7277/Welcome to the Suicide Squad, Mystique! Don't mind the bombs..

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Welcome to the Suicide Squad, Mystique! Don't mind the bombs..
Date of Scene: 08 August 2021
Location: Belle Reve Penitentiary
Synopsis: Mystique gets brought in to Waller so the terms of her 'release' are set. Task Force X is in the horizon for Mystique! Harley is there too for a 'traffic' violation, along with Cole. The former explains the cunning plan she did to meet Mystique while the latter pretends to fall asleep so Waller doesn't bother him anymore.
Cast of Characters: Harley Quinn, Raven Darkholme, Cole Cash




Harley Quinn has posed:
Another one. Amanda was *pissed*. Giving second chances to criminals? Not her usual MO, unless head-bombs are involved, and rather low rates of survival. But here they were again.

Harley had been the first that Diana had brought into the system, eventually leading to Amanda taking note of it, and having the strings pulled to have her work in the Suicide Squad in exchange for some sort of liberty. And the clownette just continued to survive the most dangerous missions that Amanda sent her to. Dumb luck or skill? Amanda didn't know just yet...

And now Mystique. Truth be told she had been wanting to put her hands on this one for a while now. She knew of her powers, of her crimes. And her use to the Suicide Squad? Oh, she could think of a few ways. And so it was time to get her in. Give her the offer.

The door to Mystique's cell opens up and a couple of guards are there. "Come out. The Warden wants to talk to you." one of them says. Burly, big guards. Meaning business too!

Raven Darkholme has posed:
It didn't matter what color the prison uniforms for the Belle Reve Penitentiary was, Mystique was wearing a bright orange cover all uniform over her cobalt skin because the clashing colors were just too perfect in her mind for her current situation. When she had started down the path to asking Wonder Woman to use the Lasso of Hestia, she hadn't quite expected it to end up in jail time. A part of her knew it likely would, but the larger part had hoped it wouldn't.

If it hadn't been for Remy, she might have actually been able to remain free, but his anguish and pain on Rogue's behalf needed justice... so here she was. It was probably the right thing to do in the end. The world needed to see she was willing to pay for her crimes, she had merely hoped it would be later, after she finished her work. To someone who has lived for a hundred and forty years and spent most of those attempting to get mutant equality, and superiority, what was a little time in jail? She'd be back to working for mutant equality soon enough, the superiority part was no longer a part of it.

Mystique sits herself up, having been laying on the cot with her hands behind her head and staring at the ceiling. "Grrr, me big guard man," she chimes teasingly. "Only know few words."

Even as she is teasing the guy however, she is standing and walking to the door, offering wrists in case cuffs were required.

Harley Quinn has posed:
The two guards exchange looks, then regard Mystique again, down to her uniform. A frown from one. Clearly those aren't the Belle Reve uniform colors! "You won't be so talkative when the warden is done with you." a cruel little smirk on the man's lips. Clearly he doesn't expect any good things to come out of this for the mutant woman.

"No need for cuffs." They seem rather trustful of Belle Reve's security. Or overconfident! Or ... "Warden's orders." they step out and start leading Mystique through the hallways, close cells on each side. Ahead there's a ..., familiar figure? Or at least to those who may follow social media and have interest on a certain clownette. She is standing in front of a cell, on yellow overalls, hands on her hips.

"What'ya mean ya gonna get a tattoo?!" she is talking to whoever is in there. "How ya gonna get it with all that fur!" she opens her arms to the sides as if it was a completely ridiculous prospect before she catches note of Mystique and the guards walking down the corridor.

"Hey!" She bounds her way over with a big, wide smile on her lips, "Saw the news! I am Hah'lee Quinn! You got lasso'ed too! How'd ya feel about it?" the words coming out fast and furious out of her lips, barely able to contain her excitedness. "On yoh way to see Wallah? Me too! What a coincidence!" it clearly doesn't seem like it's a coincidence at all for her to be *here* at this time.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
No cuffs? Okay. Mystique just follows then, continuing to mock the fact that they speak in short sentences, "Are you programmed that way or just stupid?" She asks, then... Harley.

She was chipper, cheerful, bright... all the things the mutant normally loathed, but what the hell, she'll go along with it.

"It proved my point," she replies, her face a neutral mask despite her teasing the guards. "Yes, I'm supposed to be afraid of Waller apparently, should I put on a face that's more scared?"

Even as she says it her body changes to look like one guaruds, albeit smaller, with a terrified expression on his face. "She won't be so talkative when the warden gets done with her." She sounds just like him too. Her body shifts back to herself, once again in orange coveralls.

