"Get back!" Rip called to the group everyone taking cover from the unknown archer.
"Oh god, Ray, don't get shot!" Anna begged at the screen her hands clasped together as she stared at the screen in terror.
"Oh dear." Clarissa fretted, "They all seem to be pinned down."
"Wait, why's Clarity hiding?" Kara wondered. "Aren't those metal arrows?"
"Yeah, can't she just Glitch and have those arrows pass through her or whatever she does?" Laurel agreed eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "Some superhero she's being."
"At least she's near Sara." Alex offered. "She'll protect your sister, or maybe your sister'll protect her."
"No, she should be taking cover. Depending on if he stole my actual quiver. He may or may not have an arrow specifically for her." Oliver admitted earning him a rather nasty punch in the arm from Felicity and a admonishing cry of "Oliver!"
"For real?" Barry frowned at him bitch tape now off his face because Gideon may or may not have a soft spot for her other creator as well.
"After the last time the two of you got whammied? Yes, Barry for real!" Oliver replied back. "Someone has to have a way to take you both down if something ever messes with your minds."
"Just get a little kryptonite and I'm down for the count." Kara admitted.
"Supergirl! We don't know these people don't just shout out your weakness for all to hear." Cat berated. "That's asking for trouble."
Oliver made a mental note to find kryptonite and make an arrow for her.
"This guy a friend of yours? I don't like him." Mick said as he hid behind a pillar.
"No! He's not a friend!" Oliver protested glaring at the screen. "He's an imposter."
"Oliver calm down, it's going to be okay." Diggle assured him.
"You don't know that, Dig. Some no name is masquerading as me. The city is in shambles, our friends are all in danger and he does not deserve to be wearing that hood." Oliver glared.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Quentin nodded. Donna rubbed Quentin's hand in an effort to offer him some comfort. This was all really very hard to look at.
"Glad this ain't my city." Joe breathed out.
"I can't even imagine what Central looks like right now." Eddie agreed.
Iris didn't even want to imagine it.
"What are you doing?" Sara snapped at Rip as he shot his gun at the green arrow.
"Defending yourselves against the crazy arrow guy what does it look like?" Harry demanded.
"Rip's the only one with any sense in this situation." Cat agreed.
"I wouldn't say that." Robert Queen denied. "He's one of the only ones who doesn't have any attachments to the city."
"Except maybe those two criminals and the flaming hero." Moira added.
"They're called firestorm, Mom." Thea told her.
"It's called shooting back." He replied.
"Stop trying to kill my friends" Clarity told him lightning covering Rip's gun forcing him to lower the weapon.
"Woo! You tell him, Clarity!" Thea cheered. "Put him in his place!"
"Yeah, but Thea that dude really isn't their friend." Roy winced.
"None of them know that yet. I don't think their vantage points as good as ours." Thea replied.
"It's not." Yao Fei replied. "Beautiful blue is giving us the most stunning visuals."
"I do my best." Gideon replied sounding quite pleased with the old man's compliments. Such a shame she had to send him back to die.
"He's trying to kill us miss Springs. There are priorities" Rip snapped at her over his shoulder.
"Like how amazing of a ship you two are." Thea sighed munching on some popcorn.
"Thea, all they do is argue!" Laurel pointed out. "We still don't know if this Rip Hunter can be trusted. How can you ship them together?"
"You say argue. I say chemistry." Thea replied waving a hand.
"Sure she doesn't trust him much now, Laurel but that trust could grow. You never know." Tommy told her.
"No, I do know. She's not going to trust him, not fully. She already trusts my sister with her life."
"Exactly, Sara is your sister and that's the only reason you're shipping them." Tommy argued.
"It is not!" Laurel objected glaring at Tommy about to punch him in the face when blue rope suddenly sprung up from her chairs arm wrapping around her wrist pinning it down.
"What the hell is this?" Laurel tugged at it.
"That is the 'Nope-Nope' Rope. A precaution created by captain hunter to protect the timeline. Those that have died may not have any new visible injuries beyond those that they sustain right before death."
"Okay, but how sold are we on that name?" Cisco wondered.
"I don't know have you come up with a ship name yet?" Lisa asked.
"Nope-Nope Rope it is." Cisco sighed miserably. Because he was still thinking on that.
"I like it." Caitlin grinned.
"You would." Iris scoffed.
"Iris be nice." Eddie pleaded.
Ronnie and Eddie nodded at each other as they held their respective women.
"I don't care. Oliver might just have dementia or maybe he's drugged up or something. It wouldn't be the first time. It's been like 30 years of crime fighting crazy bloodthirsty people. Things like that tend to happen with him. " Clarity pointed out in defense of her best friend's significant other.
"No they.." Oliver sighed as Team Arrow all looked at him. "Okay, yeah, yeah they do, but maybe they've lessened?"
"No way." Kara protested. "Not with the way this city is."
"How do you sleep when the city's like that?" Donna wondered. "Must be such a racket."
"You sleep when you're dead." Quentin told her.
"I hear that." Joe nodded his head.
"It's a nice thought Clarity but he can't be the Green Arrow. His aim isn't as good as in 2016. Even with memory loss he couldn't have deteriorated this much with how much training he had. That's not Oliver Queen." Sara said.
"Good Sara knows." Alex grins.
"My sister's smart." Laurel grinned.
"She wasn't that smart back on the island." Shado spoke up.
"She's grown since then shadow. I have too." Oliver admitted. "A lot has happened since then."
"It's almost like your different people since the gambit went down." Robert agreed seeing such a difference in both Sara and his son.
"He sure dresses like him." Ray pointed out.
"I know he even stole your green color scheme. The nerve." Felicity complained.
"I'm happy he didn't take ours eh Thea?" Roy asked as he hugged her.
"Yeah, I'm happy too." Thea grinned.
"Well, I'm not!" Oliver protested.
"Shoots arrows like him." Snart added as Arrow after Arrow came whizzing by them.
"Oliver shoots them better." Moira decided.
"I trained him well." Shado smiled.
"Yeah, other people did too after you." Oliver replied.
"Oh then he trained me!" Barry grinned.
"Too bad he didn't teach you not to screw with the timeline." Cat chimed in.
"He's a bad student." Oliver replied defensively.
"What? I am not! Joe, Iris back me up here." Barry pleaded.
"I don't know you did get a few D's back in high school." Joe recalled.
Barry groaned slumping in his seat.
"It's okay Barry, I flunked history a few times. That's with my sister tutoring me."
"It's true." Alex nodded. "She wouldn't listen."
