Season 3: Rebuilding

3x14: Komodo

Synopsis: When Doctor Death completes a first version of Soul, Malcolm approves it for testing on civilians. He tasks his partner, the elusive Komodo, to help him distract Arrow. Meanwhile, Roy and Jane's attempts to find out Thea's secret lead to other truth being revealed and Roy turns his fury on his team.

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3x14: Komodo

Malcolm jogged down the stairs with ease, the sound of his shoes reverberating low in the underground facility. He glanced inside and saw the room illuminated in all its sterile, pearly-white glory.

Behind a workstation, he saw Dr Hellfern hard at work, his back hunched over what appeared to be another one of his experiments.

"You called," Malcolm spoke up as he reached the bottom step and watched as the other man whirled around in surprise. Malcolm merely raised an eyebrow as he stood his ground. "Something tells me this will be good news."

Hellfern's contorted, burned features erupted into a sly grin as he waved the other man closer. "... I think I've completed a first test round of Soul. It's... Yeah. It's done."

Malcolm's eyebrows shot up to meet his hairline as he stepped over to the steel table and glanced down at the small test tubes. The content in the three small tubes swirled like purple tendrils of water and the seductive beauty of the liquid had him enthralled. "And you're certain?"

"All I need is test subjects," Seth retorted without hesitation.

"Tell me again..." Malcolm asked as he slowly turned towards his partner, sizing him up mentally. He carefully chose his words and watched the reaction take plain form before him, "How will you control them? How will you know the test subjects will obey your command and no one else's?"

"It's... quite easy," Seth shrugged and his eyes danced with irritation. It made no difference to Malcolm. Irritation was far better than suspicion. "Soul contains an active proponent linked with my blood that, when mixed with the subject's own tissue, will render them incapable of answering anyone else's command. In short: I'll be the commander, they the mercenaries. Except... not by free volition."

Merlyn took a step back and watched the other man under silence as he processed the news. "... Then we'll find you some test subjects. Tonight."

"Thank you... I have to ask, Mr Merlyn, though you know no one's gladder that Nightwing skipped town... What about that green hooded guy?" Seth questioned and a shadow of mad panic spread across his shallow, haunted features. "He can't disrupt our work."

"Oh, he won't. I'll put my best man on the job," Malcolm grinned elusively.

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Roy stood beside the cabin of weapons Dick had left behind when he'd left a week earlier. It was all that now remained of a true friend and Roy had to admit the loss stung more than a little. Still, it hadn't been an end to their friendship, though an end it had been. Dick had kept in touch with Roy to let him now Dick was back in Gotham City. Last time they'd talked on the phone, Dick had sounded quite... content with life. Perhaps there was a hollowness to his tone that seemed somewhat fresh, but nothing time couldn't fill before long, or so Roy hoped.

His fingers traced across the Escrima stick, past several batarangs of various size and weight, a pair of striking sai, one katana, a nunchuck and his gaze skimmed over the rest. Compared to his own limited skill with different weapons, Roy felt a great awe for the objects before him.

Roy picked up a twisted batarang with two red gems for eyes and glanced back over his shoulder, "What does this one do?"

Felicity, clad in a peach-colored dress and high heels, stepped over to have a closer look. She took the small item from the man's hands and offered him a smile. "That's an explosive batarang. If you press the button here you'll have thirty seconds before it goes off. So be careful with that one."