"Aren't you already all forgiven, Hah'lee?" Mystique then asks, the name at the end said exactly like Harley had said it, same voice even.

Harley Quinn has posed:
The two guards hmph but don't talk again. They don't want to be called stupid! But then again they also don't seem to get into some kind of conflict with Mystique. They have been well programmed! One of the guards lets out a sigh as Harley moves in, "What the hell are you doing here again? For the gumbo? And no, we haven't seen Spiral again yet, she didn't come back."

The two guards do seem to know the clownette. And whoever Spiral is? Seems like it's one of Harley's friends! Harley does let out a sigh as the answer doesn't seem to be what she wanted but then she nods at the guards. "Well! I sorta broke the laaaaw." she explains, "Might have broken this fucker's jaw at this club, he was sorta gettin' ta be abusive to his girl and---" one of the guards cuts her off with a, "Fine."

Harley then leans closer to Mystique, "I did it on purpose." she whispers. "Wanted ta meet ya..!"

And then Mystique goes and uses her powers. "Holy Camoley, Batman! That's awesome!" she then cackling almost like a hyena as she mimics one of the guards.

"Wallah is a sweetie, you'll see! Come on, I will go with ya..." and she starts walking with the group towards the office. "And oooh, like yoh accent! I haven't been fohgiven yet, well sorta. I just need ta do a few things from time ta time and they leave me alone.."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique only knew Harley by reputation and so far, it matched. She watched the clownette closely, especially when she leaned in closer but since there was no attack, she let it slide.

"Breaking a jaw isn't against the law," she offers plainly. "If the guy presses charges, /then/ it's against the law. Most don't, when they get caught doing crap that is illegal as well."

Eyeing the guards, since they went silent on her, she looks back to Harley, "Something tells me Waller isn't really a sweetie, she just imitates one really well." She continues moving with the guards and Harley, for a brief moment questioning her decision to head down this path. Harley was a lot to deal with, but at least she seemed nice.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Waller isn't happy. Oh yes, she is no happy cookie today. That much is visible on her expression while she paces from one side to the other, the two folders on the table, both Mystique's and Harley's. "Cash." she tells the man in the room, "How much of a loose cannon do you think this Mystique may be?" yes, it had been a very public affair when Diana had lasso'ed Mystique and said she could be forgiven like Harley was, "I will be honest. I have been wanting to put my hands on this criminal for a while now. We can use her, but can we control her?"

"Even with the bomb?" It was an extreme measure, but Waller wasn't taking chances. She hadn't put one on Harley because frankly Waller pretty much knew she was just a clown. A chaotic one but still....

"Regardless, we will need to tread on this carefully. Specially with Wonder Woman involved. It will be -your- responsibility this doesn't go haywire." yay, more responsibility for good ol' Cole!

-----

Harley continues wandering along with Mystique, eyeing her, "I love yoh style. And yoh can just copy anyone, that's pretty cool. I mean, sorta makes sense why they hooked into ya like bear to honey. And Wallah, well..." she lowers her tone then, "... she is the worst kinda bitch, manipulative, controllin', hints of a guilt complex which she projects on the prisoners and a total workaholic, which implies she has no family life." there, full diagnosis by one Dr. Harleen Quinzel. Maybe Waller should actually go to one of her psychologist's sessions!

Eventually they reach the door and one of the guards knocks, saying from the other side. "Director Waller. The prisoners you wanted to see."

Cole Cash has posed:
Yes, Cole is in the office, wearing a long-suffering expression. Or maybe a I-want-a-cigarette expression, they are hard to differentiate. Probably Waller has been chewing on him for a while for some real or imaginary inadequacies. Woman has hobbies. And collecting stamps is not one of them.

"Mystique was probably behind the Cairo debacle on the 93, and rumor is she also blew up that bar in Caracas next year, almost nailed Fairchild," grumbles the blonde man. "I don't think I can control her," he offers. Which is quite the admission, since Cole can usually juggle a dozen hardened killers and make (fake) friends with them any day of the week.

He doesn't say Waller can't control Mystique, but he gives her maybe 50/50 odds. "Would a bomb work in a shapeshifter?" Because that seems unlikely, too. And there is the guard. And Harls! Now the party really begins. The half-smile he offers Harley might not be entirely fake.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique continued the walk, taking her own sweet time, in fact the guards might be a little annoyed at her slow, sauntering pace but she doesn't seem to give a damn one way or the other. As Harley explain Waller more intently however, she listens to every word intently, memorizing the assessment. It was likely that Harley was correct about the woman, having dealt with her longer, so every piece of information was important going into this.

