The Glitch Short Story
DISCLAIMER: Hello! This story is written for the astounding author, Sparkle123tt. Clarity is her character. I'm just using her in this story. I would highly recommend reading her stuff; it's fantastic!
A/N: This turned out to be loads longer than I thought it would be. Sometimes the characters just take over the story. I'm also a bit insecure about it, so feedback is appreciated.Thanks and enjoy!
The team watched as Zari whirled off into the sky, ready to defend her world from the oppressive ARGUS of the future.
"I miss her already," Ray said.
"Me too," Amaya agreed. "But she chose to return to her time to defend her people. There is nothing more noble."
The Legends stared for another moment, watching as Zari disappeared from sight.
"Are we done being sentimental?" Mick said. "Because I'd like to get back to the ship."
"Yes, Mick," Sara said shooting him a look. "We're done being sentimental."
"Good."
The team turned and began walking back to the Waverider.
"Wait," Clarity said, her brow furrowed in concentration. She tucked a stray strand of her rick, brown hair behind her ear. She felt a sharp spark of electricity nearing the team in the distance. It rose above the background hum of electricity that coursed through the futuristic city like blood coursing through the heart. Her unusually bright blue eyes looked up. "Something's coming."
As soon as she had spoken those words, a deafening hum, a blinding light, and a spinning spiral of air surrounded the Legends. They immediately went into battle mode.
Stein and Jax merged and took to the skies, the Atom not far behind them. Amaya activated her totem and Nate steeled up. The thieves activated their guns, and Sara withdrew her batons. Rip pulled out his gun.
Clarity closed her eyes and felt the source of the new entity. It was something electric, hovering just above them. Something landed with a resounding thud next to her, and she snapped her eyes open. Stein and Jax lay sprawled on the ground next to her, completely unconscious.
"Mr. Snart, Mr. Rory!" Rip addressed over the noise. "Take them back to the ship."
The thieves finished shooting at whatever was above them and moved towards the members of Firestorm. They both jumped back as Ray clattered to the ground right in front of them. Unfortunately, neither of them were paying attention to the machine attacking them, and an angry purple blast shot down from above, knocking the two criminals off their feet. They landed a few meters back, knocked out cold.
The team would not last long. Clarity glanced up in an attempt to see what was above her, but it was too bright. She turned to see another purple blast reign down next to Nate and Amaya. Nate jumped in front of Amaya before the blast hit her, sending him flying.
Clarity closed her eyes and concentrated, until she found the source of the electricity. She knew what she was about to do was extremely risky, but the team really didn't have any other options. She focused and then glitched to the machine above.
She appeared to be on the bridge of a small ship. A console with blinking lights of varying colors lay out in front of a window with a view of the suffering Legends. Clarity rushed to the console and placed a hand on it. She felt her way through its systems and easily shut off the weapons system. She opened her eyes and turned around. She gasped before she was hit with a searing hot blast and knocked unconscious.
O
Clarity peered over the desk at the man in the tight, crisp suit. He held her resumé in one hand and thoughtfully stroked his chin with the other.
"Impressive resumé, Miss Springs."
"Really?" she asked hopefully. "It would mean so much to me to get this job! Tech is my life pretty much, and I would absolutely love working with you. Your technological advances are –"
"Amazing," the man interrupted. "I know." He sighed and pushed Clarity's resumé across the desk in her direction.
What was he doing? Didn't he say her resumé was impressive?
"You're impressive, Miss Springs, just not," he paused searching for the right words. "Good enough."
"I-I'm not good enough?" Clarity asked.
"I'm afraid not."
She stared at him for a second. She couldn't believe it!
He cleared his throat. "You can leave now."
Clarity rushed out of the room. She practically ran to the elevators and pressed the button. She stared as the numbers counted up, approaching her floor. Clarity rapidly blinked back tears. She refused to cry over this. She just simply refused.
The doors opened with a ding, and Clarity ran into someone with a remarkable smack.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I'm terribly sorry I –"
"Clarity!" the young man exclaimed. He appeared to be around her age.
She studied him. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"It's me!" he said putting a hand on his chest. "Jax! We've been looking all over for you. Listen, you need –"
"Miss Springs."
