Deus Ex Universe: Children's Crusade Issue 2



Deus Ex Universe: Children's Crusade is a 5-part comic produced by Titan Comics in 2016. It follows the story of Adam Jensen as he adapts to his new role as a member of Task Force 29, an Interpol-sponsored anti-terrorist unit. The series is set just before Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

The second issue was released on April 6, 2016.

Synopsis
"Following last issue’s explosive revelation, Adam and Task Force 29’s investigation leads them into the heart of the Glasshütte - Dresden's heaving transhuman ghetto - where the augmented struggle daily for basic survival. But with its residents, the media, and even the local police vying against them, it's going to be far from a clean-cut operation..."

Plot Summary
After the explosion, Titus King is heard talking with his tech about getting the bodies on camera and asks if any of them are TF29. However, Interpol is jamming their feed so they can not capture any footage. Desperate for news, King decides he needs to get into the warehouse and has his tech run a teaser on Pavel Mikulski while he tries to get more information.

Meanwhile, inside the destroyed warehouse, Jensen comes to the conclusion that the boy had a bomb built into him, and informs Jim Miller about this and to expect more. Duncan MacReady, having listened in, states they will just shoot first then and Jensen sardonically replies "Good idea. Let's kill as many kids as we can" making MacReady go into a rage, pointing out that Niemi is dead and he will kill every kid in the aug ghettos if it means it never happens again before Miller butts in, saying that will not happen and they are not a death squad. Miller then orders Jensen to take the explosive residue samples to Chikane and MacReady points out that King is out there, having landed his chopper on the street.

Jensen heads out with the samples and King confronts and tries to bait Jensen, while Chang informs him not to worry as they have jammed his feed. Undeterred by this, King insinuates that Jensen is just trying to worm his way into Interpol before attacking from within, but Jensen simply responds that he is the guy that will arrest King if he keeps hassling him during an investigation. King gets more personal with his insults, revealing that he believes all augs need to be wiped out and he intends to make that happen, to which Jensen asks if he is threatening him, a police officer, only for King to state he is free to express his opinion as a citizen. Jensen reiterates that he will arrest him if he does not go elsewhere with his beliefs, making King go "this is between you and me now, hanzer" before leaving. Jensen then hands off the samples to Chikane, who asks what King's problem was and Jensen simply answers "Augs."

Back in the warehouse, Miller confirms that Smiley has gotten the images of the scene and that he will get the physical samples and DNA soon from Chikane. As Jensen rejoins them, MacReady orders Beaufort to call in a clean-up team and she remarks that Bruno baited MacReady into hitting him, making MacReady retort that he should have just shot Bruno. Jensen points out that Bruno had already made up his mind the moment he was caught, otherwise he would have set the bomb off sooner for a higher body count, but MacReady spins it around to back up his former statement before rounding on Helena, saying she did not tell them everything. Helena insists if she had said anything, Marek would have set himself off right away, as Bruno instructed him, and they would have killed her daughter. This does not placate MacReady, who angrily points out once more that Niemi is dead and to ask her what she would have done in Helena's place. Jensen intervenes, saying Helena was a hostage, and MacReady responds "guess we know whose side you're on" before Miller tells them off and to get back to base.

Outside, Miller hands over Helena to the police to transport her directly to TF29's HQ and makes it clear that she will be questioned by TF29 first, but the police will be looped into the results. He then informs the rest of the team that they will be leaving once Chikane returns, but they will not have any leads until Smiley and Chang look over the samples. As Miller walks off, Jensen pursues him, saying they need to go after Emilia. Miller says it is not their problem as TF29 is not a rescue squad, and they will only follow leads to hit the guys who supplied these terrorists. As a body is loaded onto a VTOL, Jensen points out they are turning the children into bombs and Miller says he knows what is at stake, but they can not afford to go on wild goose chases. MacReady, boarding the VTOL during this conversation, suggests that for all they know, Helena could be in on the whole operation and Glasshütte could be a trap and that as far as he is concerned, she is one of them, even if she is not an aug.

On the VTOL, MacReady continues to show his resentment against augs and that he still doubts Jensen's loyalties until Beaufort points out that if it was not for Jensen, more of them would have been in body bags, to which MacReady just shrugs if off, saying it is all of their funerals. Just as Miller is apologizing to Jensen and explaining why they can not afford to go after the girl, Chang interrupts. He had run one of the samples and it came back as a case file of an escape from Glasshütte two weeks ago. As Miller confirms it with Chang, Alex Vega tries to call Jensen, but he terminates it as there is nowhere private to take the call. Chang, having figured out which terrorist the case file was on, shows a picture on screen and Jensen recognizes him as the aug that escaped. With this lead, Miller states that Jensen gets his wish as the team is headed to Dresden. MacReady tries to argue over this decision until Miller points out they go where the leads take them before contacting Germany's as they make their way there.