"If I see a person, I can be them. If I hear them, I can mimic their voice," she replies to Harley with a grin. "Like this."

Just before the guard knocks, there is suddenly two Harley Quinn's standing there behind them. They are dressed exactly the same, standing in the same stance, everything matches.

"Can't wait ta meet Wallah," Myst-Quinn says in exactly Harley's voice. She doesn't appear to be about to change back either.

Harley Quinn has posed:
Waller glowers at Cole with a 'what-do-I-pay-you-for' kinda look, the way she presses her lips together showing she isn't at all happy with this. She hates a prisoner she can't control, or get rid of. But with how it had went down she couldn't just make Mystique disappear inside some nondescript grave. The world just didn't work like in the past, where there was near impunity to what she did.

"Well, get the clown to help too." Waller tells Cole. "But one way or another I will make damn sure to get what I want out of that one." then a pause, "Almost got Fairchild? Interesting.." is a plan starting to form? Who knows what goes into that hideous mind of Waller's.

Harley's brows shoot up to the 'ceiling' when she sees Mystique turn into her, "Ooooooh!" then eyeing her up and down, head to toe! "Why, I must say I look rather hot indeed.." eyebrow waggling, hip tossing from one side to the other as she nods approvingly at the second clownette.

The door then opens and they walk in, Harley opening her arms wide, "Hello!", she greets, "I met my long lost twin sistah on the way. Look a' that." is she for real? But she seems more amused than anything while sashaying her way in like she was entering a show on Broadway. "And hi Griftah! You look like you awhe about ready ta shoot someone! Hopefully it ain't me!"

Waller's expression is one of neutrality, eyes on Harley, then on Myst-Harley, "Welcome to Belle Reve, Mystique. I am Amanda Waller. This is Grifter."

Cole Cash has posed:
"I'd never do that Harls," replies Cole smoothly. He also looks at 'Mystiquinn', blinking owlishly. Oh yes, the party just started. "And Harls, howdy," he deadpans.

But yes, Cole thinks Mystique almost managed to blow up Alex Fairchild, one of the most careful and clever black ops operatives of the Team Seven. And Fairchild had psychic powers, to boot.

Grifter has no idea Wonder Woman has gotten involved in Mystique's maybe reformation. (Hah!). So, why aren't the swamp alligators the right way to solve the problem? Maybe Waller is feeling lucky. Cole feels a headache coming, healing factor is not working today.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique sashays into the room just like the real Harley, even gives a little spins, then offers a bow to Waller. As she stands herself upright again, her skin and clothing ripples and change, back to the beautiful cobalt beauty that she is, in an orange prison jumpsuit.

"I've heard so much about you," she offers to Waller, but her amber eyes move to this Grifter person to size him up. It's obvious her mind is already calculating risk factor of the man, no need to conceal that, but she looks back to Waller all the same.

"Harley said your sweetie," she then offers with a half smirk, folding her arms lightly across her chest. "She didn't mention him.... so what's next?"

Harley Quinn has posed:
" .... with sugah on top." A wink from Harley to Waller. One that Waller suffers with a sigh. Clearly they have known each other for a while now. "Yes, I am sure Dr. Quinnzel has tried analyzing me for a while now. And no, I won't sit on your home couch on a consultation." again, seems like this is something that's being asked constantly. It makes Harley rest the back of her hand on her forehead. A bit dramatically even. "... one day.."

Waller then speaks up, "You, we will talk later. What's this about some misdemeanor and asking to be arrested, Harley?" to which Harley just replies with a shrug, "I wanted ta meet Mystique!" justifiable!

And yes, seems Waller will be sharing that headache with Cole soon enough. "So. What should I do with you, Mystique?" Waller asks, right to the point, gaze hardening some, "You went to meet with Diana. Was it a publicity stunt, truly wanting to amend your ways or what's going on here?"

Cole Cash has posed:
Cole looks at Harley and smirks. Then leans to the clown girl and murmurs. "Heard you punched a guy. Silly way to get here, you could have taken a cab," all the way to Luisiana, it would have been expensive. But there are creative ways around that. Like not paying.

The conversation between Waller and Mystique is probably important, but he can multitask. Besides, he was bored to tears and Harley is usually amusing.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Looking for a place to plant her butt, Mystique saunters over to the desk and sits on the edge of it, then crosses one leg over the other. Prim and proper, she rests her hands in her lap and keeps her eyes on Waller. Her position ensures that she can also keep her eyes on Grifter, the unknown element in the room puts her on edge, but the neutral expression on her face doesn't reveal any of it. She's been doing this for years, she knows how to conceal things when she wants to.

