose winged helmet. Of course, there has to be a way to get that out of the building... A sack, an invisibility screen, a daring escape.

There is. She scootches with her back to the cameras the whole time over about twenty-five feet and then shimmies her way into the short corridor with two bathrooms and a crooked 'do not enter - employees only' sign. Winking over her shoulder at no one, she pivots the break room. Inappropriate but it has the window through which she's going to shimmy with her ill-gotten prize. Instead of... Going out the front door, the side door, the skylights, the exit-only door, a fire door, or somewhere else like a *boring* thief, because that's where security would expect someone, rather than running off with a helmet and a lunch. That's right, she takes the big insulated lunch bag from the break room fridge that belongs to Mr. Pierce. He's the dull and boring manager who schedules his employees for 31 hours a week so they can't get full-time benefits or health plans, and made Li do a clopening twice in the last two week. The Suicide Squad are the heroes the people *need*. Scooting out a window with a very dubiously slinky act of rebellion in clothes not intended for that!

Harley Quinn has posed:
Explosions! Mayhem! The bridge rocks at the assault out of that unknown vessel. Harleen's table fizzles and sparkles sends the woman flying. Dramatically so. Also in slow motion to put TENSION in the episode. Or just to add to the TENSION between the red shirt lieutenant and the hussy communications officer as she goes to land right on the man's hands dash claws.

"My savior." She says in that smoky voice again. Eyes meet eyes! "Why, Lieutenant Infringement, I believe we may have to do some deep alien research experimentation later..."

Whoever wrote this subplot?! Probably the same writing all the weird techno-garble.

Some beep-boop comes from the still-fizzling communication table and Harleen immediately jumps over to it, getting up from the Lieutenant's arms. "Ensign! I am getting a communication from them! Seems they are attacking ..., because we stole their food supplies?"

-----

When Wade falls to the floor and all heck breaks loose so does Harley immediately hides under the table. From who?! Not that it stops her from talking, "Ensign Songbird, may I point out that sometimes it's fine eating out a teammate if they consent?" Really, Harley? Really?

"You are almost out, Black Cat. Dibs on the dessert." Oh yes, she saw the lunch bag being stolen on the screens.

Wade Wilson has posed:
    On the bridge!

    The red emergency lights had come on, casting those even longer darker more dramatic shadows upon the crew who remained. Some of the consoles were on fire, one of the doors to the turbolift was askew, and even the Key Grip who handled everyone's coffee orders was down, fallen on the floor unconscious with a smouldering book right next to him.
    Captain Wilson slowly pulled himself back to his feet, "How bad did they hit us?"

    In the Ops Center in the Office Building!

    Deadpool twists and turns on the ground, gesturing with his gloved hands forward and back and up and down, making short sharp noises that sound like, 'Kerspew! Kerboosh! Kerpow! Kadoozh!'
    And as he says those words he twists a little to the side, getting partially to his feet, stumbling left... stumbling right. Then straightening up and shaking his head. He points at Harley under the table and asks her, "How bad did they hit us?"

Melissa Gold has posed:
"What? We have no reason to steal their food supplies! Tell them we will replace what they lost. We have replicators so can give them something else in their place, at the very least," came the suggestion from Ensign Gold. She shook her head as she continued to try to maneuver their ship out of the line of fire but into a place they could return shots at the enemy. Friends? Whatever they ended up being. One never knew in these episodes.

Back at Ops...

"Harley!" Because that one she probably should have expected but she had not. Melissa took a careful breath and her tone was less shocked as she continued. "I don't think that is what was meant." But then she sort of looked between the new Agent on their team and Harley and opted to just back out of that conversation before things got worse.

Seeing that Felicia got out with their prize, she had to smile though. "Good work, Cat. Meet us at the rendezvous," she said over the comms.

Unfortunately that happiness was short lived as Deadpool began flailing on the floor, rolling one way then the next. "Are... you having a seizure?" Because she wasn't a doctor but that looked like one. She looked over at Harley then pointed at him.

Flash Thompson has posed:
"I'm very good at deep probes." Lieutenant Infringement offers to the Comms Officer. "We can work on your linguist. I am quite cunning." Terrible subplot.

But Captain Wilson breaks them up for now. "Shields are down!" he reports, "They are preparing to board us, suggest we prepare for..." dramatic pause, "...hand to hand."

Back at Ops...

