“Pity,” she told him with a slight shrug. Due to their normal chatter she’d almost forgotten who exactly this man was. It wasn’t until he spoke of a crew when the light bulb in her head went on. “As I’ve heard some of your other crew members were there as well..” she trailed off, pausing as she leaned in. “You know, the ones the Joker let go. Shouldn’t you be catching them?”
“Criminals.” Rick muttered, as if to correct her, but hadn’t that always been the more appropriate term to use? As much as the Colonel tried to see eye to eye with his crooked group all had fallen apart as he’d predicted from the start. They did run and Richard wouldn’t be the fool who begged for them to come back. None of the criminals ever cared for his own well being after all–unless it was tied to their own survival. “We all have our priorities. Mine is to save the world and leave the wild goose chase to vigilantes and cops. They did a fine job collecting the punks last time.” Enchantress would cause a hundred times the damage than the lot could dream of inducing–even in a group.
At Rick telling him what he told Waller, Digger’s head shot forward in surprise, brows raised and mouth wide open. “What’s that mean? Ya done bein’ our babysitter? Although I s’ppose there’s not much left ta babysit, aye?” Since he hadn’t seen any of the other members, aside from June, at the gala he had no idea what they did after the news broke - although he could think of where they might be. Floyd was definitely chasing Batman or spending time with his girl. “And.. did she?”
“’still a babysitter,” Rick huffed with a weak smirk. “but yeah, all you brats are gone, and I wasn’t hired to be a dogcatcher.” He’d stooped pretty low for Waller and the criminals sake, this was one more level the soldier simply wouldn’t go–not of his own conviction. All anyone saw while looking at him was a simple fool, a human way out of his league, and maybe they were right about him. Now that Rick had the chance to stick around or leave… it wasn’t a difficult choice to make. His crew and Katana couldn’t take Enchantress on their own. Rick wouldn’t allow them to. “Is that comforting to hear? Considering I could have jabbed you with a nanite before your cheeks hit that cushion?” The Colonel teased, but was it really a joke? Smoke curled around, lit in a pink hue from the buzzing neon bar light overhead and Flag let out another breath, “Hell if I know. I wasn’t exactly being serious, but… it’s about the only option she has.” His brows quirked up in a casual way, lack of care, and he pressed the butt of his spent cigarette in a small tray. “I’d keep an eye out ‘f I was you..” The threat was once more an empty one. Sarcastic. Rick finished his lone drink in a single gulp.
At Rick’s first words Digger let out a snort, if anyone expected the opposite they’d be foolish to say the least, yet in the end he was here, sitting next to him at a bar. “I’m glad ta prove ya right,” he told him with a sheepish grin before taking a sip of his beer. “I can’t exactly go back to Australia, can I? In America there’s no place better to be. Not ta mention, I’ve got a feelin’ that if I run too far, I’ll be seein’ my head on the tellies within a few days. And then I’ll be brought back ta prison, nah thanks.” Of course he wasn’t going to tell the other that he was done with the constant running. While he didn’t exactly appreciate Waller’s lying, at least he was given a second chance at having an actual life outside of the prison walls now. There was no coming back from a triple life sentence. “Did the ol’ Wall ring ya up already, order ya ta bring us in?”
A sardonic smirk crossed Rick’s face after Digger’s response despite his attempts to keep such gestures at bay. It was a sad and flattering all at once. The Colonel didn’t make a move as the thief took a seat. He was tired and never had any interest in playing cop or bounty hunter. Outside of killing or being a leader, Flag could easily turn up his nose. “Yeah. Nowhere better than this.” Rick took a drag from his cigarette, nose pointed toward the line of colorful bottles, his small glass had hardly been touched. Elbows on the counter, his shoulders braced at the question and Rick dodged it by saying, “I told her to call the Avengers.”