"Sara'd never listen to my study tips either. There was one semester where she got a c on a math test just to try and get a date with a boy because he didn't feel comfortable dating a girl smarter than he was."
"Well that's just stupid." Roy remarked. "There's nothing wrong with dating someone smarter than you are."
"Sounds as if your speaking from experience." Robert chuckled.
"Dad!" Thea berated.
"No, no, he's right I was." Roy calmed Thea down.
"Oh Roy, you're plenty smart." Thea protested.
"I know, but you're smarter than I am. That's all I'm saying." Roy grinned as Thea kissed him.
"Okay but seriously how'd you flunk history?" Barry wondered.
"Alien remember?" She smiled at him. Barry smiled back at her.
"Oh." Barry nodded, as if that explained everything. Which in a way it sort of did.
"Well, whoever he is, I don't plan on sticking around to get shish kebabbed by this dude." Jax said as Snart shot his gun at the Arrow making him roll for cover.
"Yes! Nice shot Captain Cold!" Cisco cheered.
"My brother never misses." Lisa smiled.
"He wouldn't have hit me." Oliver defended himself.
"Fighting Captain cold is harder than you think it is." Barry objected.
"Cause he's your crush?" Kara teased as she grinned at him.
"I do not have a crush on him!" Barry protested.
"Jax is right. They really should get out of there." Ronnie said holding Caitlin's hand tight in his own.
"It is all of them against that one guy. Can't they just take him down?" Jessie wondered.
"No," Shado shook her head. "He's got the high ground, much too dangerous. Tactically they should retreat."
"Kid's right. Let's stay behind and kill him." Mick said wanting to burn this punk. No one shot arrows at him and got away with it.
"Normally I'd be against just killing him but since the city's already gone down the drain why the hell not." Quentin sighed.
"No way there's due process in that city. Executions probably an everyday thing depending on who's running things. I don't even want to think about all the gang violence breaking out all over." Joe shook his head. "Why's the future got to be so bleak?"
"I don't know," Donna shook her head. "But in any case I hope we're all alive out there somewhere. Even if things are bad we'll survive it."
"Damn right we will." Quentin nodded kissing her hand.
"We need to return to the ship!" Rip called and everyone went running back to the waverider save for Clarity who stopped to stare at the green arrows form in confusion. If he wasn't Oliver...then who was he? It couldn't be Roy...Roy would have at least known Sara or herself...So who would take up or possibly steal the mantle from Oliver? It didn't make any sense?What had happened? Was Felicity all right? She couldn't feel the usual buzz of a com. What's up with this future? Clarity wondered as the Green Arrow shot three arrows directly at her.
"What the hell is she doing?" Cat demanded. "You can ponder those things when you get back on the ship but not when your dead Glitch!"
"Clarity look out!" Felicity freaked hugging Oliver tightly scared for her friend.
"I can't watch!" Kara covered her eyes hiding her face in Barry's chest.
Thea inhaled sharply flashing back to when she had shot Sara.
Laurel slammed her hand over her mouth also flashing back to when Sara had died. When she had found her sister skewered in that alley. Was the same thing about to happen to Clarity? This was not a shippable parallel that she wanted.
"Clarity! Snap out of it!" Sara called horrified as she saw the arrows fly towards the meta human. Sara thought the worst was about to happen. She went running back to Clarity fear in her three arrows that the Green Arrow had shot stopped in front of Clarity hovering in front of her. They glowed with a blue crackling light as Clarity's electricity coated the arrows surface. Sara let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she saw the arrows floating in midair. Sara grabbed her hand snapping Clarity out of her daze the metahuman glitching the two back to the ship. The arrows dropping to the ground the moment they left with a clatter.
Everyone let out the breaths they were holding, the people who had tensed up relaxing as both women got away.
"Sara realized she was missing and went back for her." Alex put her hands on her chest. "She noticed, did Rip notice? Don't think he did."
"He could've thought she teleported back!" Thea defended him.
"No, he just didn't care. That was a shippable Sarity moment if I've ever seen one." Laurel smiled. "If Sara hadn't been there she would've gotten impaled thrice." Laurel waggled three fingers towards Thea. "My sister cares about her. I know it."
"I'm sorry is no one going to talk about the fact that she stopped three high speed arrows with her lightning? No? Just me? Damn..." Tommy shook his head impressed by what Clarity had just done. "...cause that was hot."
"Yo! You want me to vibe you to the afterlife pal? I'll do it right now." Cisco warned. "Make another comment like that."
"Chill out, it was a compliment." Tommy put his hands up.
"Mhm, yeah sure playboy. I've got my eye on you." Cisco glared.
"Great metahumans..." The Green Arrow said completely done with his life.
Diggle chuckled. "You have to admit that was pretty funny."
"What's so wrong with meta's?" Barry asked sounding defensive.
"Nothing. Things always just get so much crazier when one of you shows up." Oliver replied.
"It's true." Felicity nodded in agreement. "Sorry Barry."
Barry sighed and Kara put a hand on his shoulder. "Things get crazy when I'm around too."
-back on the waverider-
"Ohh I want that sweater." Kara leaned forwards chin resting in her hands. "That's totally my style."
"Thank you for announcing you have the fashion sense of either a grandmother in her 80's or a grade school student under 10. Honestly, I can't tell which is more upsetting to me." Cat frowned.
"Well what about Claritys style?" Kara frowned. "Is hers just as bad as mine?"
"Oh don't be ridiculous, Claritys style is completely adorable. The ruffles, the feathers, the paint splatter on the sweaters right side all exude a certain calming softness. It all matches to a T."
"All right, Rip. Tell us the truth." Sara said as everyone walked into the console room together sparks raining from the ceiling. Not because of Clarity but because the ship was just that messed up.
"That'll be a first." Shado crossed her arms. "This Rip Hunter really likes lying doesn't he?"
"It would seem that way." Yao Fei nodded.
"He'd get so much further with his team if he just stopped lying." Oliver sighed.
"You're one time talk." Thea chimed.
"You've all seen how the timeline is malleable in flux until it is set. Well, this future is not set. Remember when I told you it was dangerous for any of you to know too much about your own futures? Well, the events that you dread could very well come to be due to your actions to prevent them." Rip told the team.
"It's not set so we can prevent all this from happening?" Felicity wondered.
"We can try." Oliver replied.
"We will." Quentin corrected. "This isn't the future of our city. We do better it gets better."
"You know what I think? I think you think too much." Mick told Rip.
"Thank you, Mick." Cisco clapped.
"Man of the hour right there." Lisa agreed with a laugh leaning on Cisco's shoulder.
