Star City, January 2016
"Isabelle Snow? Or do you prefer Warrior?" She heard a British man call from the back of the ally. She quickly spun around whilst drawing her gun. Only team Arrow and Flash knew her true identity and she was certain that the man wasn't part of either of those.
"Who are you? And how do you know my true identity?'' she asked calmly. If this had had happened years ago, she would have been scared to death. But not anymore, not since Oliver trained her to be strong and capable of defending herself. A warrior.
"My name is Rip Hunter and I will explain everything in due time,'' the man stepped into the light. He pointed a strange looking gun at her. Before she could ask more questions, he shot her which knocked her out.
The next moment, she woke up on a skyscraper. The man had kidnapped her and several others for some reason. She recognized most of the people who were on the roof with her but didn't know them that well.
They were a weird bunch together, Leonard Snart and Mick Rory two criminals, Sara Lance, Hawkgirl and Hawkman, professor Stein and Jax and Ray Palmer, the atom. And then there was her, Isabelle Snow, lawyer during the day and ''superhero'' during night. She didn't belong here in Star City nor in Central City where her family lived.
"You okay?'' Rip whispered as he offered her a hand to get up.
"I'm fine,'' she hissed. She ignored his hand and got up a bit wobbly. She was still pissed at him for kidnapping her but knew there was no way to escape except for jumping of the building. And even though she proclaimed to be a warrior, she was still just human.
"So are you going say why I- we are here?'' She crossed her arms indignantly not losing eye contact with Rip. A remorseful look appeared on his face as if he didn't mean to kidnap them. He opened his mouth to answer but then got distracted by the others waking up.
''Stein? What the hell are you doing here?'' Mick accused Martin Stein.
''I'm as ignorant as you, for once,'' Martin was remarkably sassy for his age, she liked him even though she remembered to be very arrogant from time to time.
''Where are we?'' Sara asked, even she was thrown off by the current situation.
''Why don't you ask the dude who knocked us out and kidnapped us? British dude with a flashy thing? Ring any bells?'' Jax asked the group sarcastically. That was Rip's cue to finally explain what was happening.
''The name's Rip Hunter. I'm from East London. Oh, and the future.'' Rip said the last thing as of it was normal to travel through time. She knew Barry had travelled through time but she also knew that it was dangerous to tamper with time.
''Nice to meet you, Rip,'' Mick Rory responded whilst looking at his gun so he could use it against Rip. His reaction was completely logical if not hers as well. But she was curious to what he had to tell them.
''Uh, while you were incapacitated, I may have tampered with your weapons,'' He then quickly changed the subject to the matter at hand.
''I've assembled you all because I need your help. The future of the world is in peril because of a man by the name of Vandal Savage,'' She watched his body language closely, something she learned from her time in court. His voice was calm but his jaw was lightly clenched which indicated anger. Not anger because his world was in danger, she assumed. He lost people, loved ones to Vandal Savage.
''That can't be. We destroyed him,'' Carter said, clearly not believing what Rip was telling them. She couldn't blame them, but for some reason she did believe Rip.
''Yeah, the Green Arrow and Flash helped us do it,'' Kendra added.
''And therein lay the problem. Unless you or Mr. Hall deliver the death blow, Savage can be restored from but a single cell,'' Rip said whilst raising one finger. Isabelle shifted uncomfortably, the prospect wasn't really all that comforting.
''What the hell are you talking about?'' Mick asked clueless.
''Kendra and I reincarnate,'' Carter remarked casually like that explained everything.
''Yeah, I've done that,'' Sara said while nodding quickly.
''And what the hell does this Randall guy got to do with us?'' Mick asked clearly getting angrier by the second and she couldn't blame him. All of this overwhelmed her as well and she saw quite a lot in her life, from her dad dying and Barry getting his speed.
''Vandal. In the future, he will employ the evil he's perfected over his long life, and the power he has amassed throughout history, to finally conquer the world. I've been tasked with assembling an elite team to stop him. ''
''How?'' Sara asked whilst crossing her arms.
''To travel through time. To capture Savage before he grows into the monster he becomes,'' Rip extended his arm towards the sky to them where they would get to travel.
''You got the wrong guy. "Hero" ain't on my résumé,'' Leonard said whilst walking past Rip and giving him an icy glare.
''Or mine,'' Mick said following his companion.
''I know it's difficult for you to fathom, but where when I'm from, the year 2166, you and everyone on this roof aren't just considered heroes. You're legends.'' That peeked everyone's interest, none of them considered themselves heroes let alone legends. But for some reason, it sounded too good to be true.
''Legends?'' Ray walked forward, interested in Rip's offer.
''I, um, I hate to nitpick, but doesn't a legend have to be dead?'' Stein asked walking forward as well.
''Yeah, see, uh, that's a deal breaker for me, so I'm gonna pass,'' Jax backed up his other half. Jax and Stein were scared of the future. But that was no way to live, sometimes you just have to a leap of faith. And now, was probably one of those moments. The only thing that held her back was her sister, she couldn't just leave her.
''It's dangerous for any of you to know too much about your own futures, but I am here because each of you, as individuals, is destined for greatness.'' Rip looked away which could mean he was lying about something but it could also mean nothing.
''I could get behind that,'' Ray didn't need much convincing, he longed for an adventure.
''And, because if you don't follow me, this is what is in store for your world 150 years from now.'' To give them one last push, Rip projected an image of the future onto Central City. It was a horrible sight; the whole city was in ruins.
He ended the projection quickly when he saw the looks on everyone's faces.
''I could have chosen any time and any place. Of all the people who ever lived, I chose you nine. I certainly hope that you won't let me, and the world, down.'' He stared the people he brought together. Isabelle could swear she saw a hint of sadness in his eyes. Her theory was coming together; he had brought the nine of us together to save the world but also for his own gain.
''If your answer is yes, meet me at this address in 36 hours,'' Rip walked past them whilst handing Stein a card. Rip had certainly given her food for thought but the first thing she was going to do when she got home, was call Caitlin.
"Caitlin, sorry for calling you so late... But I have to get something off my chest,''
"Of course. Tell me what's going on,'' She could hear her sister was tired but she had to get this out of her system or she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. So she spilled all the beans about the encounter with Rip Hunter and his offer.
''Isabelle, that sounds great, you weren't cut out for a normal life. You've never have been. But why are you still hesitating?''
''I think Rip wasn't telling us the whole truth,'' she confessed. She wasn't comfortable to lying to her sister, if it were anyone else she wouldn't mind as long as it were for their own good.
"So you don't trust him?''
"That's the strange thing, I do. He has other motives then let's on but I think he can be trusted,''
"Then you should go. You won't get a second chance to do this,'' Caitlin tried to sound cheerful but Isabelle knew she was scared that she was going to miss Isabelle. Although, she probably would be dropped at the same time when they were done with the mission.
"I promise you, I'll come back,'' Isabelle assured her sister.
"You better be,''