To Weave a New Pattern - Chapter One
This is an AU sequel to Cut Strings. This takes place after the events of Season One of DC's Legends of Tomorrow right after Carter and Kendra leave the team but before the JSA ship crashes. Warning for strong language and adult situations but not R.
Rip led the team to where he'd left the cloaked Waverider. Everyone was sunk deep in thought and not really paying attention to anything. Their mission to kill Savage was over; they had to determine what they were going to do next.
"Damn!" Rip stopped. The tall man in the black coat stood near the bay door as though he knew the Waverider was there.
"What's wrong?" Sara scanned their surroundings looking for trouble.
"There's someone at the Waverider. We cannot board."
"Why don't you just give 'em one of those short term memory pills?" Ray was only half joking.
"Because, Mr. Palmer, I don't like going around drugging people."
Sara stepped around Rip to see who was impeding their leaving. The blood drained from her face as she recognized him. She grabbed Mick's arm and squeezed hard.
"Hey! What's that for?" Mick, still heartsick and sore from fighting, wanted a beer more than anything else.
"Look!" She said.
The figure ahead must have heard them. He looked over his left shoulder and smiled at his friends. *
Everyone froze as they realized that the figure facing them appeared to be their deceased teammate, Leonard Snart. Mick Rory was the first to be able to move. He closed the gap between the team and his former partner, grabbed him by the lapels, and lifted him off the ground. "Who the hell are you?" He was furious. Snart was dead. Had sacrificed himself for Mick, for them all. This...bastard, whoever he was, needed to speak up before Mick smashed his teeth in.
"Put me down Mick." Leonard locked eyes with the one person besides his sister who knew him best.
"How?" Rip stepped up next to the two men with Sara right behind him.
"No! The only question is who are you?" Mick needed that answered before anything else.
"It's really me. Ask me anything. Something that only you and I would know." Leonard's voice was cool and collected as Mick dropped him down. He shrugged his black jacket back into place across his shoulders.
"How did we meet?"
"Not good enough. I told Sara that story."
Mick looked over his shoulder at the assassin who nodded.
"You left me a ring. What's the deal with it?"
"Told her that story too."
Mick was surprised when Sara nodded again. He realized then that Snart and Sara had become closer than he realized. If Snart had told her these stories, he trusted her. But there was one story he bet that Snart would not have shared.
"Why did I, as Chronos, capture you instead of Rip?"
Leonard seemed to shrink in on himself. He looked down at the ground for a moment before raising his gaze to meet Mick's. "You were going to take us to 2016, find Lisa, and kill her in front of me. Then we would jump back a little so you could keep doing it again and again.
The team was shocked. All had seen the enmity between the two but hadn't realized how deep Mick's revenge as Chronos' went. So they were all surprised at Mick's next move.
"You idiot!" Mick shouted as he grabbed Snart in a bear hug. "What the fuck did you think you were doing?"
Leonard didn't know how to react. Mick had never demonstrated any positive emotion before. Ever. Slowly, he brought his arms around and patted his partner on the back. When Mick released him, they both separated.
"You're back! Good. We have things to..."
"Not exactly."
"What do you mean, Mr. Snart, by 'not exactly'?" Rip was overjoyed that Mr. Rory could confirm the identity of the man in front of them as their missing teammate.
"It's a long story. Can we go inside the Waverider?"
"Of course." Rip started to move towards his ship but Leonard stopped him with his hand on Rip's arm.
Speaking softly, he said, "Before we all sit down, I need your help. Yours and Gideon's. In the med bay. I...I need to know that I'm..." Leonard was at a loss for words. "I need to know that I'm ok." That should do for now.
"Certainly." Turning to the others, Rip said, "Why don't we meet in my office in half an hour?" He sauntered towards his ship confident that Mr. Snart would follow. He hadn't figured on everyone else stepping in to greet Mr. Snart as well. Mr. Snart had not exactly been very popular.
Leonard was taken aback as Jax and Raymond came up to shake his hand. Bemused, he allowed them to slap him on the shoulder and back as they celebrated his return. He didn't want to throw ice water on the reunion yet but their enthusiasm made him very uncomfortable. The two men turned and headed towards their ship.
"Mr. Snart," Professor Stein approached Leonard. "You are a sight for sore eyes. When we lost you, or as the case may be now, thought we'd lost you, everyone was astonished by your sacrifice. I for one was proud of how much you'd changed while with us."
Leonard's lips quirked as he almost smiled at the scientist. He would never have believed that the man would ever give him anything approaching respect. He was shaken that they all seemed to have really missed his presence. But then he realized that there was one person who had not yet come up to him. Sara was staring at the ground a few feet away. Stein realized the direction of Snart's gaze and wondered if he should say something. He looked back and forth between the two. Leonard's face lost all expression. He gave a slight nod as he realized that she was not going to approach him.