"Do you honestly believe that I'd use the Lasso of Hestia as a publicity stunt?" She asks in return, her voice smooth and calm. "I mean, how would you even do that? I'm a good actress, but you can't lie when that things is around a part of your body."

She glances to Harley for a moment, then taps her chin, "I might be interested in a session on your couch, never tried that," she comments, but her attention goes back to Waller.

"Listen. I've been doing this for a long time, and by that I mean over a hundreds years. What I was doing wasn't working. The definition of insane is repeating the same mistakes and expecting a different result." She sighs with a slight shrug of her shoulders, then runs her fingers through her red hair. "I'm done making mistakes. I want mutant equality, that is the single most important thing in the world to me. To do that, I have to change how I do things and so no... it wasn't a publicity stunt."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"All the way to Louisiana?!" Harley asks as if Cole was the crazy one. "That'd take, like, hours! This way I got to be taken heah by jet, ate some gumbo, spoke with ol' friends and all that. Win-win. And oh, I saw Bullseye a while back! How wicked is that? I didn't know he had joined up, crazy uh?" she then pointing with a thumb behind her at Mystique, "But anyway, she said punchin' some guy ain't no crime. So I am scottsfree, right?" right...

Waller doesn't answer Mystique about the publicity stunt. Was her aim to rile up the other woman? Perhaps. She does enjoy having the upper hand in a talk after all. But listen she does, watching the motions, listening to the words, mmm'ing, "That doesn't erase all the crimes you have done in the past." she points out, "All the killing." her tone hardens. Yes, Amanda is the type that doesn't seem to appreciate criminals. At all. "By all rights we should throw you into solitary and throw away the key. That much you deserve but ..." she pausing briefly, "... Wonder Woman seems to believe you. And she is one of this world's heroes."

"And that puts us in quite the conundrum. So perhaps a ..., compromise can be found. I won't lie and say that your powers aren't fascinating. The potential is there, and perhaps putting them to our service will ..., help alleviate the sentence. In return I may be able to be lenient."

Harley then pipes in with a small grin. "I will totally take ya to my couch, Mysty. Just let me know! Ya can even meet my hyenas. They don't eat people anymoouh.."

Cole Cash has posed:
"No crime? I told you not to trust the words of strangers, Harls," Cole tsks. "You know who decides what a crime is, hmm? Wait, did you say Bullseye?" He glances at Waller. Someone (called Cole Cash) didn't get the memo again. "I have not seen him yet, maybe something big is coming," he murmurs. Then he leans back on his seat, to listen and feign he is about to fall asleep. Maybe Waller will kick him off the office. Nah, he will never get that lucky.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
It was amusing really, to listen to Waller. She didn't say anything that Mystique hadn't heard before, many times, not was her tone or words threatening to the cobalt mutant either. It had been a difficult decision to put her faith in Wonder Woman, but once she made up her mind to do that, her faith didn't waver. Wonder Woman had made promises, it remained to be seen however if Waller knew about them and kept them.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" She asks bluntly. "Of course it doesn't erase the past. You must be used to dealing with morons or something, if you feel the need to say that. The entire reason I'm here /is/ because of that past, to make amends and for rehabilitation, or whatever it is you prefer to call it."

A smile touches her lips now as she looks to Harley, "I'd love to meet your hyena's, make sure I get your number and we'll see if you can help straighten my head out."

Pulling in a slow breath, she looks around the room at the decorations, or lack of is that's the case, then finally settles her eyes back on Waller.

"You don't have to play the game with me Waller, just tell me what it is you want and let's get to it."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Criminals like you normally have a romanticized view of what they do. Believing they are freedom fighters immune to consequences. It's good that you do not make that mistake, it saves me a lot of trouble." Waller replies with the same kind of bluntness. "But very well, lets get down to it." Waller returning to her seat and settling down.

"I am of the belief that the best way for certain criminals to repay for their crimes is to work for the benefit of our country, and often the world. For that I have created a rather .., special team." a nod given towards Harley. "The clown is part of it. As is Grifter, and a few others."