Clarity turned to see the man in the suit again. He was holding a piece of paper.
"I believe you forgot this," he said, handing her resumé back to her.
She stared at it dryly. "Thanks."
"Better luck next time," he replied awkwardly before walking away.
Clarity looked back towards the elevators. She blinked. She was alone. Where did Jax go? The elevator doors began to close and Clarity quickly stepped inside. She pressed the button for the lobby and descended.
The doors reopened, and she stepped out into the crowded lobby. She pushed passed the people swarming to get inside the elevator. The light buzz of voices filled the shiny lobby, and a large white Christmas tree with golden ornaments stood in the corner.
Clarity stared at the revolving glass door at the end of the lobby. Her way to freedom. She determinedly began to make her way through the sea of business suits and tight skirts. With each step, she became more and more excited, her escape becoming closer. She finally reached the revolving door and was all but shoved inside.
"Clarity!"
She looked up to see a man with brown hair and matching eyes looking back at her from the panel in front of her.
"Do I know you?" she said loudly enough for him to hear through the glass.
"Yeah! It's me! Nate!" he shouted before being ejected outside.
Clarity emerged a second later and scanned the crowd for Nate, but he was nowhere to be seen. She studied her surroundings a second more before moving down the street. It had begun to snow, and it was too cold to stand around.
Clarity shoved her hands in her pockets and began to walk in the direction of her favorite coffee shop, CC Jitters. The snowfall began to thicken and Clarity searched the road for a cab. She saw one and hailed it over.
"Miss Springs!" a voice shouted as the cab pulled over to the curb next to Clarity.
Clarity looked across the street to see an old man with gray hair and black glasses waving at her.
The cabbie rolled down his window. "Are you coming, or not?" he asked Clarity.
"Um," she hesitated while looking back across the street, but the man had vanished. "Yeah." She opened the door and sat down.
"Where to?"
"CC Jitters, please."
The car ride was awkwardly silent, but Jitters wasn't too far, so Clarity really didn't mind. She looked out her window. She loved seeing Central City at Christmas time. Enormous Christmas trees occupied every square, lights ran up each bare tree, and seasonal posters hung from almost every building. The cab slowed down, and Jitters came into view.
"This is your stop," the cabbie informed obviously.
"Thanks," Clarity said, handing him his money. "Keep the change." She opened her door and stepped out into the wintry weather.
"Clarity!" a voice called.
She groaned inwardly. What now?
A man with black hair and eyes with the excitement of a child came racing towards her. He reached her and snatched her in a hug.
Clarity squeaked in surprise. He was really warm, so Clarity hugged him back.
"You remember me?" he asked hopefully as they pulled apart.
"Um, no."
His face fell. "Listen, Clarity," he said. "You need to wake up."
"What do you mean? I'm already awake."
Sirens pierced through the air behind them, causing Clarity to jump. She watched the police cars race down the street before turning back to the man. He was gone. What was going on?
She just needed a good old fashioned cup of coffee to calm down this weird day. Clarity opened the door to the coffee shop and stepped inside. She immediately felt better as the warm, rich smell of coffee filled her nostrils. She headed over to the cash register and smiled when she saw her favorite cashier working the register.
"Hey, Gideon."
"Hello, Clarity!" Gideon chirped. "Your usual?"
"Yup," Clarity answered. "I'm having the weirdest day."
Gideon frowned. "I know."
Clarity looked at her in surprise. "You know?"
Gideon looked up and stared straight into Clarity's electric blue eyes. "You really do need to wake up, Creator."
Clarity gasped and stumbled backwards. It was all too much, her failed interview, the weird people that kept calling her name, and now Gideon?!
Clarity turned and raced for the door.
"Clarity!" Gideon called, but Clarity didn't stop.
Clarity ran towards the center of the city only stopping before she came to the central park. She hugged herself from the cold and stared wearily at the statue of Central City's founder. Someone stood next to her, and Clarity regarded her with suspicion.
She had dark hair and beautiful coffee colored skin. She stared at the statue a moment before turning to Clarity. She stared at Clarity as if she was looking right through her.
"What's going on?" Clarity asked.
"Clarity," she addressed. "You need to focus. This isn't real."