"She must have come to her senses," Leonard thought to himself as he turned towards the ship and some answers. "I guess..." He never finished that thought as Sara slammed against him and held on a tight as she could. Turning, he wrapped her in a hug and rested his cheek against the top of her head. Nothing else mattered at that moment for either of them.
Stein looked away. All was well. Or would be. He too turned and headed towards the Waverider passing Mick who was still standing there watching his partner. Realizing that Snart and Sara were wrapped up in each other, Mick decided to return to the ship and wait to hear Snart's tale. Both Mick and Stein caught up with Rip and the others.
"Let's make it an hour, shall we?" Bemused, Rip entered his ship. "Now when did that happen?" he asked himself.
Sara didn't want to let Leonard go; she was afraid he'd vanish as he had in the Arrow's lair. She felt his breath stir her hair and the warmth from his body thawed a part she hadn't realized had frozen. Reluctantly, she let go enough so she could look him in the eye. "You're here to stay? Right? No...no screaming and vanishing?"
"No vanishing. That's done." I hope. "But staying is another story. I want to explain now but I don't think I can tell what happened more than once." He absentmindedly rubbed at his chest. "I promise that I won't vanish without saying goodbye."
Realizing that was all he could promise, Sara grasped his hand and interlaced their fingers. She drew him towards the ship and answers.
Leonard nodded at Rip who was still waiting in the doorway and followed him towards the med bay. He turned towards Sara and released her hand. "I'll meet you in Rip's office, okay?"
Curiosity consumed Sara but she held off asking any questions for the moment. She went to her quarters to clean up passing Mick who was headed out again.
"What did you want to look for exactly?" Rip was consumed with curiosity as Leonard entered the med bay behind him. How had Mr. Snart returned to them? Alive?
Leonard didn't speak for a moment as he agonized about learning the truth. "I need to know that everything in me is me." He realized he wasn't making much sense. "I was...healed. But did they change anything? Add anything? I need to..." He could hear his voice becoming strident and took a deep breath.
"I believe I understand what you need, Mr. Snart. Gideon? We need a full body scan on Mr. Snart and compare all data to the scans you made when I first brought him on board the Waverider."
"Yes, Captain." Gideon's rely was a few seconds slower than normal but a human was unable to catch that delay. The ship's AI had received a command signal that she was unable to defy.
Leonard lay down on the chair and visibly forced his hands to unclench as he closed his eyes.
Rip looked down at where his handpicked thief rested before turning to look at the data as it appeared on the wall screen. Gideon had split the screen in half. The left showed layers of bones, muscles, and nerves; it was obvious that this was the original scan. The right side began to fill with the same structures.
"Scan complete."
Taking a deep breath, Leonard opened his eyes, rolled off the chair, and joined Rip. "So what's the verdict? Am I real or Memorex?" He tried to hide his fear under a heavy layer of sarcasm.
"When first scanned, you had some scarring on your chest and back from some old injuries. Those lines have been changed with some of the damaged area now appearing unblemished. The healed breaks to your fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs are gone; the bones are whole. Your heart and parts of your lungs appear to be new as does a portion of your spinal column and spinal cord. Your brain scans appear to be the same; there is no apparent difference between the waves." Gideon stopped, unable to continue. The command the AI had received earlier kept her from finishing her report.
A shudder rippled through Leonard. Rip watched the thief work to regain his self-control; he turned away to give him some privacy. "Gideon. Is there anything else we should know?"
"About Mr. Snart's scan? There is nothing else I can say."
Confused at his ship's critic reply, Rip looked to see if Mr. Snart was ready to join the rest. Rip, and he was sure that this was true of the rest of the team, was dying to know how he'd survived. "Ready?"
"Nope." Now that it was time, Leonard wasn't sure that he wanted to tell them about what had happened to him and what he'd be doing for his rescuers. But part of the deal was that he could be with the team sometimes and they had to know the truth. He followed as Rip headed towards the bridge and those waiting.
Stein had reached the office first and had spent the time arranging chairs for all of them. He placed two so that they were almost touching. The others had cleaned up quickly except for Mick. He'd taken the time to find a liquor store and had bought a few bottles of 25-year-old single malt. Sara saw what he brought in and found the glasses. Mick poured each of them a shot. No one picked theirs up; they were waiting.
Rip and Leonard entered the office side by side. Rip was smiling broadly; Leonard's smile was present, but much more subtle. Mick handed his partner the first glass as Sara passed one to each of the others.
"Welcome back." Mick saluted Leonard.
"Yes! Welcome back, Mr. Snart." Rip Hunter echoed as they all chimed in.
Mick had swallowed his and poured a second shot and was surprised when Leonard held his glass out too. Snart drank but never got drunk. He hated that loss of control. It must be bad whatever had happened.
Sara had already spotted the two chairs and settled down in one. Jax headed towards the other one when Stein yanked his arm and guided him towards a different chair. Realization dawned when Jax watched Snart settle down next to Sara.
Leonard watched them all choose their seats. It appeared to be story time. He turned his glass around and around watching the amber liquid swirl. "I honestly don't know where to begin." He held up a hand as Raymond started to speak. "Just give me a second, will ya?" Only Sara was close enough to see how his hand was shaking.