"I hate to say it but all this thinking about time travel is making my head hurt." Joe frowned.
"Yeah, tell me about it." Quentin agreed. "It's too much."
"I just let it all go over my head. I'll never understand it and that's alright with me." Donna admitted. "It's for the kids to figure out."
"Believe me when I tell you that the best thing for yourselves and for this mission is to make the repairs to the Waverider here in 2046 then head back to your own time and make sure that none of this ever comes to be."Rip told the team.
"You don't know what's best just because your from the future." Barry glared.
"No, but he is right about them all being too close to this Allen." Harry glared.
"I couldn't agree more." Cat nodded.
"After the mission" Clarity added adjusting her glasses. Rip smiled slightly at her.
"Rarity moment." Thea coughed, Laurel rolling her eyes at her.
"Oh yeah such a Rarity moment. Clarity wanting to help him save his child and his wife." Laurel emphasizing her last word.
"He doesn't have to stay married to her if he doesn't love her anymore." Thea protested.
-Timeskip in the engine room-
"Barry!" Oliver's voice boomed.
"These aren't me!" Barry frowned sinking in his chair.
"They're in your voice everytime they do one!" Thea backed up her brother.
"So? It's got to be a Glitch." Barry replied.
"So now your blaming this on Clarity?" Felicity asked.
"Dude quit while your head and stop screwing with the timeline." Cisco told him. "Don't drag my Glitch into this."
"Sprinamon...!" Jessi Wells whispered her and her father fist bumping.
"Looks like the whole propulsion system's jacked." Jax said as him and Ray looked around.
Cisco winced. "Oh that's gonna be a bitch to fix."
"Glad he took my place." Ronnie shook his head. "I wouldn't want to deal with that mess."
"Cowards." Harry shook his head. "I could fix all that with my eyes closed."
"You know what? No one asked you Harry! We all can't be geniuses!" Cisco slammed his chair into Harry's making him cringe.
"Damnit Ramon!" Harry barked back.
"How do you even know what we're looking at here?"Ray asked him.
"Ooh Ray's so lost." Anna smiled.
"I know he's like a giant puppy." Felicity agreed.
"You know neither of you are with him now..right?" Oliver asked earning glared from both women. "Just...Just checking." He our both his hands up.
"Doesn't matter if it takes you down the road or through time. An engine's still an engine." Jax said walking over to where Rip was working under some kind of engine.
"How long will it take you to make repairs?" Rip asked rolling out and standing up.
"You can't fix your own ship?" Robert shook his head.
"He probably has to do something else dear." Moira told him.
"What could be more important than tending to his own ship?" Mr. Queen asked.
"Deciding the best way to divorce his wife and marry Clarity." Thea grinned.
"Or just kiss her. Baby steps Thea." Roy patter her hand.
"Ugh, I know, but Roy they're so perfect for each other." Thea told him.
"Will you two ever stop?" Moira demanded.
"No ma'am. I'll support your daughters beliefs til the day I die." Roy replied kissing Thea's cheek earning a laugh.
"I'm not too sure, but it would go a lot faster if I had some help. Maybe Kendra could lend me a hand?" Jax questioned not so subtly.
"Ugh, Jax no." Felicity made a face.
"Trust me dude you don't want to date that." Cisco shook his head. "I've been there buddy."
"Clarity would probably be more of a help to him wouldn't she?" Clarissa asked.
"Yeah, but he's got the hots for Kendra." Caitlin rubbed her head in annoyance. "C'mon, Jax you can do so much better. As soon as she reincarnates she'll be with Carter again."
"Or she'll run into a reincarnation of him and that'll be that. The boy is setting himself up for heartbreak." Cat sighed.
"Enlist whoever is free to help, I have this to contend with. This is the Neuromorphic Interface for Gideon's logic and navigation matrix. Without it, Gideon cannot function" Rip revealed.
"So, that's what we should have disassembled in the time vault." Barry nodded, as if he already had intricate knowledge of such a thing.
"Dude that was never going to happen. No where near enough time." Cisco shook his head.
"Leave my American counter part alone." Gideon warned. "Or they'll be hell to pay."
"Well, that explains how we got stranded here in the future." Jax said looking at the device as Rip scanned it with a device.
"And why Gideon's not answering me. It's dark in there. Pitch black. I can't see anything. The hum feels off and it is not a nice feeling" Clarity said glitching out of a light with a shiver rubbing her arms a bit creeped out by the experience. It had been like a horror movie Gideon no where to be found.
"I wish we could see what it looks like without you in there." Barry frowned.
"You wouldn't like it." Gideon replied. "Much too vast, dark, and empty."
"It's interesting how she feels things so deeply and that has manifested into how her powers work." Clarissa smiled. "It's all quite..."
"Astonishing?" Ronnie supplied with a smile.
"Yes, Ronald that is the word." Clarissa nodded.
"Palmer Tech was working on a self-learning, Neuromorphic Cortex. They surely would have gone to prototype by 2046." Ray said.
"Knowing Felicity there's no doubt they would have" Clarity agreed smiling briefly thinking of her friend. She wondered how her life's been for the last 30 years. She hoped she was okay. Of course she was okay. She's Felicity.
"Of course I'm okay." Felicity nodded. She turned to Oliver. "I'm okay right?"
"If I had any say in it yes Felicity you're fine." Oliver replied. "You're probably not even living in the city."
"Why wouldn't I be in the city?" Felicity demanded.
"You saw the place Felicity. It was hell on earth. Oliver and I aren't going to have you stay somewhere so dangerous." Diggle frowned.
"You two can't decide where I live. That's my choice. It's my life." Felicity protested.
"A pretty face like you?" Quentin quizzed. "Uh uh, you're out."
"Quentin's right honey. You'd get eaten alive by those monsters." Donna replied.
"I can't believe your on their side." Felicity complained.
"Honey, when you're safety is concerned you bet your ass I'm on their side." Donna replied.
"Same goes for you, Thea." Moira spoke up.
"What? Mom!" Thea protested.
"Don't mom your mother Thea. She's right. The current future Star city is too dangerous for Felicity and you as well." Robert agreed with his wife.
"This is so unfair." Thea groaned hugging Roy.
"Hey, at least they care." Roy told her.
"When things like this happen even the man you love isn't enough to protect you." Anna replied tears in her eyes. "No matter how hard he tries."
"We are going to need that prototype." Rip said
"Ah, Palmer Tech is now Smoak Technologies, but, uh, I'm sure I can still get us in." Ray said.