“I knew you would run.” Rick muttered, but no disappointment lingered in his words. He’d expected the worst from the worst at the very start of this affair. Realists, pessimists, like Flag were rarely taken by surprise. Yet, (though Rick wouldn’t admit it) Harkness had caught him off guard with this sudden meeting. Perhaps it was an accident. “’don’t got somewhere better to be right now…?” Now, a bitterness revealed itself. Rick had been adjusting to the idea that he was once again alone. Besides Tatsu, anyone else coming into the picture, gave Flag the idea that he actually wasn’t, stirred a rise out of the soldier rather than left him feeling secure at the moment. Just as Rick had started… he had nothing and it was better this way.
Digger was always taught that silence was agreement, although he figured it didn’t count in this situation, he took it as a victory nonetheless. “’S not that hard to pretend yer her, ya just gotta unwind all those cables there,” he knocked on his head as he spoke. He wasn’t gonna tell Rick that he’d imitated Harley in front of Harley on the terror night. “So, what’s next, chief? Do we tell Waller? Do we snatch one of those damned things and do it in secret?” While he may have provided the idea, he definitely knew he wasn’t in on this, but that didn’t stop him from trying.
Rick showed a squint in his eyes toward Digger’s simple gesture that spoke full paragraphs on its own. He knew Octavia’s many talents, but acting remained to be seen. They would be finding out soon enough. “… I’ll keep this to myself, like we agreed, as for this operation. That’s for our ears only.” Rick would do whatever Amanda asked of him during briefing and if that didn’t include tracking down the Joker and putting him under their control… bonus. “Katana will know, and Octavia, and the trustworthy crew I’ve got around. Remaining squad.” Besides their wild card, Enchantress. “–Nothing happens till Harley is dealt with.” He didn’t want to fight her through this or risk her witnessing what might happen to Joker.
Digger let out a sigh at Rick’s words, shaking his head. “That’s funny, I didn’t realize her hand was still so far up yer ass.” He knew that if he said something too far out of line, the bomb threat would fall, but the guy was bed bound now so what could he do? When Rick told him that his plan ‘could be arranged’ he was surprised to say the least. “What if Octavia turns into Harley? We’ll just need to get Harley out of sight for a little bit and kazam. Don’t mind me sayin’ this, but I’m a genius.”
There was nothing more to say, not for Rick, not even to rebuttal Digger’s point. He had laid out the boundaries before. They were children to ignore the status quo at the risk of hurting hundreds of innocent people. Criminals. Even still. Yet, Rick wouldn’t break like Katana had, he would still extend a level of trust to Squad members. Should he be betrayed… they knew the consequences would still be there. It was his insurance. “You really think looks alone will pass Joker?” He wasn’t trying to put a wrench in Digger’s chain, but honestly, who could portray Harley Quinn? “… ‘don’t have much of a choice.” He muttered to answer his own question.
At Rick saying that Harley needed to practice a bit more restraint Digger let out a snort. They all knew that wasn’t going to happen. “I know, I know, which is why I’m tellin’ ya all ‘a this, aye? Ya know just as well that being in the Squad without that little clown would be one boring hell, so let’s both keep Amanda from poppin’ her head off - mostly you, since ya know, she doesn’t listen to me. Stall, do whatever ya must, we’ll get her back.” At Rick’s question Digger took some time to think, brushing his fingers through his beard. “Dontcha have one of those neckbombs left? We’ll put one in him and tell him to sod off. D’ya think Batman would let us kill him? Probably not, right? Then he’ll come after us..”
This didn’t settle so right with Rick. He cared, lord knew he did, but he simply couldn’t give in such talk. With a shake of his head, Rick made it clear, “There are rules for a reason. I can give out warnings… but I will not compromise.” Rick wouldn’t be made a fool of, walked over, and he wouldn’t allow more innocents to be harmed just so Quinn could have a joy ride every now and again. “People were hurt because of this… and maybe that means nothing to a bunch of serial killers, but it’s my job to protect them, and you, our team. If even one person threatens this order… as the leader I have to take a stand.” He takes a short breath to find his resolve again. “So Harley will play by the original law or… it’s out of my hands.”