Time Master Druce came up with his guards. "No! Shut it down!" he demanded. "Shut it down!" He demanded that Leonard release the switch to allow the Oculus to cool down.
Leonard guessed they hadn't seen this in their fancy manipulations. He wondered why? The team was far enough away now. Heat built up in the chamber towards detonation. "There are no strings on me," he declared to Druce. Leonard was done with being a pawn.
A stream of blue fire struck him in the chest. Heat. Agony. Cold. Nothingness.*
"At the Oculus, that bastard tried to stop me but it was too late. The machine exploded. I remember...there was a flare..." He didn't realize it, but Leonard was rubbing his chest with his free hand. 'The next part is hazy so bear with me. I don't really know what was real or what was just a dream. At least at the beginning. The first thing I remember was green fire all around. I was awake and then asleep and had no idea of where I even was. I kept seeing different places, people. I remember trying to get out...to get away from wherever I was. Then I found myself in another strange place and saw Sara."
"What? And you never told us?" Mick was pissed as he turned to face the blonde.
"Yeah, well, I couldn't stay. I..." Leonard intercepted Mick's anger.
"Leonard appeared out of nowhere in Oliver's lair. We only talked for a few minutes before he..." Leonard screamed again. "I will not be a puppet. LET...ME...GO...! he demanded of whatever force it was that was manipulating him. His will held him there while his body was wracked with spasms. Realizing that Leonard would not give in even if it meant his life, Barry raced to grab a syringe, filled it with anesthesia, and injected the thief. As he fell unconscious, his body vanished in a flare of green light. Sara was kneeling alone.* "Leonard vanished into thin air. I didn't know if he'd ever come back." Sara pulled her legs up against her body and hugged them tight. His screams had haunted her nights since that day.
"When I woke up after that, there were these five...beings standing around me. They said to call them the Elders."
"Elders? Rip, you ever hear about any Elders?" asked Raymond.
"No. Never."
Leonard tossed back his second glass of whiskey. Mick leaned over and poured another shot in Snart's glass. He could see that his partner might need it to get through his story. For his part, Leonard vowed to hold off drinking it until he finished. He could feel the whiskey he'd already drank taking the edge off and that helped as he continued his story.
"You are not he who was foretold." Leonard couldn't tell which one of the figures spoke. He tried to sit up but a wave of weakness came over him. Turning to his side, he pushed himself up with his right arm. He wanted to face them on his own two feet but was afraid if he got off the table that he'd fall flat on his face.
"You expected Mick?"
"No. The Oculus had told us that Raymond Palmer would be sacrificing himself to destroy the Oculus."
"If the Oculus knew it was going to be destroyed, why didn't it stop us itself?"
"We were the ones who created the Oculus. We taught the first Time Masters how to use it. It was Druce and his cohorts who changed its function for their own use. We wanted it destroyed so that they could no longer use it for a purpose that was not in its design."
"So why am I here and not dead?"
"The Oculus had sent us many people over the years to help with our mission. Our original mission. Raymond Palmer was to be the last of our team."
Raymond interrupted Leonard's story. "So you mean they wanted me?" He was almost angry that he'd lost this chance. There was no way that Snart could appreciate such an opportunity. In fact... Ray's thoughts were halted when Mick kicked his foot.
"Let him go on," he growled.
"Oh, right." Chastened, Ray turned his attention back to Snart who picked up his narrative.
"You are not what we expected. But the Oculus sent you to us; you might be able to assist. When we created the Time Masters, our intent was to have a corps to nudge history along its intended path, not change it. We know how things are supposed to happen. A man of your talents might be what we need now."
"And what talents are you referring to?"
"Subterfuge. Breaking and entering. Theft. Sleight of hand."
Leonard couldn't deny that he excelled in those skills; in fact, he was extremely proud of them. "So what do you need me to steal?" He found it ironic that Rip had chosen him for the very same things. Or the Time Masters had. Shit, this was giving him a headache.
"We will assign you a small time ship and send you on various missions to make sure events that are supposed to happen do happen as they should."
"But that's what I was doing with Rip. And the team."
"You are no longer a part of that team."
"Why not?"
"They have bigger events to manage. Events that will need the skills of all of them."
"So why can't I join them. I mean, I was chosen to be a part of that team."
"You were part of Druce's plan but you chose a new path when you gave up your life to stop them. Your life is connected to our mission now."
Leonard was beginning to get pissed off. He was tired of people trying to control his life. "You know what? You can take this job and shove it up your..."
"Silence." The five figures waited and watched him gain self-control. "You were dead when the Oculus sent you to us."
"Wait a minute. Dead? Then how..." Jax interrupted.
Tilting his head, Leonard silenced Jax with a look. Breaking his vow, he drank the shot resting in his left hand. Sara reached out to grasp his right hand but he kept his fingers clenched around the armrest. She was hurt but realized he was squeezing it so tightly that his knuckles stood out whitely. Everyone waited in silence.