"If you can't I can. Felicity probably never changed the password since after you..." Clarity trailed off.
"Got captured by that evil magic guy? Yeah knowing her she probably wouldn't have changed it. Hey did you know she once made a password password and I actually believed that-" Ray agreed with a nod.
"That actually worked?" Kara wondered.
"For a genius Ray is an idiot." Oliver commented chuckles and laughs of agreement all around.
"That's my Ray." Anna smiled.
"Dude Focus" Jax reminded Ray who nodded cutting himself off. Right they had more important things to deal with.
"As I said, we must keep you, and Ms. Lance separate from your future homes. Evidently Miss Springs as well because of your close ties there. In any case, there's a reason why I recruited individuals adept at misappropriating others' property." Rip said walking off to find the thieves.
"Go Lenny! You steal everything!" Lisa cheered her brother on. "No cops to stop you."
"Could you sound more happy bout that?" Quentin demanded.
"But of course officer." Lisa smiled batting her eyes.
-Timeskip-
"Barry!" Everyone chorused together.
"I'm sorry, okay!?" Barry replied.
"Apology not accepted. You're not even trying to learn your lesson." Yao Fei berated and it was so much worse than being scolded by Oliver.
"Oh my god." Barry complained rubbing his face.
"So the rest of the team's on a field trip to Palmer Tech, now Smoak Technologies. Palmer Tech sounds better, right? Be honest."Ray questioned Kendra.
"No it doesn't." Felicity shook her head.
"They're the same thing." Iris shook her head.
"Palmer tech is catchier." Kara decided.
"Queen consolidated was both of those companies original names. Which is why it's the best." Moira spoke up.
"With a name like that no wonder it turned into Palmer tech." Cat shook her head. "Both of them are horrible." Cat adjusted her sun glasses atop her head. "Catco rolls right off the tongue."
"We're not talking about your company but if we're going there then Star Labs is best name." Harry spoke up. "All you people do is name your companies after yourselves. It's embarrassing."
"Mercury labs is pretty good name too." Caitlin defended. "Clarity and I both worked there."
"Honestly, they sound about the same." Kendra said and Ray frowned making Jax smile.
"Kendra agrees with me." Iris pointed to the screen.
"Neither one of you actually made a decision." Alex shook her head. "You just tied them so you wouldn't have to choose."
"Aren't you a reporter? The first rule of reporting you pick a stance and you stick with it." Cat karate chopped at the air shaking her head.
"Clarity?" Ray asked wondering if she had a different opinion. Plus he wanted to try and get her mind off whatever she was feeling-or he guessed wasn't feeling because Gideon was offline. She had looked pretty disturbed earlier.
"Aww Ray that's so sweet." Felicity smiled. "See? This is why Ray and Clarity should be together."
"They're too similar." Laurel shook her head. "They should just stay friends. Besides you can't have your best friend date your boyfriend."
"Says the woman who's sister dated her boyfriend who is now my boyfriend."
"Damn that's complicated." Tommy winced. "Clarity should stay out of all that."
"Smoak technologies has a nice ring but nothing beats an original. I'm torn" Clarity said hopping up to sit on the console swinging her legs. Kendra took a step back from Clarity discreetly. She didn't seem all to safe to the hawk since she had found out she killed people.
"Kendra don't be metacist." Alex complained.
"I can't believe I ever dated her." Cisco frowned, not liking that Kendra was treating his friend so poorly.
"She's not even doing anything. Why are you backing up?" Joe glared.
"Gideon please can we stop waisting screen time on this characterless woman?" Cat pleaded.
"Apologies but Miss Saunders is still a legend." Gideon announced and everyone groaned because even those who did like her were struggling.
"Even assuming our compatriots return with a Neuromorphic prototype, we'll still need to prepare Gideon for the new device." Martin reminded the four. Clarity smiled. She was going to fix Gideon all right.
"She always does." Gideon smiled.
"I fix you too!" Barry defended.
"She has a gentler touch." Gideon replied.
"Your touch is plenty gentle." Kara assured squeezing his hand.
Barry groaned, "Yours isn't!"
"Sorry, I forget your not as strong as you are fast."
"And the engines could definitely use some loving. Actually, I could use an extra pair of hands." Jax said to Kendra.
"Well, Raymond, why don't you and Ms.
Saunders continue repairing Gideon, and Miss Springs and I will assist Jefferson with the engines?" Stein suggested.
"Oh Martin your destroying the boys plans." Clarissa laughed at her husband.
"Good, Jax deserves so much better than miss barista." Cat rolled her eyes.
"Miss Grant, please." Kara begged, "She's not that bad."
"Yes she is, Supergirl." Miss grant replied. "Yes she is. You just don't see it yet."
"Actually I'll stay with Ray and Kendra. Gideon's too fascinating to pass up" Clarity said her fingers sparking in excitement.
There were collective aww's from multiple people in the audience. Clarity could be too cute sometimes.
-a little while later-
"Don't say it, okay?" Barry asked.
"It was a small gap in time but this getting ridiculous blur. You're making us miss important information." Cat complained. "All of Supergirls notes will be faulty and unusable because they're missing details."
"It's not me." Barry hung his head and yet still the speedster was getting blamed.
"You really are pretty good at this." Ray laughed as Kendra used the blow torch to weld to broken pieces of metal together.
"Well, I was a shipyard welder in 1944." Kendra admitted.
"I wonder if they'll ever run into her in the 40's."
"Maybe a world war 2 version of her would be more likeable." Cat proposed.
"Miss Grant was that something hopeful about Kendra I heard?"
"Your superhearing must be going." Cat replied. "I didn't say anything about the current Kendra being better."
"No way. A real life Rosie the Riveter?" Ray asked amazed.
"Is there anything you can't manage to put a positive spin on? Kendra asked with a laugh.
"Uh, no, wait I got it: the DMV." Ray said with a nod.
"Ugh, they're so slow." Thea complained.
"I hate the dmv." Quentin complained.
"Everyone hates it." Moira shook her head.
"Oh I can!" Clarity said as she fiddled around with a circuit board that had gotten all jumbled and out of whack.
"Good for you Glitch." Cat nodded, "Good for you, if I had her optimism...well I don't know what I'd do if I'm being truthful. Not everyone can pull off being that.." Cat waves a hand. "Bright all the time."
"Claritys not bright all the time, Miss Grant." Kara said defensively. "She's got a dark side."
"Of course she does we all do, unfortunately it is a side that you heroes cannot toe the line between." Cat replied.
"I'm sorry, are we not going to talk about someone calling that circuitry out of whack?" Cisco asked. "Who says that?"