"What isn't real. The statue?"
"No," the woman sighed. "This world isn't real."
Clarity stared at the statue a second more. A large smear of pigeon poop ran down its face right between the eyes. "People keep telling me to wake up." She turned back to the woman. "Where am I?" But, like all the others, she had vanished.
Clarity sighed in frustration and walked towards one of the benches. She sat down and stared at her feet, her breath coming out in white puffs. She shivered from the cold.
"Hey, Clarity," a woman's voice said softly.
White boots stood in front of her, and she looked up to see a stunning blonde woman staring at her in concern. She sat down next to Clarity.
"Let's cut to the chase," she said. "You need to wake up."
"People keep telling me that, but I don't know how!" Clarity said in exasperation.
"Hey," the woman said, taking Clarity's hand. Her hand was oddly warm. Clarity looked up at her. "You're strong, smart, and incredibly brave. You're so brave I sometimes wonder where your sense of self-preservation is."
Clarity blushed.
The woman stood and let go of Clarity's hand. "I don't have much time, but I believe in you, Clarity." She gave Clarity one last smile before disappearing behind the statue.
Clarity sighed once but stood up with purpose. She was going to get out of this…place. She began walking down the sidewalk towards her apartment with determination.
"Wrong way, Sparky," a gruff voice said.
Clarity spun around to see a rough man leaning against a tree, drinking a bottle of beer.
"You need to go that way to get out of here," he said nodding towards the west end of the park in the direction of STAR Labs.
"Uh, thanks?"
"Don't mention it," he said, taking another drink from his bottle.
Clarity stared at him a second more before heading in the direction he told her to go. She left the park and walked down the sidewalk, snow swirling around her. It began to come down in thick globby groups, obscuring her vision. She kept her gaze to the sky, looking for STAR Labs' distinguished pillars, but the snow was coming down too harshly. Clarity ducked behind an alley to catch her breath. She shivered as she leaned against the wall and rubbed her hands together.
"Not a fan of the cold I take it?"
Clarity pushed off the wall to see a man leaning against the opposite side, staring at her with calculating eyes. He turned to look at the snow sweeping past the alley.
"You won't make it in those clothes."
"I can do it!" Clarity insisted.
He raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" he asked, shrugging off his blue parka and handing it to her.
She looked up at him in surprise. "Won't you be cold?'
He smirked and his eyes twinkled in amusement as if she just told him a funny joke. "I'll be fine."
The wind howled, bringing in a swirl of white snowflakes that whooshed into the alley.
"You need to get going," he urged.
She nodded before putting on his coat and heading out into the storm. The wind blew ice and snow into her face, obscuring her vision, but she finally made her way into STAR Labs. She stumbled through the door and was met by strong arms. She looked up at a man with light brown hair and a beard.
He smiled. "I'm glad to see you found your way, Miss Springs."
"Well, I had some help."
"Quite right," he replied quietly. His eyes quickly scanned her. "You're alright?"
She smiled. "Just a bit cold."
He frowned. "You need to hurry." He put an arm around her shoulder, and she leaned into him, soaking up his warmth. He pointed across the room. "You need to go through that door."
"Mmm," Clarity mumbled. "I'm too tired."
"Clarity!" he said, spinning to look at her face. "You need to focus."
She blinked up at him sluggishly. "Okay, fine."
He gave her one last hug before sending her in the direction of the door.
As she approached the door, her steps became heavier, and it felt as if she was walking through water. She stopped, completely breathless and looked back, but he was gone. She turned and stared at the door. She took another step. And then another. Yet another. Until she reached the door and wrenched open the handle.
O
Clarity opened her eyes and recognized the interior of the Waverider. It was dark. She sat up and instantly regretted it. Small black dots filled her vision, and she swayed, nearly falling off the medical chair. She saw a pitcher of water and a glass on the table next to her. She poured herself a glass and gratefully drank it. Clarity breathed in deeply, the glass of water giving her much needed energy. She frowned, it was terribly quiet.
