Hey, guys! Another chapter, another question! What is your favorite ship for this show? Personally, I'm not that big a shipper. If I had to pick one, it'd probably be CaptainCanary or Nate/Amaya.
Ladyawesome45321: Yeah, just five more chapters after this one and then it's done. (but I'm not going anywhere! I've got there more story ideas for this show) And now that you mention it, the writers could indeed have performed better and created a better thought-out storyline. I swear, if they hadn't introduced Nora, I'm certain Zari and Ray would've ended up together. This may be the silliest Arrowverse show, but the writers shouldn't treat it as such.
Sara stared at Ray as she held Zari. He lay on his stomach, unconscious and unmoving. His helmet was a couple of inches away from him, lying to his side. Ava still had her hand in a fist and warily looked at him.
The last few seconds passed by so quickly. It all still felt so unreal, but it really did happen. Sara could barely believe Ray had shot them, that he had attacked them.
Sara wished her mind would run wild with theories and reasons that would give an explanation for Ray's behavior. It stayed silent and only one question was on her mind: why? Why did Ray do this, why did this happen? And, most importantly, what did Damien and Nora do to him?
Ava relaxed her hands and turned to Sara and Zari. "Are you okay?"
"I've felt better," Zari responded. She was still dazed and so far she managed to stand, but her face was pale and it seemed she could faint any moment.
"Sara?" She looked up and glanced at Ava, nodding once. What could she say that didn't contradict how she was feeling? She turned her eyes to him. Ava followed her example and watched Ray again.
"I know Damien Darhk," Sara eventually said, not taking her eyes off of him. "I know what he's capable of. He couldn't force anyone to do his bidding with only his powers."
"Does he have access to anything that could?" Zari asked.
Sara shook her head, closing her eyes. She racked her brain and thought of everything Oliver had told her about the damage Damien had done to Star City. She tried to remember all she knew about him and his methods. She opened her eyes.
"Not that I know of," she answered, keeping the following question in mind: would Damien do this? While being a member of the Legion of Doom, he turned Rip to their side. In 2014, he made his minions susceptible to his suggestions with little pills. But was he going to travel back in time to get one of those and force Ray to consume it? Even then, what was Damien's goal? He would never go through all this trouble just to spread chaos and possibly discord among the Legends.
"Let's get out of here," Sara said. There was no reason to stay any longer than needed. Now that they had found Ray and Zari was hurt, it was in their best interest that they leave the Depot. Sara turned to Ava.
"Have you tried contacting the other teams again?"
Ava nodded once. "I've tried, but it doesn't work. We can only hope they'll come to the rendezvous point as soon as possible."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Zari chimed in. She stood tall and strengthened her stance, to make it look like she stably stood there. Ava and Sara shared worried looks.
"Are you sure you can do this?" Sara asked. Zari nodded.
"Yeah, I'll manage." Sara and Ava glanced at each other one more time, both trusting Zari's words. She supported herself by leaning on Sara, but other than that, she was still rather mobile. While Sara made sure Zari could keep up with them, Ava had to carry Ray with them. She grabbed his arms and pulled him behind her, reassuring Sara that she could do this. It wasn't the most ideal situation, but it was something. They left the hallway and traced their way back to the rendezvous point.
At some moment, Zari asked Sara to let go of her. Sara stayed close, but Zari managed to walk without having to fall back on her. Still, she was wary and did not leave Zari's side, just in case. It was not the kind of help she needed, anyway. Zari's face regained some color and she felt good enough to continue, but the pain, however minor, still weighed down on her. With Ray in their custody, they should worry about him, not about her. She could crash down in her room once they were back on the Waverider.
By some miracle, they found the rendezvous point. It was that long corridor that served as the separation line between the outer maze and the inner labyrinth of the Depot. Zari wondered whether or not the people once employed here ever knew where they were going. They had just seen a fraction, just a small piece of the bottom floor. How people could ever work here, Zari could not say. Whatever the case, it had to be a hard job.
They turned the corner into the corridor together and there awaited an unexpected sight. Amaya turned her head to them, already waiting in the hallway for the past few minutes. In her arms, she carried Nate. He could be unconscious, but it was hard to tell from afar. Zari immediately approached her.
"What happened?"
"Ray did this, according to Nate," Amaya replied.