"Cisco, shut up about the narration. No one cares but you." Thea told him.
"What? No way. That place is a cesspool of boring" Ray denied shaking his head.
"I can!" Clarity protested shocking Ray teasingly lightning crackle slightly upon the metal table making Kendra jump away a bit in slight fear.
"Of course she can. If one person can out optimize Ray it's Clarity." Cisco smiled.
"I don't know Ray's pretty smiley himself." Kara pointed out.
"You all should have some kind of contest. Person who can be the most optimistic wins." Laurel offered.
"Oh yes, can the prize be donuts with a scoop of ice cream in the little circle space?" Kara wondered.
"Maybe." Barry told her.
"Yes!" Kara cheered to herself already counting that maybe as a yes.
"Hey Clarity ease up on the shocks. Don't you think that's a little dangerous?" Kendra snapped at her glaring. Her voice laced in anger. Clarity froze and her smile disappeared. She looked back down at the circuit board in front of her tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. She pushed some more pieces around with her powers before she spoke again this time her voice coming out softer and slightly hurt despite doing her best to sound unaffected.
"Leave her alone!" Felicity glared. "She hasn't done anything to you!"
"Clarity wouldn't hurt Ray...would she?" Anna asked in concern.
"What? No." Barry shook his head. "How could you even ask that?"
"Oh well, uh I don't really know her that well like you all do." Anna replied.
"This ain't cool." Joe shook his head. "Not one bit. She doesn't deserve this, I've seen her brake for squirrels playing around in the star labs parking lot. She wouldn't hurt her."
"She wouldn't." Eddie agreed. "But the fact that she could is kind of scary."
"It's no more dangerous than a joy buzzer" Clarity said.
"Fair point Clarity, but those things still hurt." Tommy winced.
"No they don't." Oliver protested. "You just have a low threshold for pain."
"Yeah, right." Tommy grinned. "Keep telling yourself that."
"I don't have to, I remember we spent a whole summer prank zapping each other."
"You boys drove Merlyn and I crazy in those days." Moira laughed.
"Yeah, I bet they made you two get real close." Thea chimed shaking her head.
Ray looked from Kendra to Clarity in confusion. Kendra was definitely overreacting. It was just a harmless shock. Ray doubted Clarity would ever try to actually harm him with her powers. So why was Kendra so angry about it? Clarity was just sparky, flickery, like a lightning bug. That didn't mean she had to try and put her down for it.
"Yes! Thank you, Ray! Defend my best friend." Felicity told him.
"I don't ship them." Oliver began. "But she does look like she could use cheering up after all that."
"I can't even imagine what's that like." Felicity frowned. "Someone being scared of you for little to no reason when all your doing is minding your own business"
"It's not just meta's stuff like that happens too." Diggle replied crossing his arms. "Happens so often it becomes normalized, but racism's all over. We like to think it's gone away but it's not. It's still here, it's happening to Clarity right now."
"Great we've established the hawk is racist let's move on." Cat waved a hand. "
"So What is it?" Ray asked Clarity walking around to sit next to her resting his arm on the table.
"Hmm?" She hummed looking up at him confused her powers stopping. Her lower lip drawn between her teeth.
"How many times do I have to tell her not to bite her lip?" Felicity sighed.
"I do it too sometimes." Caitlin admitted. "It's pretty hard to break a habit."
"Well I think it's cute." Kara replied.
"Til she ends up with her lipstick on her teeth." Lisa replied.
"Whoa, wait back up you think Claritys cute do you?" Barry smiled at Kara.
"Shut up Barry." Kara replied.
"What's the positive spin on the dmv?" Ray asked eagerly leaning closer to emphasize his excitement.
"Ray maybe not get to-"
"Relax, Kendra. It's fine. So, Clarity, you were saying?" Ray asked leaning his chin on his hand giving her his full attention in an attempt to make her feel better.
"That's the good man I would've married." Anna smiled.
"Ray's really brave leaning close to her like that." Eddie voiced.
"He's a decent man." Cat replied, "Those are hard to find and I've looked."
"I'm sure you have." Harry replied.
"Is there something you'd like to say to me?" Cat asked.
"Not unless we go on that date." Harry replied.
"Dad, you're going." Jessi told him.
"Oh. Well you're there for so long that you can make some friends in line. That and make a ton of sloth, snail, and tortoise jokes while your waiting" Clarity said.
"Oh that's actually pretty good. Don't forget you can make fun of the clerks." Ray said going back over to finish welding.
"Wow making fun of people? Ray Palmer you do have a dark side."Kendra said a bit shocked that Ray had said that but she was glad that he was away from Clarity. The woman's once harmless and playful powers now just seem like a death trap waiting to happen to Kendra.
"Everyone has darksides, it's just more apparent in people like Ray, Clarity.."
"And you?" Barry asked Kara.
"Well, yeah. For someone like Oliver it's harder to see where the line is cause it's all muddled and gray."
"Thanks supergirl." Oliver replied.
"Yeah of course." She replied before leaning over to Barry. "He wasn't actually thanking me was he?"
"Nope."
"Didn't think so." Kara sighed.
"You making fun of me?" Ray questioned.
"Little bit. Doesn't mean I don't find your unwavering optimism enjoyable." Kendra grinned.
"I find watching you weld enjoyable." Ray grinned back.
" , in case you weren't aware, you are on an open channel, and we can hear everything you're saying. Is it too much to ask for some professionalism around here, and why am I getting so upset? One moment, please." Stein snapped over the coms.
Clarissa laughed, "Oh to be young and crushing once again."
"Those were the days." Moira agreed.
-with Jax and Stein-
"I'm not upset. You're upset."Stein said to Jax after he clicked off his com.
"No, I'm not." Jax replied clicking his off as well.
"Yes you are." Ronnie protested. "Your bonded you can't hide it no matter how much you might want to."
"That kind of sucks." Eddie told him.
"Its particularly sucky when he's just in your head." Ronnie replied.
"I bet." Eddie agreed thankful he never became a meta.
"My elevated blood pressure confirms that you are" Stein countered.
"I'm just - I'm just getting annoyed that those two are talking instead of working. And that Kendra is being like that towards Clarity after I mean-"
"You like her." Stein grinned.
"Unfortunately." Cisco sighed.
"You'd think her attitude would be a turn off." Tommy commented.
"Her attitude?" Laurel wondered.
"Being racist isn't attractive." Tommy replied.
"Metacist." Oliver corrected.
"Ollie that's never going to catch on. Just call it what it is plain and simple."