"Gideon?" she called out. Nothing. She tried to reach out through the Waverider's systems, but she couldn't feel anything. The Waverider was completely shut down. Clarity shivered and grabbed a folded blanket from one of the shelves. She wrapped it around herself and stepped into the hallway, the cool metallic floor chilling her feet. The Waverider felt dead, and it was scaring her. Clarity continued walking towards the bridge, her large blanket draped over her and dragging against the floor. She turned a corner and saw a warm, flickering light coming from the kitchen.
"How long will it take to get the power back?" Nate's voice said from the kitchen.
A sigh. "I don't know," Jax said. "Ray and I just took a look at the engine room and everything's fried."
"Well, isn't this swell?" Leonard said sarcastically.
"You're not helping," Amaya reprimanded.
"This is my fault," Rip stated. "I never should've created this team in the first place."
The Legends cried in various forms of protest, and Clarity crept closer to the kitchen.
"Now, hold on," Ray said. "You gave us all a choice, remember. We chose to be here."
"Raymond's right," Stein said. "There's no need for this melodrama."
Clarity reached the kitchen to see the team seated around the kitchen island. Rip, Sara, Snart, and Jax all sat facing away from her. Nate, Amaya, and Stein were sitting around the sides of the counter while Mick sat facing her, tending to the mini bonfire on the counter, completely transfixed by the flames while the team discussed their predicament.
"Just because Gideon is out of commission after trying to wake Clarity doesn't mean we're stuck here forever," Sara said.
"Wherever or whenever here is," Ray said.
Mick's gaze slowly wandered from the fire and his eyes met Clarity's. He nearly jumped out of his seat. "Rip," he said urgently.
The team all looked at Mick in concern, clearly put off by him addressing Rip by his name rather than "English." They saw him staring at the door and turned to see Clarity standing in the doorway with a big blanket tightly wrapped around her.
"What happened to Gideon?" Clarity asked before anyone could say a word.
Rip sprang from his chair and rushed to her. "Clarity! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Clarity said, nearing the kitchen island. "Where's Gideon?"
The team exchanged a look.
"We don't know," Jax said finally.
"What do you mean?" Clarity asked.
"After you saved us, you went into some sort of feverish coma," Ray explained. "We all tried to psychically link with you to try to wake you up, but it wasn't working."
"And?" Clarity asked, urging them to continue.
Another exchanged look.
"And Gideon diverted herself into the psychic link to try and wake you," Rip continued. "You absorbed all the energy."
Clarity gasped. She did this. "I can fix this!" she said, shrugging off the blanket and racing to the engine room.
Rip began to go after her.
"I got this," Sara said, stopping him.
Sara found Clarity in the engine room, crouching next to the AI's central unit.
Sara crouched next to Clarity and smiled. "That was a crazy stunt you pulled for the team."
Clarity ignored her and continued to try and restore Gideon.
"Clarity," Sara said firmly. Clarity turned to see Sara staring pointedly staring at her.
Clarity looked tearfully back at the console. "But I created Gideon," she said softly.
"I know," Sara reassured. "Which is why you can restore her."
Clarity raised her hands and began tinkering on the ship.
Sara grabbed her hands, and pulled Clarity to look at her. "Later. We've missed you, Clarity. Rip has been even worse than normal. You mean something to us."
"…really?"
"Really."
Sara led Clarity back to the kitchen where the rest of the team was waiting.
"I'm sorry I ran off," she said quietly while looking at the floor.
"Are you seriously apologizing?" Mick asked.
Clarity looked up at him to see the team all had matching looks of apprehension.
"After everything you've done for us," Ray said. "There's no need to apologize."
"Exactly," Leonard said. "You took one for the team," he paused. "Thank you."
"Now I know I've seen it all," Nate said. "Captain Cold thanking someone."
Leonard gave him an icy glare.
"And thank you too," Clarity said. "You guys," she paused. "You guys have shown me things about myself I never would have discovered. You made me better."
"And you made us better too, Miss Springs," Martin returned.
The lights flickered on and the team looked up in surprise.
"Welcome back, Creator," Gideon said happily.
"Gideon!" Clarity cheered. "I'm glad to have you back!"
"And so are we," Rip said. "We missed you, Clarity."
Clarity smiled.
"Enough talking," Mick said, grabbing a champagne bottle from the fabricator. "More celebrating." He popped open the cap.
Clarity smiled. She was home.