Closing his eyes, a shudder racked Leonard's body as he remembered everything with crystal clarity. He opened his eyes. Turning to Jax, he said, "Dead."
"Observe."
Against his will, Leonard watched a screen flicker as an image appeared. He saw himself lying on a table like the one which he was now sitting on. There was a large scorched hole in his torso that he could see the table through. It took all his iron will not to spew as sour saliva filled his mouth. "What did you do to me?"
"The Oculus' explosion burned a hole through your chest. Your heart, lungs, and spinal cord were destroyed. However, our technology was able to keep your brain intact. We were able to regenerate the damaged parts. Then we restarted your heart and lungs and reconnected the nerves."
Leonard was shaking. He realized what he'd thought was a nightmare was instead reality. He'd chosen to destroy the Oculus to save Mick's life but also to regain control of his own. Now these...Elders had basically kidnapped him for their own purposes. "You said that I couldn't be a part of the team. Does that mean I can't even see them? See Lisa. Or Mick or Sara he thought.
"We will give you a choice."
"A choice? How the hell can you say that? You took me after I made my choice. You brought me back to life..." Leonard stopped himself. Beings like these could easily vaporize him. He had discovered that he really wanted to live. Surely he could find some loophole, some angle...
"As we said, we need one such as you to ensure certain events happen along the timeline. And occasionally, you can rejoin your friends for a time."
'What, as a reward?"
"No. As a rest. Make no mistake, the events we will send you to will be highly dangerous to body and spirit. You will need their help to recover."
Leonard looked back at the screen and his own dead body. "What if I say no?"
"We do not kill. However. This is not the only timeline we manage. There are multiple versions of Earth. All occupy the same place in space but vibrate at different frequency so they cannot see each other. In some, you are still dead. In one, you died at your father's hands while still a child. In another, you are in prison for murdering your father. And in a few, you were never born. We will simply place you on another Earth where you never lived in a time that you know nothing about. You will not be able to damage that timeline due to your unfamiliarity with the events. You will be alive but never see your sister or your friends ever again."
Reeling from their threat, Leonard realized that they understood his buttons. He hoped Mick had taken his message to Lisa. No matter his choice, he'd stay away from her. If he died working for the Elders, it would just be cruel to put her through that loss again. Let her live her life without him. His thoughts turned to Rip's team. He was startled to understand how much he needed to see them again.
"When do I start?"
"So you had no heart. Or lungs?" Professor Stein was fascinated. These Elders had a technology that surpassed his wildest dreams.
Tightening his lips, Leonard turned to his questioner. He touched the center of his chest with his right hand. "This. All of this was gone."
"How did they do it?" Mick was curious. His armor had protected him as Chronos and all his wounds had been rather minor.
"Just like when Rip regenerated my hand."
"Wait. What? When?"
They all turned to look at Mick.
"When he froze his hand off to escape your ship. Don't you remember?" Stein was appalled at Mr. Rory' seeming callousness.
"All I remember is how pissed off I was. How much I wanted to kill you all." Mick looked at Snart. "I had always thought you had a lock pick I didn't find."
"Nope."
"Can we get back to more current events?" Rip pleaded. He really needed to know as much as he could about these Elders. Would they interfere with his team and his current plans?
Leonard had reached up to rub his chest again. Sara realized that it had become a habit for him as if he needed to check that he was whole. After his hand had been regenerated, he'd taken to fiddling with a gold coin. He was lost in some memory.
Mick stood up and topped off everyone's glass. He paused at his partner's glass and refilled it when he got no response. Silence filled the room again until Ray broke it.
"So if they're going to use you to steal and break in, why would they have needed me?" Ray was still miffed at the lost opportunity.
"I don't know, Raymond, it wasn't high on my list of things to find out." Leonard broke the lock his memories had on him. He wasn't going to share everything that he remembered with them. Bad enough that he relived the events in his dreams.
"You said they'd let you meet up with us after a mission. Where, or should I say, when did you go first?" Stein was curious about the events that Mr. Snart would guide.
"I haven't gone anywhere yet. They said I needed time to assimilate everything before sending me off." Leonard didn't know the depths of their plan for assimilation. He'd be furious when he learned what they'd done to him.
"How will you know when you have to leave?" Sara wondered how much time they'd have.
"My ship."
"That's right. You have to have your own time ship. Gideon," Rip called out, "where is Mr. Snart's ship?"
"The Iceberg is behind the oil tanks north of our position."
"Seriously? Iceberg?" Jax thought Snart was taking this whole Cold thing a bit too far.
Leonard sliced his eyes over at the kid. He was still shaken by everything and had latched onto what was familiar and comfortable when he'd chosen that name. "You got something to say about it?"
"Uh uh." The other half of Firestorm had learned when to back down when Snart got that look in his eye.
"Will you be with us for the next few hours Mr. Snart?" Rip was curious about the Elders but he could tell that their returned comrade was done with sharing for the time being.