"Dude, you're being crazy. I don't know what your even talking about. And which her?" Jax replied in denial.
"You do remember that we share a psychic connection. I can sense what you're feeling. You have a crush on Kendra and your upset about the way she's flirting with Raymond and treating Clarity. Speaking of what did Clarity tell you? I can feel it eating away at you" Stein replied.
"Imagine how Clarity must feel if it's bothering Jax." Thea frowned.
"I don't even want to think about that." Caitlin shook her head.
"Who cares how Clarity fe-" Iris was bitch taped by Gideon once again.
"If that were true, then you would shut up." Jax said already annoyed at where this was going.
"Hey, it's no day at the beach for me, either. Believe me. You think I enjoy feeling the emotional roller coaster of a teenage boy?"Stein questioned.
"Definitely not." Clarissa shook her head.
"Once was enough." Quentin agreed.
"Well, it doesn't matter, 'cause I don't stand a chance with her anyway and what Clarity told me is none of your business." Jax said shaking his head.
"Now, why would you say that?" Stein questioned.
"What Clarity told me is not my secret to tell and Because right now, my competition is a billionaire genius who built his own super-suit and some other dude she's known for 4,000 years who she is destined to be with."Jax lamented.
"Yes, see? Thank you, Jax." Cisco told the screen. "If it's not your secret you shouldn't share it."
"Hear that Felicity?" Oliver asked.
"Oh, I heard it, but seeing as how Clarity's not in a life or death situation I'm electing to ignore it." Felicity replied.
"If I may offer one word of advice" Stein butted in.
"I really wish you wouldn't." Jax said shaking his head. The last thing he needed right now was another damned lecture.
"That word would be "confidence. You met my younger self I was quite the ladies' yourself out there. Good things will happen. And as for the other dilemma keeping whatever this is to yourself is not helping you Jefferson. If you just tell me I can assure you you'll feel better. Perhaps she already told me" Stein said.
"Nope she didn't." Cisco denied. "Just me."
"Maybe not a good idea to remind everyone about that Cisco." Lisa murmured.
"I wish she would've told us." Felicity frowned.
"I know, we all do." Oliver replied.
"Steins right though confidence does help with the ladies." Tommy grinned.
"Not if you're overconfident." Laurel replied.
"Very true." Alex agreed.
Jax rolled his eyes. "Yeah I doubt she told you that she's killed people" Jax replied before slamming his hand over his mouth eyes wide. Crap. Crap. Crap. Fucking crap. God damnit Jax what did you just do!? Jax thought to himself horrified.
"Whoop there it is." Thea threw her hands up.
"I am so glad we can here thoughts." Jessi clapped amused by all the swearing. "I love this guy."
"Jassi?" Cisco grinned.
"You want to die Ramon? Don't ship my daughter with him!" Harry pointed furiously at the screen.
"Paybacks a bitch, Harry." Cisco grinned.
"I imagine so" Stein said grimly.
"Okay That was not the reaction I was expecting" Jax said shocked.
"It is not likely that miss Springs will be trying to murder any of us Jefferson. There is nothing to concern yourself with." Stein replied shaking his head.
"Finally someone with some sense." Barry clapped his hands. "Everybody let's give it up for Professor Stein!"
The audience all clapped for the genius save for a select few. You can guess who didn't.
-time skip-
Barry groaned and he was pelted by various snack foods by mutiple people. When it was over Kara plucked the popcorn and candy out of his hair. The kryptonian taking snacks of the snack that was Barry Allen. Iris glaring at the pair.
"All right. Grey and I have got the mains back online.
"Great. Uh, Ray's working on something called the quantum manifold with Clarity, But I can't seem to get this to cooperate. I don't know how she fixes these damned things so easily" Kendra said with a frustrated grunt.
"Clarity has a masters in computer science and cyber security just like I do." Felicity replied, adjusting her glasses. "Something like that's a piece of cake."
"That's impressive." Anna nodded at her.
"Thanks." Felicity replied. "It helps that she was tinkering around with circuits and stuff since she was a kid too."
"Did you two grow up together?" Oliver wondered.
"Oh no, we've just swapped stories. We were randomly assigned as roommates in college and we just clicked. Best friends ever since." Felicity replied.
"Let me give it a try." Jax said doing a better job than Kendra.
"Hey, you actually seem to know what you're doing here." Kendra praised.
Uh, yeah, machines are kind of my thing. Plus, I've been looking at the instruction manual in my downtime, so" Jax admitted.
"Most people can't follow the instructions to build their new bookcase, and here you are working on a spaceship. A time-traveling spaceship from the future, no less." Kendra grinned.
"Could you show the manual? I want to take pictures Cmon Jax." Cisco pleaded.
"Useless the lot of them." Harry complained.
"I just want to build my own tardis."
"Waverider." Harry corrected.
"I know what I said Harry. Come at me like that again and I'll make a real sonic screwdriver and-"
"Both of you quit nerd fighting." Caitlin snapped.
"Yes, Caitlin." Both men chorused.
"Well, when you put it like that, I am kind of amazing." Jax said.
"And humble." Kendra said.
"Hey, if you ever have any bookcases need putting together I'll know who to call." Jax said.
"Ghostbusters!" Anna cheered.
"I'm starting to see why Ray liked her." Felicity grinned at Oliver.
"Mhm, she's as nerdy as he is." Diggle agreed.
"Don't say it like that's a bad thing Dig you'll offend like half the people here." Oliver warned.
"I'll risk it. People like me better than you." Diggle replied.
-with Ray and Clarity-
"So, Raymond, you were working with Kendra earlier. I couldn't help but notice there might've been a little spark." Martin said walking in the room.
"Oh Martin please don't do this." Clarissa winced.
"He means well, but he just isn't helping." Kara shook her head.
"Abort! Abort!" Thea yelled running her finger across her neck.
"This is so dumb. She's just going to be with Carter in the end, whether it be another version they meet through time traveling or in the next life." Anna shook her head. "Your just setting him up for heart break down the line."
"Couldn't have said it better myself. What was your name again? Annie?" Cat asked.
"Anna." She corrected.
"Supergirl make a note to interview this one before she has to go die again."
"Yes, Miss Grant." Kara nodded.
"Oh sorry that must've been me. I tend to do that" Clarity said waggling her fingers sparks flying through the air.
"But how'd it get through the coms? You weren't really putting your finger by your ear except when you tucked a strand by it a few times" Ray wondered.
"They think she actually..." Cisco started laughing. "Oh man I love these two."
"Sprinamon..." Jessi chanted softly.