In Dresden, Miller and the TF29 team meet with Lieutenant Fallada, who remarks on there being an augmented member on their team and a security risk as they are going after augmented terrorists, to which Miller curtly replies that his personnel choices are none of Fallada's concerns. Unfazed, Fallada then lays down very clear rules: to respect BPOL's jurisdiction over Glasshütte and they are not to enter the ghetto without his consultation, having already talked to Miller's superiors in Lyon, who agreed. He asks if Miller understands this, and once Miller says he does, Fallada leaves the room. MacReady then calls Jensen's attention to his "favorite" reporter: King is on one of the large screens in the room, doing an interview with Mikulski. Their conversation is very obviously biased, with Mikulski saying the best option is to kill all the augs as one cannot be sure who to trust and King equates giving equal rights to them as letting a walking bomb into his home. They end with Mikulski summarizing that augs see naturals as inferior and will do anything to wipe them out unless naturals act first. Beaufort comments that they are crazy but MacReady disagrees, saying they do not sound crazy to him. Fallada then interrupts, using the broadcast as an example of why they have to handle Glasshütte with care, as those inside the ghetto are seeing this and the place is already unstable. He then explains his interruption: he forgot to hand over dossiers Miller requested and that the BPOL is ready to consult with them, before leaving once more.

The team gathers around a 3D projection of Glasshütte as Miller explains the rundown: Chang and Smiley are still working on other possible connections to the ghetto, that they know some of the Prague terrorists came from there, and most likely some of their weapons, but if not, someone in the ghetto will most likely know where and know about the children. Tie in the fact that Emilia is supposed to be inside as well and it is enough for them to act. Just as MacReady points out the place is a powder keg, Miller turns to Jensen and says that if he wants to go in, he goes in alone as he will not stand out like the rest of the team, but to step lightly. Jensen agrees, even though he has reservations that the main reason he is being sent in alone is so that, if plans go south, they have someone to blame.

As Jensen enters Glasshütte, Alex calls and he answers her this time. She points out that the Juggernaut Collective need him to be more responsive, but he retorts that unless they want to blow his cover, he needs some room to work. She then directs him to the Glassworks itself and to act surprised once Chang figures it out. After avoiding a skirmish with some augs, Jensen makes his way to the Glassworks when Chang informs him to look there, and is surprised to see Jensen is already there, with the agent simply responding he was passing by and if Chang is sure about this. Chang confirms it, stating that the samples contained two chemicals used inside the place. As Chang gives him the layout of the entrances, Jensen sneaks around and breaks the lock on an unguarded door and enters as Chang informs him the place is screened so he cannot see inside. Jensen looks over a walkway and realizes why the location makes sense: the terrorists are storing lots of weapons and other crates in the building. Jensen sends a picture to Miller, who then tells Jensen the girl is now a secondary objective; his new objective is to find out where all the supplies are coming from.

As Jensen sneaks onto the main floor, he spies an aug talking to another named Sebastian, who turns out to be the aug that escaped from the warehouse. The other aug informs Sebastian that their man inside BPOL notified him that Interpol is at their front door. At this news, Sebastian orders them to be ready to clear out in an hour and Jensen acts, throwing a concussion grenade into the crowd and activating his glass-shield. He catches Sebastian off guard and de-cloaks with his arm blade to Sebastian's throat to keep the rest from attacking. Sebastian then begins to call Jensen a traitor and that he will be the first to die while they arm the ghettos to bring the war that Jensen's "puppet masters" want. Jensen then tells Miller now is a good time to help out, but while the team is on the way, Sebastian, mistakenly thinking Helena told Interpol about hem, orders one of his men, Olivier, to tell someone named Misha to kill the girl. Improvising, Jensen knocks Sebastian out and kills the rest while he follows Olivier to his destination. Alex gives him directions to catch Olivier, eventually having Jensen crash through a window into a room with Misha, who he quickly disposes of just as Olivier runs in with his orders. Showing no mercy for one who would kill a child, Jensen quickly kills Olivier as well before a voice further inside the quarters calls out for help. Jensen checks out the room to find Emilia, huddled in a corner and crying, and lets her know he will take her to her mother as Miller demands a status update. Jensen tells him he got the girl and walks out with her in his arms as the rest of TF29 hold off onlookers. Alex then messages Jensen, saying they need to meet, sooner rather than later.