"As far as I know. Geoffrey said we don't leave until tomorrow."
"Geoffrey? What the hell?"
"Mick, I didn't give the AI its name. The ship came with it." Raising the glass, Leonard slugged down his fourth shot. The whiskey was kicking in. For once, he didn't limit himself. Maybe tonight he wouldn't have any nightmares.
"Are you staying here? Your room is still yours, Mr. Snart." Rip was afraid if Snart went over to his own ship that it might choose to spirit him away on its own.
Standing up, the room began to sway a bit. Leonard could count the number of times he'd been drunk on one hand. He realized that he might have trouble walking back. "I think I'd better..."
"Gideon. Could you contact Mr. Snart's ship and..."
"Already done Captain. Geoffrey confirmed that Mr. Snart does not need to return until tomorrow."
Stein, Jax, and Ray left the bridge first after professing how glad they were that he was alive. Leonard was carefully placing one foot in front of the other with Mick and Sara on either side as they headed out. When they reached Mick's room, the two men entered. Sara was certain that they needed to talk without anyone else around and headed down the corridor.
"Sit!" Mick shoved Snart down in the chair. "You're keeping something back."
"I'm keeping a lot back, Mick. You know me. I play my cards close to my chest." Leonard tried to smile but failed. His face felt stiff. A random series of events connected all of a sudden. "You! When you called me to come to G3 and then couldn't really talk to me. Right before the job where you got burned. You said I was a hero to you. That was you after I died wasn't it?"
Mick knew how strong Snart's memory was. That he'd made that connection didn't startle Mick as much as it would have the others. "Yeah. I had to say something to you. You died for me. Why? And don't give me some bullshit about knowing you would die."
"But that's it, Mick." Leonard leaned forward. "I controlled your life the way we were being controlled by the Time Masters. I hated them for that. I just had to do it. Had to give you back your choices for your own life."
"And now you've got your life back. You seen Lisa?"
"No. And I'm not going to."
Mick was surprised. He'd have thought his partner would have gone to see her first. She was the only light in his life. He watched as Snart's eyes looked into some memory. Then he blinked and was back.
"No. From what these Elders implied, this job is dangerous. I don't want Lisa dealing with me dying again. How did she...?"
"Hard." Wanting to change the subject, Mick dug into his pocket and pulled out the Freeport ring. Holding it out, he said, "Here. This belongs to you."
Leonard tilted his chin up as he leaned back against the chair. "I left it with you. Right now, my life is my symbol for consequences."
Understanding that Snart didn't need the ring as a reminder any more, Mick put it away safely as an idea blossomed. "You gonna talk to Sara?"
"About what?"
"Don't be a fucking idiot. There is something going on between you two. You have to settle it."
"Do I?" After telling his former team his tale, Leonard was drained. He didn't know what he wanted to say to Sara. "Look. I'm going to feel like crap tomorrow if I don't get some sleep now. I'll see you in the morning."
"You won't sneak out?"
"I'll try not to. I have no idea what time we have to leave."
"You're on a time ship. It's always on time." Mick stood first. He wasn't sure what to say.
"Night." Leonard got up and walked out with the deliberation of a drunken man trying not to appear drunk. He didn't get very far.
"Hey." Sara had been waiting patiently for him by his door. She glided up and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Hugging her back, Leonard forced himself to say what he'd spent many hours trying to figure out. He pushed back from her embrace until he could look her in the eye. "I need you to take some time first."
Confused, Sara asked, "Time for what?"
"Time to be sure about what you want. With you...and me."
"I know what I want."
"No, I don't think you do." Leonard really wished he wasn't drunk. He had wanted to keep all his wits about him for the conversation he knew they had to have. "When I first told you how I felt, you got angry." He held up his finger to stop her from speaking. "Let me finish. You kissed me when I was going to die. Then you kissed me when I came back to life. Both times. All of it was a reaction to events. I'm alive but I'm not back. Not with the team and not with you. There may be days, weeks even, between times when we see each other. Is that really what you want?"
Sara felt her breath catch in her throat. "I want to find out what we can have."
"Fine. Then the next time I meet up with you all, we can have this conversation again. Think about it. I'm in no rush but I don't want to lose what we have. Not now. From what the Elders hinted at, I'm going to need...I don't know what but if you are acting out of impulse, you'll regret it and then what?"
Taken aback, Sara realized that Leonard had a good point. She had been so happy to see him alive. She was happy. "Alright. I'll wait. But I'm not going to change my mind." She pulled his head down so she could kiss him good night and left him at his door.
His room was bare. "I guess they did recycle everything," he muttered to himself.
"On the contrary, Mr. Snart. Ms. Lance has your coat and everything that was in it." Gideon had illuminated the room as he entered and, remembering his preferences, had changed the screen to show a snowscape.
He tossed his coat onto the chair, kicked off his boots, and fell into bed. Drawing the covers over himself, he was asleep within moments.