"I'm surprised Clarity hasn't done that yet. Even accidentally." Barry added.
"She does spark a lot." Kara agreed.
"That wasn't quite the type of spark I was referring to. I believe that Miss Saunders may-"
"No" Clarity said instantly cutting stein off.
Everyone burst out laughing. She'd said it so quick, so bluntly that it was too funny. Even the most stoic among them cracked a smile.
"I beg your pardon?" Stein questioned.
"No. No absolutely not. No matchmaking Stein. Kendra's still struggling over the death of Carter! what is wrong with you? Why would you even- Oh no please do not tell me that-you know what you don't even have to. For a supposed genius your a moron" Clarity said rubbing at her temples walking out of the room her heels clicking on the floor as she went to go find Jax and stop whatever the hell poor Kendra was about to deal with.
"Poor Kendra? With how she's been treating you?" Cat shook her head. "I wouldn't care about Kendra at all. In fact I don't right now."
"Guess that means Claritys a better person than you are." Kara told her, which really wasn't a good thing to say to your boss.
"Watch it, Supergirl. I can still fire you." Cat warned.
Kara winced, this Casual theater setting was really making her forget she shouldn't mouth off to Cat.
"Okay so what about Kendra professor?" Ray questioned.
"Nothing Raymond never mind. I'm just surprised she was able to help you weld so easily." Stein said heeding Clarity's warning.
"Smart man." Barry nodded.
"Yes," Clarissa agreed. "I wouldn't have married my husband if he wasn't. Though much like your Ray he can be a bit of dolt sometimes."
"We must have the same tastes then." Anna smiled at her.
"Jax! Just the person I was looking for! Could I talk to you for a second?" Clarity questioned from the doorway to the room Kendra and Jax were working in.
"Yeah sure what is it?" Jax questioned tuning to face her.
"Um in private? It's about something you told Stein" Clarity said biting her lower lip. She really felt bad about doing this to Jax but she had to set him straight. Kendra should be allowed to mourn a bit at least. Even if she was being a bit testy towards her about her powers.
Jax gulped his eyes widening slightly. "Uh yeah sure. Kendra I'll be right back" Jax told her walking to follow Clarity.
"Don't worry Jax," Kara shook her head. "She doesn't want to chew you out. Just crush all your dating dreams. It's okay."
"You know none of that sounds okay." Tommy shook his head.
"It's okay for Kendra." Alex shrugged.
"Who the hell cares about Kendra?" Cat asked. "It's this Jax that we should be concerned with."
"I didn't know you cared, Miss Grant."
"I don't, but I'm picking the lesser of two evils." Cat replied.
"Be careful" Kendra called making Clarity pause for a second. She was about to say something over her shoulder but instead sighed shaking her head continuing her walk.
"Oh shut up." Cisco threw popcoarn at the screen. "She's always careful."
"She doesn't need the reminder." Caitlin agreed.
"I wish I could give her a hug." Kara sighed.
"Oh do you?" Barry teased her.
"I do not have a crush on Clarity, Barry!"
"Someone's in denial." Barry sing songed.
"Ugh!" Kara threw barry out of his chair and the speedster went flying smacking into the screen. "Ow..."
"Clarity I am so sorry" Jax began once they were far enough from Kendra that she couldn't hear.
"You should be" Clarity replied.
"Why do I feel like Jax has the wrong idea about what this talk is about?" Jessi wondered.
"Because he definitely does." Roy replied.
"Look I know I shouldn't have told grey about what you said yesterday but"
"Wait, you what?" Clarity questioned turning to face him in confusion.
"Note for Glitch Supergirl. Never trust Jax with a secret since he obviously can't keep one despite his well intentions to do so." Cat ordered the kryptonian.
"Uh...wasn't Gideon taking notes for me?"
"We don't have Gideon on our earth which means you don't have her to rely on back home. Why don't I hear you scribbling?"
"Uh...cause I'm doing it at a speed you can't hear?"
"Blur, can you hear her writing?" Cat asked.
"What? Me Uh I Uh..." Kara elbowed the speedster. "Yeah sure can." Barry winced clutching his side.
Cat hummed eyeing the pair suspiciously.
"That's what you wanted to talk to me about? Right? Me telling grey that you. Ya know...killed people" Jax said trailing off to a whisper for the last two words.
"No, actually that isn't what I wanted to talk to you about, but it's okay. I mean your not treating me like Kendra is so it's alright" Clarity told him accepting his apology. As long as it was just Stein he told Clarity was certain that it was fine. She trusted Stein despite his sometimes egotistical behavior. And it wasn't exactly like she was deliberately trying to hide it she had just never told anyone.
"Well that's good to know..I guess." Oliver shrugged.
"Not telling the truth is still lying though." Thea objected.
"No one's ever asked her about it directly have we?" Felicity wondered.
"I have, but she told me." Cisco shrugged. "No one's ever had a reason to. You just wouldn't expect it of her you know?"
"Yeah Cisco," Caitlin nodded. "We know."
"If you didn't want to talk to me about that then what did you want to talk to me about?" Jax questioned confused.
"Kendra." Clarity said.
"More dating advice? Damn grey is really covering all the bases here." Jax said shaking his head.
"Not exactly kid." Ronnie shook his head.
"He's about to get crushed just not in the way he wants." Thea winced.
"You said it sister." Tommy agreed.
"Too soon." Thea told him.
"No. Jax I understand that you like her but you need to understand that she lost her soulmate a few days ago and with the way her reincarnation works at least from my understanding of it everyday in her dreams she experiences sort of flashbacks of her past lives. And it's like she loses him all over again. What I'm trying to say is that if you like her and you really do care about her you'll leave her alone and let her deal with that loss" Clarity told him as gently as she possibly could.
Jax mulled over her words. "I guess I never thought about the reincarnation thing" Jax admitted.
"She's also extremely bitchy, but yeah let's blame the disinterest on the reincarnation." Cat sighed.
"Whatever works for him." Harry replied.
"And?" Clarity questioned.
"Alright alright. You don't need to worry. I'll back off" Jax told her.
"It's the right thing Jax, Trust me" Clarity said giving him a small pat on the shoulder before going back to work. She didn't like not feeling Gideon. It made the waverider feel cold and empty. So Clarity wanted to fix her as fast as possible.
"If she wanted to do that she should have just called me." Barry pointed to himself.
"And risk you messing with the timeline? Not a chance." Laurel told him.
"What was that about?" Kendra asked as Jax walked back into the room.
"Nothing. Just Stein being annoying as usual" Jax lied.
