Sabotage (Sequel to "Drifting Together")

DJ Dubois

March 2016

Rating: T (Teen)

Notes Part 1—Pairings: Barry/Patty, Caitlin/Jay, Cisco/Lisa Snart and Eddie/Iris (Flash). Arrow pairings are in flux at the moment—some Oliver/Felicity but kind of rocky. This is the third of a four part miniseries starting with "Nightmare" and then continuing in "Drifting Together".

Notes Part 2: The Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow belong to DC and the CW. Please send comments to dante0220 .

Chapter 1 [Raybourne Suites, Central City—Three Days following "Drifting Together"]

[A/N: Some summarization of the Arrow/Flash xover from this season below.]

Angry black clouds obscured Nocturne's stellar view of the universe on that night. Thunder crashed echoing off of the concrete, glass and steel below. Intermittent lightning flared across the scene in a violent strobe-effect. A downpour drenched the asphalt and concrete far below sending the denizen therein for shelter and hot coffee…

…and providing a cover for others to plot revenge of sorts….

Within a suite on the city's northwest side, Vandal Savage mused darkly over recent setbacks. He'd been so close to renewing his immortality with the latest plan. After all he'd engineered a passage aboard that crude cargo ship and manipulated the crew into leaving him alone in the brig until their arrival. He'd planned to fleece Central City dry as he had so many other places in his millennia-long existence.

Imagine to his surprise when he sensed the priestess Shyera in her latest incarnation here. Even if he still longed for her after all of time itself, his need for immortality won out. He went after her...

…only to be stopped cold by Prince Kufu again….and it seemed the illicit prince's new friends: an emerald-clad archer and an incredible being whose speed seemed to rival Mercury's….

In the end he'd been incinerated by the Staff of Horus in an attempt to stop the heroic allies leaving him as seeming dust to be discarded in Tempus' heap and forgotten.

Alas for them, he was Vandal Savage. Without a certain sword in Shyera's hands, he regenerated as he always did. In this case, he broke out of some posh penthouse escaping to one of his hidden safe houses across town. There he'd rested and recouped his strength. He waited for his enemies to occupy themselves with other ventures.

Kufu and Shyera had infuriated him as part of Rip Hunter's accursed crew of misfits. At least he'd claimed Kufu's essence for some degree of satisfaction therein….

Through very subtle taps into the heroes' home networks, Savage learned more about them. He'd discovered that this 'Green Arrow' and his team were based on this continent's western coastline. It amused him to say the least to evade the safeguards set there and learn of their plans. He craved the technological expertise in STAR Labs. He also discerned the connections between the present-day adversaries and Hunter's crew….

…Now he understood how the Waverider crew had acquired their technology and training…

"If they seek to eliminate my influence from the time stream, I can manipulate theirs to my advantage as well," he growled. He walked briskly over to the perking coffee maker and poured himself a mug of hot java from the device's carafe. A sip from his mug gently allowed his plans to take shape. He considered when to drift back into Jitters so as to observe the speedster's cadre so to speak. Aside from watching their efforts at courtship, such activities proved tedious to say the least. Still he knew to note even the most minute detail and pressure point for later use. For example, he'd lucked out a week earlier when Captain Cold's sister looked about for a place to party and forget her troubles. The resulting fracas and Lisa's reuniting with Cisco Ramon only suited his purposes for now. Let them distract themselves! It allows me to regain strength and be ready for our next encounter!

An unexpected knock at the door jarred him from his meditation. His intense glare threatened to burn another peephole in the cheap oak door. "Who would dare?" He rolled his eyes while creeping across the room and made sure to keep himself off to the door's side. He drew the curtain and ascertained the visitor's identity.

The sight of Malcolm Merlyn sickened him to say the least….

The man saves me only to hold a debt. I should have known he wouldn't let that go. He drew a small caliber revolver. I should finish him. Still the sight of the man's left arm in a sling merited some curiosity to say the least. The worm played too closely to the fire, did he? Savage recalled some of the chatter from the wire taps on Felicity Smoak's computer. Perhaps he *may* have uses yet. He slowly cracked the door. "Good evening, Mr. Merlyn. State your business."

Merlyn didn't flinch an eyebrow at Savage's use of his name. From his research with the former League of Assassins, he knew full well what and more importantly who he was dealing with. "Good evening, Mr. Savage. I have need of assistance and know how. Might I come in?"