"Ms. Lance?"
It took Sara a moment to realize that Gideon was calling her out of a deep sleep. "What?"
"I believe that Mr. Snart needs assistance."
Sara threw back the covers. "What do you mean?"
"He's having nightmares."
"How...oh yeah, you can see our dreams. Are they bad?"
"I believe that they are related to events after he was brought back to life."
"He told us about that."
"Not about this. I think you should go to him."
Leonard was sitting on the edge of the bed when the door opened. Taking the heels of his hands from his eyes, he saw that it was Sara. "What are you doing here?"
"Gideon said that you were having nightmares. Want to talk about it?"
"I've said all I want to say." He'd kept the worst memories to himself; he'd always been a private person. Realizing that Sara was not going to just go away, he looked down at the floor. "I just don't want to talk about it, ok?"
"Want some company? You'll never get to sleep if you don't relax."
"What did you have in mind?" Suspicious, Leonard pulled his thoughts out of his past. Sara was quick witted but he would not bend on his decision.
"Sex would definitely relax you..and me. But since that's off the table, for now, just take off your shirt." She grinned.
"And how is me stripping not going to lead to sex?"
"Just your shirt unless..."
Leonard didn't want her to see his scars.
Sauntering up to where he sat on the edge of his bed, Sara looked up into his eyes. She didn't realize how she was mirroring the time he'd told her how he'd felt. "You know, the next time we see each other you're going to have to take it all off." She lifted her eyebrow and smirked.
Knowing when to give up, Leonard took off his shirt.
"Lie down on your stomach. I know a few massage tricks that should help ease those knots."
Turning onto his stomach, Leonard felt Sara jump onto the bed and then settle herself down across his hips. He nestled his head into his crossed arms and waited.
Sara rubbed her hands together to heat them up. Once she was satisfied with their warmth, she started working on the base of his neck. "You really are a mess, you know? You must have one killer headache."
"I thought that was the whiskey."
"That too." She continued to work in silence. She'd unintentionally seen him shirtless months before after Russia. Now she took her time to admire the view. Her lips tightened as her gaze traveled over some of the scars. They were old; he must have had them most of his life. She recognized a few as cigarette burns. Sara's hands moved farther down and started to loosen his trapezius muscles. Tilting her head, she tried to determine what was bothering her. Then it struck her. She could see where he'd been regenerated. Where there had once been a hole in his body. The hole that had killed him. The skin where he'd been healed was slightly different in skin tone and a few scars were cut off with an abruptness that was unnatural. Her breath came a bit ragged.
Leonard was shaken out of a doze by her gasp. Her hands had stopped briefly. "What's wrong?" He was afraid of what she'd say. That she'd be disgusted by how he looked. "The scars?"
"Noo. Not exactly. Oliver had a lot of scars."
"Oliver? You and Queen?" A few more facts fell into place.
"It's been a few years. But I would never have joined the League of Assassins if I hadn't been shipwrecked with him. And if I'd never had their training, I would not be here right now trying to get you to relax. So relax, damnit." A smile came through her voice.
"Or what? Hey!" Leonard couldn't really duck in case she smacked him again. "So if it's not the scars, then what?"
"You are persistent."
He smiled into his arms. She had no idea. He wasn't giving up on her; he just needed Sara to know her own mind about them. He hoped she would still feel strongly about him, about them, the next time he saw her. "So?"
"It's just...I...I can see where they regenerated your injury. I believe you about what happened and all. It's just suddenly so real looking at this."
"You want to know what I was dreaming about?" Leonard was inexplicably driven by the need to share with Sara. Mick would never be able to understand why it bothered him so much and he wasn't close to any of the others to share this memory.
Digging her palm into his back, she said, "If it will help you."
Realizing it was easier when he wasn't looking at her, Leonard took a deep breath. "When Rip replaced my hand, Gideon was pumping me full of pain killers yet it still hurt. A lot. The nerves, you see, were reconnecting. So. My spinal column was gone. Once it was regenerated, all the nerves that affected everything below my chest were reconnecting. And the Elders didn't think about pain meds." His shoulders tightened up as he remembered trying to writhe away from whatever was causing the pain and being unable to move a centimeter. His muscles had twitched and shaken without any conscious control on his part. The only relief he'd found was when he finally lost consciousness. Several times. He shuddered and felt Sara's hands trying to ease the new tightness. A warm drop fell on his shoulder. Before he could say anything, he felt Sara's lips brush the wet spot before she sat up again.
"I hate what they put you through. But if they hadn't, we wouldn't have had this second chance. So I am grateful for that."
Leonard felt a tightness inside that he hadn't realized he was carrying relax. He had other nightmares about recent events, but that was one of the worst. "I think I'd better get some sleep. Thank you." Unspoken was the knowledge that it wasn't just for the backrub. Sara moved off so he could turn over.
"Shall I tuck you in?" Sara teased. She watched as he threw the cover over his legs and started to settle down. She surprised him when she scooted down next to him on top of the covers.
