Giant Size Suicide Squad Special #3

(The Giant Size Suicide Squad Specials are a series of edited reprints that retell events that transpired between the end of the old Suicide Squad series and present continuity. This issue continues retelling the events of the Suicide Squad/Secret Six crossover during Blackest Night, while developing the continuing story of Grigori Moore and his mysterious benefactor (from Giant Size Suicide Squad Special #1-2).

AT THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY: The two brothers who live in the House of Mystery walk out the front door, staring across the graveyard at the House of Secrets, which has caught fire. The younger brother panics, saying his house will burn.

The pale figure, who we still don't get a clear picture of, walks out the front door behind them. He says "I am afraid that I must take my leave, as I have a number of other appointments today. You will have to work out your fraternal difficulties on your own." When the younger brother begs him to stay, saying he is not safe with his elder brother, the pale figure keeps walking, but he replies that his own siblings are in need of counsel, saying his elder sister's "kingdom may be troubled this night". Furthermore, he has business with his elder brother of a more personal nature.

But, the pale figure says as he walks away, "Do not fear for the safety of the House of Secrets. Its current inhabitants are formidable, and even more formidable than they is the House itself. And I believe its attackers have made it... angry." With that, he and his raven walk away, disappearing into the shadowy mists of the cemetary.

MEANWHILE, ACROSS THE GRAVEYARD AT THE HOUSE OF SECRETS: Multiplex has made several duploids of himself to help burn down the House of Secrets. Suddenly, the duploids see a huge winged figure bursts through the walls and grabs the “real” (original) Multiplex. The winged behemoth flies away with Multiplex, leaving the duploids confused.

The fire rages on, as Waller tries to take control of the situation, taken a bit by surprise by the disappearance of Multiplex. It becomes clear that the creature is the House’s gargoyle. Waller gets hold of her techs back at Belle Reeve to say she needs the Manhunter android they recovered way back during the M event.

Scandal suddenly crashes out of the house through a window. She kills both the Multiplex duploids flanking Waller quickly and suggests they negotiate.

MEANWHILE, BACK AT BELLE REVE: The Homicide Squad is tearing through the non-superhuman part of the prison, killing first guards, then prisoners, working their way toward the Suicide Squad and Secret Six, who are fighting each other to a standstill.

MEANWHILE, ON THE CAMPUS OF IVY UNIVERSITY: Greg Moore from Giant Size Suicide Squad Special #1 walks through the top level of a parking garage. He is on his cell-phone, discussing with friends how he should celebrate his 21st birthday that night. He is tired, having finished the last day of winter semester classes that day, and he is looking for his car. Seeing it, he hangs up the phone.

Before he can get close to his car, however, he is stopped by a man in purplish robes carrying a book. The man stops Greg and asks him directions for a few minutes. The man speaks strangely, and Greg says "What exactly are you trying to do?" The man says, "I have done it."

Suddenly there is an explosion as Greg's car is destroyed. Greg is thrown out of the parking garage by the blast, but is too far away to be otherwise harmed. When he is hurled away from the blast, instead of falling to the ground, Greg finds himself in mid-air. He can fly! After the initial shock of this discovery, he flies back, he sees no sign of the mysterious man.

Realizing that he has been saved from an attempt on his life, Greg decides he can't go home, because the people who tried to kill him may be there. Unsure of where to go, he flies up and out of the city, trying to figure out a place where he can be safe...

MEANWHILE, AT BELLE REVE: The Secret Six and the Suicide Squad join forces when they are both attacked by the Homicide Squad. At length, Deadshot wakes up, and Secret Six member Black Alice is able to use the powers she's stolen from Nightshade to open a portal to escape through. The Six flee through the portal, followed by the Squad, pursued by the Black Lanterns, so now at least everyone is in the same place, back at the House of Secrets.

AND SO, BACK AT THE HOUSE OF SECRETS: Waller and Scandal are snarling at each other about whether or not the Six will work for the Squad when the others arrive. After a protracted battle with the Homicide Squad, Waller saves both teams by teleporting back to Belle Reve to retrieve a captured Manhunter droid and several "light grenades" from the old Doctor Light. Teleporting back, she detonates both simultanrously. The green Oan energy of the Manhunter combines with the light burst and destroys the undead Black Lanterns and their rings.

After the fight, Waller asks Deadshot if he’s coming back where he belongs. Deadshot replies that he IS where he belongs, and underscores the point by shooting Waller in the chest.  The Suicide Squad leave to rush her to emergency surgery. Flag vows it’s not over. Deadshot counters that it is, and that if he sees any of them again, he will "shoot for the head. No warnings."

SOME TIME LATER, AT BELLE REVE: Waller is in recovery, saying that the bullet is too close to her heart to operate-- Deadshot, she says, is just that good. She also thinks that this evens the score between them, and that she actually thinks that, eventually, Deadshot might be willing to start working for the Suicide Squad again... which, of course, is all she wanted in the first place.

Rick Flag is concerned about what they will do without a Deadshot type. Waller says "When you don't have the quality help you want, sometimes you have to make up for it with... quantity." She then reveals the existence of her Dr. Light clone, and informs Flag that in addition, Captain Boomerang has been brought back to life in the aftermath of Blackest Night, and that he is being brought back to Belle Reve immediately. Then, she shows Flag files on several new recruits culled from jails across America.

Finally, she says, Flag is not the first person to come to see her that day. Greg Moore walks into the hospital room. "This young man is being hunted by someone-- or something-- though he's not sure who," Waller says. "I've told him we can help him figure that out, and also figure out the secret of certain powers he's just discovered. In exchange, he'll be using his talents to help us out. Sign him up for a few tests, but only a few. He can do the rest when he gets back from his first mission..."

"Do you have something in mind?" Flag asks.

"Always," Waller says. "Get him trained. You move out in 24 hours."