Savage ushered him quickly inside pulling Merlyn through the impromptu scanning equipment stationed around the door and closed it behind himself. "Please be aware, I do not wish my time to be wasted. The only reason you're alive is because you helped me before. Whatever help you may have provided me before has largely vanished. I know of your betrayal by the archer and your league. Losing the hand—it hurts, doesn't it?" He motioned toward the carafe. "Do have some coffee. I just made it. It is clean. Please no tricks in that regard."

Merlyn glowered at the ancient immortal. The phantom pain from his severed hand still burned in his brain. The defeats at Oliver's and Nyssa al-Guhl's respective hands scourged his heart. Thea's renewed rejections of his caring mission as a father angered him. "If I wanted to hurt you, Savage, I would have scattered your remains or allowed your fellow time travelers to kill you permanently. I have had enough of helping the ungrateful children to say the least."

"I suppose," Savage noted without much emotion either way. He knew from his research into such matters what a manipulative snake Merlyn could be. "And what help might you be to me?"

"I know of a way to satisfaction for both of our aims," Merlyn indicated placidly. "It seems our young friends are planning a get together of sorts in Star City. I have the location." His eyes burned angrily into Savage's again.

The time traveler didn't beat an eye at that. "I know they communicate. I have yet to hear of such activity."

"One of them is my daughter. I have a permanent tap on her cell phone, the Star City district attorney's office and at Palmer Technologies. Even if I've lost my role with the League of Assassins, I still hold considerable resources," Merlyn clarified allowing himself a measure of ego stroking and bragging in the process.

Savage nodded in respect for the other means of surveillance. Even if his means of ascertaining knowledge and espionage hadn't gleaned this celebration, perhaps a guarded entreaty might be worth something. "And the manpower involved? It does take time to recruit the proper men…"

Merlyn smirked proudly. "I have done that. Perhaps you've heard about Damien Darhk's recent fall from grace? I have appropriated HIVE's men and resources recently. Even with my hand as it is, I am still considerable." He let the words hang in the air.

"Yes, yes…." Savage waved his hand in the air impatiently. He had yet to understand how a man such as Darhk could've allowed himself to be so blatantly vulnerable like that.

Then again…what is the saying…pride before a fall? Darhk certainly loved a show.

This time, it seemed, the Show played the egomaniac.

Too bad. Darhk would've made a more valuable ally than this one! Perhaps I shall rescue him from his cage and make him my subordinate. We did work together well in the past even as rivals. He nodded thoughtfully.

"You approve, I trust?" Merlyn butted in.

Savage quirked an annoyed eyebrow. Just as at the meeting with the Flash and Green Arrow, Merlyn's strutting and preening put him off to say the least. "You have both lost something of value from what I hear and can tell, Merlyn." He narrowed his eyes to slits. "There is a reason I left your residence after my regeneration. Unlike you and Darhk, I learn from my previous errors in judgment. Part of the pleasures of immortality."

"Not all of us are so lucky," Merlyn reminded him while holding up the severed limb as a reminder. "Now as to this prospective enterprise….."

The immortal fought the urge to roll his eyes. If only I did not need him so badly! "It is a beginning. You know where to strike? Then tell me."

Merlyn shrugged. "I do know. That however would be telling. I would appreciate your assistance in training my men further. If I tell you the end game, what is to stop you from killing me? Go along with me. Take your satisfaction. Take from it what you will. A man such as yourself has aims branching off of this endeavor. I offer you a means at them without permanent strings." He held his remaining hand out. "Do we have an accord?"

Savage hesitated. He didn't want to involve the man in front of him. He didn't know if he could trust Merlyn to say the least. Still it would allow me access to this "HIVE" and the men involved. Who's to say I don't kill him later and take them? He nodded tersely. "Fine." He grasped the other's hand firmly.

"Splendid," Merlyn accepted after releasing the other's hand. He headed back for the door. "I'll be in touch, Savage. Be ready to leave for Star City in the morning. I will have accommodations for you there."

"Very well, Mr. Merlyn. I shall be prepared," Savage concluded as he let the other man out of his suite and shut himself back in once more. "This does have the makings of a fine revenge if aged correctly." He took his suitcase out and packed the few things he had in his possession.

It seemed a trip and a plan were in the making after all….