"Who knows." Agent Venom muses at Harley's comment, "Perhaps she wants to be our dessert." A massive pointed tongue rolls out for a moment, licking lips and teeth that weren't there before he snaps it back into place. "...stop that." Flash grumbles at the symbiote.

And his attention is turned to Songbird and Deadpool, and there's a thoughtful pause. "Is it always like this?"

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Felicia composés herself rather than throwing her hands up in the air at the communication officer and the lieutenant. Seeing their captain on the floor in a crisis is par for the course, but not the yammering voice of his mother coming through the battered systems. Even though she thoroughly threw the book at the problem...

She leaves her post to stalk over towards Ensign Gold. Soot and smoke billow around impressively without somehow dirtying her white hair or uniform, leaving the smallest smudge on her cheekbone. "They're *pirates*. Mercenaries. Have no mercy for a crew that would cry for help and then turn on the kind hand that fed them," she would say, except it comes out more like, "Oh no! Are we sure they are not pirates that incapacitated the crew and send false signals to us?" Because these scripts need her to pose inexplicably and sound helpless.

=^n.n^= Real World =^n.n^=

Why does Harley get rebuked and Felicia doesn't? Charm and a catsuit, apparently.

She heads out with her stolen lunch and helmet, tossing the former into a crowd of hungry looking middle schoolers and the latter into a Trader Joe's recyclable shopping bag. It pays to be prepared. Going on foot is definitely the cool way back to the headquarters. She somehow manages to lose the wig and glasses on the way (dead drop stashes, baby).

Harley Quinn has posed:
Harley is, frankly, a terrible communications officer. Both inside Wade's deranged mind and in the real world. What she is -quite- good at is being a doctor. Well, a psychologist if we want to be pedantic and technical. But still a doctor! So when Melissa points out the rather confused Deadpool veering left and right is when Harley finally leaves the safety of her table.

Almost as if nothing had happened. She pads to the merc with a mouth and helps get him to his feet. "Oi, were you daydreaming again?" she snaps her fingers a couple of times in front of his eyes. "We already talked about you doing this during a mission! Also, why do you think toupees are sexy?" real questions asked right there.

But bottom line is, snapping Deadpool right out of his deranged dream. Maybe the Indefatigable will survive yet another mission. And so will the Suicide Squad.

Wade Wilson has posed:
    The evil ship continues its slow bank turn, its weapon systems visibly charging as the smoke and flames threaten to engulf the bridge of the good ship Indefatigable. Suddenly there's a loud voice from off-screen. "Wait, wait! What script are we working from? I've got pages from episode 302 and 304 here." There's the sound of rustling paper, even as the imagery begins to fade.

    Which means in the real world abruptly... Wade is back.

    Suddenly a Harley Quinn is all up in his grill, yo. Wade blinks quickly a few times, "Oh Auntie Harls it's you... But I did leave you, and Unca Mel. That's just the trouble. And I tried to get back for days and days? but it wasn't a dream. It was a place. And you, and you, and you? and you were there."
    He then pushes away from her and walks past Songbird, snorting slightly as he gives himself a little laugh, then comments sideways toward Melissa, "Your face is having a seizure. Hey new guy, good job." He points at Agent Venom, "Faster on the shields next time, buddy."
    Deadpool hops forward a little to look over the side of the display monitors as he offers that ever so clever rejoinder. After taking a quick gander at Black Cat's progress his nose crinkles under that mask when he says, "So she like, actually did it?"
    He straightens up, katanas scabbards clacking slightly against each other as his white eyelets widen a little. "And without a hitch? This is going to set a bad precedent for us. Mark my words."

Melissa Gold has posed:
"It just proves we can do it to Waller," Melissa returned. "Which after the last debacle, we kind of needed this W." Because that had indeed been a situation they feared would be the end of the Squad. And indeed, a few of their teammates who had chips in the heads. Thankfully, it hadn't come to that.

"Good job, team." She said to the group as a whole. "Here's hoping future jobs go as smoothly."

But then she considered the question from Eugene. And that had her giving a negative shake of her head. "Not at all. We usually are..." Then she paused and gave a shrug. "Who am I kidding. This is us as at our best behavior. Welcome to the Squad."

Flash Thompson has posed:
"Prove it to Waller, she ups the difficulty, I imagine." Agent Venom offers, and folds his arms across his chest as he gives a small nod and considers his words carefully. "Hopefully, we won't have to worry about being at our worst any time soon."

Jinx.