Rick wanted to throttle the green haired prick, kill him, after what his goons put him through, but the soldier was no criminal. Digger’s idea steered more on the light side. “We can arrange that.”
A wide grin spread on his face when Rick accepted the pinky promise. It was a moment he was going to relive many other times. “Good, otherwise ya won’t need a bomb to get rid of me,” he told him as he looked around, making sure there weren’t any eavesdroppers nearby before he got closer. “Ear’s her doing, while ya got tortured by crazy clowns I was stuck with Harles and some other hot chick. She almost blew the girl’s face off, but then decided not to, practically jumping in front of the bomb herself. because..” he paused, he loved being dramatic. “she was questioning the Joker’s love for her.. and then she went a little cuckoo, but point is, she loves us and she’s incapable of betraying us, I’m sure of it.. Not ta mention, it won’t take long before that prick pushes her aside again. According to everyone I’ve asked, this is what they do, but now she’s got a big group of friends to fall back on, so I’m gonna make sure that clown is toast. Don’t pop her head off just yet, aye?”
That wild glint showed in Digger’s eyes and Rick was aware the man was loving this. Then, he began to talk, and Flag didn’t interrupt. Not once. This was far more than the Colonel had bargained for. It put him at ease to get a broad picture of the situation, the discussion he wasn’t included in, and Digger must be putting a lot of faith in him to handle this information delicately. That, or he was just desperate to get it off his chest–but Rick was the right man to depend on. A soldiers oath could be trusted. This was the second time he’d heard that word today, love, and Rick was still trying to decide if such a thing had room in this squad. If Digger said it then it had to be true. “… Well I’ll be getting her back, regardless.” The sway in Rick’s voice proved that this wasn’t the Colonel talking, no matter how authoritative he wished to present himself. “If this is what they do Harley needs to practice a bit more restraint.” As if she actually could. “I warned you all from the start that if you run you die and Amanda doesn’t give out second chances.” Let alone a third.
Digger’s final point had Rick’s full attention. “What can you do about Joker..?” Naturally Rick wanted to go with, not that George had much choice about that, unless he wanted Amanda’s gun up his ass like it was up Quinn’s now.
Judging by Rick’s change of posture and his words Digger knew that he knew, but did Rick know that he knew? He could keep up with playing dumb, but he felt like that wasn’t going to help her case. “Look, mate, she’ll come back, a’right? Now I’m gonna tell ya somethin’ and she’d have my head if you tell anyone, so pinky promise me first ya won’t tell a soul, including the Wall,” as the scout that he was he held up his hand, pinky waiting to lock with Rick’s.
The soldier looked over George as his tone shifted along with his whole body. Leaning forward as he suddenly decided to open up, confess, to some information he’d gathered. How could he possibly say, with such certainty, Harley would return on her own accord? Rick understood there was more to this story and he would surely never know all of it. As the pair sat in private, Rick gazed upon the masculine pinky as if it were a raw sausage; he’d hoped for once George wouldn’t be so literal. Rick amused the man and reached to officially pinky swear. “… I’ll keep this to myself.”
“Because she obviously loves us very dearly and we’re like family, right? With you bein’ the big angry daddy..” He was aware of how terrible his lying was, but the thought that maybe Rick would pop his head off if he found out mad him way too nervous. “Now, I don’t know if we were in the same maze or not, but I couldn’t see shit.”
Flag’s tough poker face failed in the slightest as Digger presented the hard truth. A truth Waller couldn’t know about. He was conflicted by this, despite how his heart gave around the squad, this was still business. Business had always come before family his entire life. That wasn’t necessarily how Rick wanted to live though… “And they say I’ve gone soft.” He muttered. “Fine.” Flag couldn’t prove the man wrong.