"For each mission that you do with us years will be taken off your sentence. At least that's the usual. But considering your connection with Wonder Woman ..." and she frowns at this part. "We may be lenient and let you go. But of course there is a catch. One is that *no one* will know of what you do with us, or your connection with Task Force X. If anything is shared about what we do here any deal we have is revoked and I'd make sure to have my life goal to have you spend the remainder of your years behind a prison. The second is, of course, how we control you. Many of our inmates feel they can do anything and just go off mission goals when working for us. Which is why we place certain countermeasures to make sure they stay in line. I do hope you have no problem in having a small bomb inserted near your brain."

Is she for real?

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Good, the message got across that there was no need for the games. Mystique cants her head slightly and listens to Waller well rehearsed speech, it was a good one to, quite impressive in all the right places. And then she gets to the end and there's mention of a bomb.

The right brow lifts high in the cobalt mutants face, "Excuse me, did you just say bomb in my brain? Exactly how does that ensure control? Who had the button? What are the safety precautions of this bomb?"

Pausing there, to consider a few of the things said again she ahs and nods, "I see, the bomb is to ensure that I don't talk about this agreement, the arrangement, the bomb itself, or anything related to this Task Force X. That makes a sick sort of sense, bravo."

Sliding off the edge of the desk to stand, she folds her arms back across her chest. "So long as none of the missions that include me are anti-mutant, and this bomb ensures I can return to my work beyond the Task Force, I'm in."

Harley Quinn has posed:
All those questions go unanswered. It's clear Waller likes the control. But then again it's obvious who would be responsible for the control, Waller herself. But she does nod when she realizes what the bomb is for. Or at least part of the reason. Many of the criminals in these missions often try to escape. The bombs ensure they don't!

"Unfortunately I do not trust you to leave you be without the bomb. A pity really." it isn't. "As for the missions, I can assure you they won't have any anti-mutant agenda. We have a different scope, but you will see once you join in the missions."

She gets back up to her feet, "Good that we understand each other. As I told you, the bomb will not interfere with any of your work, nor will our missions. At least not directly, you just have to make sure to survive them." uh, one wonders what the mortality rate on those are!

"And you, Harley." Waller looks at the clownette, "... don't waste my time again. If you want to be here you can just call, no need for dramatics." to which Harley offers a salute. "Yes, Captain Sir. I will be a saint from now on!"

Waller then gestures, "You are both dismissed, go back home. I will call on you soon enough."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
There is was, the reason Waller was doing this job, the feel of power and control. If that made her feel special then by all means, who was Mystique to tell her other wise.

"I'll have to get your number another time Harley," she offers. "Nice to have metcha though."

Right, the act must continue, so back to the criminal learning her lesson. "I have survived a lot longer than you may realize Waller, and I've been doing this sort of thing for a while as well. I'm sure you've already thought about the issue of planting a bomb in shifter like me, worked out all the problems of the fact that everything about me changes on a molecular level." She knew there was no way that Waller had, because most people didn't know that about the cobalt mutant. "So I'll make you an assurance, because I don't want my head blown off, if you place the bomb at the upper most point of my spine, at the base of my neck, it is the one area that rarely changes with forms and should keep it from going off."

Harley Quinn has posed:
"Oh, worry not!" Harley wanders over to Waller's desk, ".... if ya don't mind..." picking up a paper and pen and writing off a number in it before walking to Mystique to deliver it to her. Little hearts around the paper too! "There ya go! Good ta meet you."

As for Waller, she looks up from the work on her table and furrows her brows at Mystique. Had she thought about the shapeshifter 'problem'? Maybe. But it's not as if she could solve it.

"Duly noted." and she taptaps on a tablet. Is she advising the ones that will be administering the bomb? Most likely. "I am sure you have more than a way to get rid of it. Considering all the mutants you know I am sure one can even remove it easily. It's inevitable." the woman raising her shoulders in a shrug. "That is not the point. The point is, you speak of wanting repentance, consider this your penance for what you did, and an instrument to keep you in line. In fact, if you find that you are unable to change, that you are back to your old ways you can call me for me to activate the bomb." she speaks that in a rather natural tone. It is clear she doesn't have a lot of faith in criminals repenting and going to a straight path.

In fact her disdain for Harley is visible in the way she is dismissive of the clownette.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Such a lovely woman to be in charge, clearly she doesn't want to be dealing with criminals in any way, and yet her project would likely not work without them on the Task Force... a catch 22, that she hated. Mystique was beginning to wonder if there was anything this woman actually didn't hate.

"I have too many reasons to not fall back to my old ways," she comments in that same calm tone. "An organization to change, a girlfriend I'm madly in love with... I assure you, you won't be using the bomb at any point."

She accepts the paper from Harley, and offers a rather cheerful, "Why thank you. I'll be calling, many people have said I need therapy."