Zari took a deep breath and nodded. She looked at another one of Ray's victims. Nate's eyes were closed, his breath even, lying limply in Amaya's arms. Zari considered Amaya lucky because she clearly hadn't been around when Ray attacked Nate. For all they knew, he could've put them both in that state, and then who would've gone after them, and then how long would it have taken to find them?
"He wasn't wrong," Zari said, turning her head to Ray, now having been dropped on the ground. Amaya followed her gaze. The look in Amaya's eyes hardened. Instead of showing her anger, she shook her head in sadness.
"So it really was him…"
"Yep," Zari said. That was all she said. What more could she say in this situation?
Sara came closer to Amaya and Nate, while Ava stood guard near Ray just in case he'd wake up. When Sara saw Nate, she grew increasingly worried and angered. How many more Legends were hurt? And for what cause?
They waited in silence, hoping Mick and Leo would arrive soon. Time passed, but it was hard to tell how much. Amaya had placed Nate on the ground. Ray had stirred once, prompting Ava to knock him out again. Zari sat on the ground, leaning against the wall. Sara was pacing up and down the hallway.
They couldn't wait much longer. They had to go back to the Waverider at some point. Amaya grew uneasy, for since she desperately wanted to help Nate. He was losing time with every second they waited for the duo to arrive.
"Okay, that's it." Zari stood up and looked at Sara. She'd grown exhausted but managed to keep up appearances. "How about some of us already go back while someone waits for Mick and Leo?"
Sara had thought about that solution as well and she was glad Zari brought it up. As the captain, she wouldn't want to look like she abandoned a part of her team. As the captain, she'd stay while the others would return to the Waverider.
"Alright," Sara said, nodding. "I'll-"
"Take your hands off of me!" A deep voice roared in the distance.
Sara shut up and exchanged knowing glances with the women. That was Mick. Finally, he and Leo were coming.
"It's about time," Zari muttered under her breath, folding her arms. Sara couldn't agree more.
There they came. Sara could see them nearing from afar. However, something seemed off about the picture, and she noticed it after a while. Mick carried his gun in his left hand instead of his right. That, as well as Mick's exclamation from earlier, was reason enough to believe something was wrong.
The duo approached the women and unconscious men, and it became clear what had happened. Zari's eyes widened, Amaya covered her mouth with her hands. Ava and Sara didn't show their shock as much, but they too had not thought to ever see Mick walking around without his right arm. Where it had been cut off, there was a thin layer of ice, possibly protecting the wound from any infections.
Before the duo had a chance to explain what happened, Mick's eyes caught a glimpse of the unconscious Ray. Leo saw him, too. Mick tried to run towards him, Leo acted immediately and held him back, wrapping his arms around the amputee.
"Calm down," Sara said. She stood in front of him as he yelled.
"He cut off my arm," Mick snarled, "Imma kill that bastard!"
"Killing him won't change anything." Sara folded her arms. It took them a while, but eventually Mick was calm enough to let him go. That didn't mean he stopped grumbling or eyeing Ray.
"Let's go back to the ship," Sara said and everyone unanimously agreed. Leo walked over to Ray to pick him up and Zari came over to do the same.
"Zari…" Sara began, but couldn't finish.
"I'll let you know if someone needs to take over." Zari and Leo each took an arm and pulled him up so only his feet would be dragging on the ground. They let his arms rest on their shoulders. In the meantime, Amaya picked up Nate. Once they were ready, the Legends left the Depot.
Somehow, their way through the outer maze seemed to go slower than when they first entered. Both Sara and Ava kept an eye on the markings that Rip had made the first time. If they hadn't had each other, they most certainly would've gotten lost. Because of their teamwork, they eventually made it outside.
They were greeted by the cold temperatures of the nighttime. The moon illuminated their way and the Waverider seemed even more majestic than usual. Sara sighed and a satisfied smile appeared on her face. They'd made it out. Despite the satisfaction, she felt the weight of Ray's actions on her shoulders. Zari was hurt, Mick lost an arm and who knows what damage he'd done to Nate. Sara was well aware this wasn't her fault and that she couldn't have prevented this from happening, still it weighed on her.
The group walked back to the safety and comfort of the Waverider, hopefully to mend their wounds and to figure out why Ray had attacked them.