"Sara." He didn't want to have to fend her off. He was drained from sharing and still feeling the effects of the whiskey.
Leaning her chin on his chest so she could look him in the eye, she said, "Your virtue is safe. Tonight." At his glare, she added. "And tomorrow." She lay her head down against his shoulder and with her right hand, she clasped his left across his body. "Gideon, turn out the light please." Curled up against Leonard, Sara quickly dropped off to sleep. Leonard was not far behind.
Disoriented for a moment, Leonard tried to figure out where he was when he woke. By the glow from the floor panels, he knew he was on a ship. The weight against his side shifted and he looked down to see Sara's tousled hair across his chest. He wanted to stretch but stayed still so as not to disturb her. He spent a few minutes reviewing what he'd shared with her the night before and was oddly glad he'd done so.
"Penny for your thoughts." Sara lifted her head and smiled. "I could hear you thinking." Rising slightly, she slid upward and kissed him. "Good morning." Give it a shot, she thought and started to kiss him more thoroughly.
Leonard lost himself for a moment and then remembered his resolve. He just wished his body would agree that it was the right choice for now. Gently, he pushed her away, "So much for my virtue being safe."
Settling back down, she snuggled against his side. "Next time." She knew that she was certain where her heart lay with regards to Leonard. She had never had long lasting relationships but she'd stayed close to her lovers Oliver and Nyssa. Sara knew that neither she nor Leonard was a lifelong commitment kind of person. Instead, they could enjoy the time they would have together and be stronger for that bonding.
"I need a shower. Meet you for breakfast?" If she didn't leave soon, he'd need a much colder shower than he really wanted.
Taking the hint, Sara slipped off the bed and headed to her own room.
Mick had woken up early to put his plan into motion. He'd gone down the machine shop before heading to the galley. He was making coffee when Snart entered. He waited while his former partner poured himself a cup and fixed it to his satisfaction. Once he'd settled down on a stool, Mick stuck his hand out with the offering.
Leonard saw the Freeport ring resting on Mick's palm but it was different. When Mick shifted his hand, the ring turned into two; Mick had cut it width-wise. Leonard picked up one of the rings and placed it on his right pinky finger. Mick closed his fingers around the remaining ring and placed it in his breast pocket. Nothing more needed to be said between the two lifelong partners.
The rest of the team straggled into the galley. Conversation bounced around on various topics as they skirted around the fact that time was running short for Snart's stay.
Professor Stein had been trying to think of a way to keep the thief connected to them and had finally come up with a plan. "Do you play chess, Mr. Snart?"
"Never learned. Why?"
"I talked with Gideon and she and Geoffrey are establishing a dedicated link. It wouldn't necessarily be instantaneous but we can communicate. I thought we could play a game since we could send the moves to each other. Unlike cards, there is no need for immediacy."
Decisively nodding his head, "I'll learn." Knowing that he was in contact with them would help ease his solitude. Leonard had always had Lisa or Mick and lately the team to be near. Now he'd be truly on his own and he wasn't sure how he'd deal with that.
I'll learn too, thought Sara. It wouldn't be their card game but it would be a way of letting Leonard know that she was thinking of him. That was point, she believed, of Stein's suggestion.
All too soon, Gideon broke in. "Captain. Geoffrey is saying that you have to leave."
Leonard took a deep breath. He'd known that he'd have to say goodbye; he was surprised at how much it was affecting him. He'd prided himself on not playing by the rules; now he had to follow these new rules or the consequences would be too overwhelming for him.
Jax stepped forward first. "We'll see you around, man. Take care of yourself."
"I'll keep an eye out for Mick," Raymond was dead serious but Leonard saw Mick roll his eyes behind the tech's back.
"I'll expect you to learn the rules of chess rather quickly, Mr. Snart. With your intelligence, you should be a worthy opponent soon." Stein gave the man credit where it was due. He had watched the younger man grow a conscience as he learned about the depths that had been hidden all those years. Barry Allen had seen through him first and found that there was good in him.
Rip held out his hand. "You have given me a lot to think about with regards to these Elders. You also validate what I had planned for our next course of action. We shall work together to ensure that events go as intended. I look forward to seeing you again and soon."
Mick and Sara walked to the bay door alongside their friend. Mick spoke first. "Don't do anything stupid like getting yourself killed." He picked up Snart's gun where he'd stashed it the night before. "You'll need this." The two exchanged a look that spoke of a long history before Mick turned and headed back into the Waverider leaving Sara to say goodbye.
Her smile was full of warmth. "I know you said to think about things, and I will, but I know what my answer is going to be. Make sure you get a good night's sleep before you come back because I guarantee you, you won't get any sleep when we see each other again."
"Is that a threat or a promise?"
"Both."
He opened his arms as she settled against him and hugged her tightly. "I'll see you soon." He kissed her quickly and turned away before he lost his resolve. Lifting his chin, Leonard Snart headed towards his own ship and his own destiny.
The door of the Iceberg shut behind him with a swoosh. His ship was smaller than the Waverider containing only two levels. He climbed up to the bridge. Seated in the command chair, he started the liftoff sequence with Geoffrey giving a few minor corrections as he went through the procedure. Soon, they were in the time stream.
"Captain, you have several hours before we reach our new destination. You might continue setting up your office."
Leonard turned from the forward port and faced left. He had an office, about the size of Rip's but definitely more modern. He'd been in Central City for two days before meeting up with the team. Geoffrey had created some cash so he'd gone on a spree for what the ship could not fabricate. He'd chosen a black walnut dining table for his desk. The accompanying chairs he spaced around the room against two of the walls. A black leather couch took up another wall. He'd chosen one long enough that he could stretch out on. He'd always liked to read while lying on a couch. Realizing he'd be spending a lot of time doing research and studying, the office chair he'd chosen was also very comfortable. He sat down in it to see if he'd placed the furniture the way he wanted. The bookcases behind him were currently empty but he had plans to fill them with...things. He swiveled the chair as he pondered the room's arrangement. A tablet connected to Geoffrey's immense files rested on the table within easy reach. A thick plush sapphire blue carpet covered the floor in front of his desk. He'd chosen the table for his desk since it could serve a dual purpose. The galley was short on table space. It had a bar and two stools which was fine for quick meal. So Leonard had chosen as his desk a table that could also serve as a dining room table. He had an idea for the next time he saw Sara. He wasn't a romantic man by nature, but he knew how to seduce a mark. Sara was no mark, but he thought she'd like a candlelit dinner. Geoffrey had assured him that he could replicate any meal chosen rather than relying on freeze dried food such as they'd gotten on the Waverider. At least there were a few perks on this ship.
The office wall had several video screens. One of them now showed a chess board set up for a game. It seemed that he had better learn the rules soon.
The med bay was more complete than that of the Waverider. It took up a good half of the right side of the ship next to his office. It supported the Elders' claim that his new job would be dangerous. With no other human on board, the AI would have to be able to keep him alive if and when he was hurt.
The other side of the top floor had his bedroom and bath and the galley. It was the bathroom that had surprised him the most. It came with a tub. When he'd questioned Geoffrey about it, the AI had pointed out that it had three taps instead of just hot and cold. The middle tap poured out a liquid gel that would help heal burns and wounds. It did not escape Leonard's notice that the tub could easily accommodate his long body. There was even a headrest to make sure that he did not slide under the surface when it was filled. It had been a sobering discovery.
"So when are we going?" Leonard was ready to start his first mission.
0-0-0-0
"Captain."
Rip looked up from the chart he was perusing. "What is it Gideon?"
"I regret to inform you that I failed to follow your command."
Straightening up, Rip faced the AI's image that had materialized. "To what are you referring?"
"The scan of Mr. Snart in the med bay."
Crossing his arms, Rip said, "Explain."
"I received a code at 17:25. I require assistance to remove the command line." Gideon had become more self-aware due to contact with Rip Hunter and going far beyond the original specifications of her system. As such, she was aware of the limitation command while still being unable to break it from within.
Rip went to a screen and called up Gideon's files and found the command she'd received. "It appears to have come from Mr. Snart's ship. Let me..." His fingers raced across the keys until he found a way to bypass the command. "There. How is that?"
"Acceptable Captain." Gideon scanned her own files and discovered what she'd been ordered to conceal. "The command kept me from fulfilling my orders when I scanned Mr. Snart's physical well-being. I believe that since his ship's AI was built by a vastly superior race than the Time Council; it superseded my own protocols. I was forced to omit some data when I reported to you both."
"How dangerous is this omission?"
"I do not believe that there is any danger to this team or Mr. Snart."
"So why did you receive the order?" Now Rip was confused.
"Mr. Snart seems to have a biochip inserted into the cerebellum."
"And that..."
"It is the part of the brain that controls memory," Stein said as he entered the office. He'd come to the bridge to see what their next move was and had caught most of Gideon's announcement. "It controls procedural memories as well as motor control. Gideon. What would be the purpose of such a chip?"
"Let me show you." A screen flickered and an image appeared. "The chip is rather small and does not appear to have done any damage to the surrounding tissue. It seems that the circuit is being used to download information into Mr. Snart's brain."
"Oh my. Gideon Any idea what type of information?"
"I cannot tell from my scan."
The two men looked at each other.
"We need to keep this quiet. No need to worry any of the others."
"And when we see Mr. Snart again?"
"You and I, Martin, will have a plan in place. I need you to study all the medical data that Gideon has so we can figure out a way to remove the chip without causing harm to Mr. Snart."
"Certainly. I can only hope he does not find out about it before hand."
"Why?"
"Because he is stubborn enough to try to remove it himself."
They both knew that Professor Stein was right. Leonard Snart had killed himself to make sure that the Time Masters never controlled anyone, especially him, ever again. He would not accept this new development with grace.
from Cut Strings*