-time Skip-
"Barry, we missed seeing the future Star city cause of all this time skipping your doing. It's got to stop son." Joe told him.
"When's this all going to end with you?" Quentin agreed.
Barry just wanted to crawl under his chair and die.
"Oh, they're back." Stein said as Clarity, Stein, and Jax stood in Rip's office fiddling around with a gadget.
"Where's ?" Stein questioned. Not seeing the other criminal.
"Sleeping it off." Snart replied.
"This place must've been candy land for him." Lisa frowned.
"Yeah, isn't that a good thing?" Cisco asked looking at her in confusion.
"Not if he didn't want to leave." Lisa replied.
"Did he throw himself a little party?" Clarity asked raising a brow.
"Something like that" Snart replied to her walking briskly out of the room.
"Something happened." Barry frowned.
"Worried about your boyfriend Barry?" Kara teased.
"Snart is not my boyfriend!" Barry objected. "And I'm not worried about him."
"Lenny's going off to brood." Lisa agreed. "You should be. This is bad, Scarlett."
"We have the Neuromorphic Prototype. Any luck with the ship's engines?" Rip asked walking up to Jax.
"Yeah, it's all good. You know Clarity's actually pretty good with handling a lot of the more Gideon related stuff." Jax said nodding to Clarity.
"Really?" Rip questioned eye brows drawing together looking at clarity in a mixture of confusion and surprise.
"She surprised him!" Thea smiled clasping her hands together. "Rarity rises!"
"Does he not know she created Gideon with me?"
"Captain Hunter does not currently know that information." Gideon replied.
"How can he not know?" Roy wondered. "He's from the future."
"Records of the legends are all scarce. Additionally Clarity never pubically took credit for my creation. All of which will be explained at a later time if you all keep watching."
"Is there something wrong, Ms.
Lance?" Stein questioned the quiet assassin.
"Well, all my friends and family are dead, except for Oliver Queen, who happens to be dead inside and missing his left arm." Sara said.
"What!?" Oliver demanded multiple team arrow people paled.
"No, no that can't be true!" Thea protested. "I don't believe it."
"Uh," Tommy scratched his head looking at the Star City peoples paled faces. "Welcome to the club?"
"That's not funny Tommy!" Laurel berated. "We're all...but we can't be. This isn't right, none of it is."
"No wonder the city's like it is." Quentin frowned. "None of us are alive to protect it anymore."
"What!?" Clarity asked the power going completely out for a second Clarity forced herself to calm and the lights slowly went back on.
"Dramatic much?" Cat muttered, perhaps Oliver wasn't the only drama queen. No one else said anything the horror of what had happened to their city, their friends and themselves lulling them all into silence.
"Felicity is fine Clarity. Don't worry. She broke up with Oliver and left Star City. She's probably one of the only one's who is alive" Sara said trying to soothe her.
Oliver tensed looking a at Felicity with a heartbroken expression. She left him? What happened to together forever?
"Oliver-"
"Don't Felicity, just don't." Oliver murmured softly.
Diggle mourned his ship silently.
"But Diggle, Thea, Roy, your father, your sister,-" Clarity listed shaking her head tears in her eyes.
"Gone. All of them are gone" Sara told her.
"I'm so sorry." Kara told them all, Alex comforting Laurel the best she could. All of team's arrow and flash in mourning for their future and for the future of their friends.
"Oh calm down Clarity they aren't really dead. As I have told Sara numureous time today That" Rip began but Sara cut him off.
"this is just a potential future and that it's all gonna go back to how it was when we return to 2016 if we return. But what if we don't? We all know Carter's not coming 's not like we have the safest line of work." Sara pointed out.
Nobody said a word. Most agreeing with Sara others agreeing with Rip. No one voicing their opinions because the future seemed so dire.
"I think if Sara wants to stay and help that then we should. I mean, that's what we signed up for: - to be heroes." Jax implored.
"I agree with Jefferson." Stein said.
"Yes, of course you both do, and Clarity doesn't even have to say anything. I already know how she feels about the matter because none of you understand the pitfalls of changing the timeline. Meddling with the future is arguably more dangerous than changing the past, because it is still in flux." Rip explained.
"He already knows how she feels." Thea grinned the shippable moment lifting her spirits slightly.
"But he did just doubt her knowledge of time travel. Which is a little insulting." Felicity spoke up.
"Wait is he really playing that card?" Laurel wondered. "His wife and sons death is in their future."
"Your wife and son's death are in the future. You want us to change that." Sara pointed out.
"You and your sister think alike." Alex smiled.
"Yeah, I guess we do don't we?"
"I raised you two to use your heads and then your fists." Quentin supplied.
"Don't play that card with me." Rip said anger in his green eyes.
"So what? Are you only willing to risk the timeline if it's your own family?" Sara questioned.
"I am not just trying to save my family and I'm not just trying to save one city, but the entire world!"
"Cause that makes it so much better." Cat drawled. "Your hot Hunter, but you aren't that hot. Shying away from heroics does not suit you."
"Miss Grant please stop. He's a married man."
"He's a widower. Fair game." Cat replied.
"So's my dad." Jessi grinned. Harry groaned at his daughter. She was really trying to set him up with this woman.
"And if This guys attack spreads from Star City? What you don't think he's capable of world domination? What happens when offing the green arrow isn't good enough? What's to stop him from going to central? Going after the Barry Allen of 2046? Or other cities?" Clarity questioned speaking up.
"This man is nowhere near Savage, Clarity. Don't try to compare them because it is not the same thing" Rip told her.
"Why? Because he's not immortal? You think we should just leave a man to die just because he's about to fall at the hands of the wrong tyrant!?" Clarity questioned.
"I'm not being the selfish one here, Clarity" Rip told her.
"Yeah, yeah you are." Cisco nodded. "Don't try to tell me Clarity's the selfish one. She's the most selfless one on that ship save for Ray."
"Even if he's not as bad as Savage that doesn't mean you can leave him in power. They have the powers and the skills to do some real good." Kara spoke up. "They should use them."
"This is such good Rarity content." Thea grinned.
"Go to hell."Sara said shaking her head.
"You tell him, Sara!" Laurel cheered. "That's my sister."
"No future douchebag is going to tell my daughter what to do. No way in hell." Quentin glared at the screen.
"This is also a bit of a Sarity moment since Claritys backing her up." Alex nudged Laurel.
"Most likely. If you want to go and save , then be my guest. I'll keep the ship here for one hour, then we're leaving. With you on board or without." Rip said his voice final.
-Time skip a little while later-
"Listen before anyone says anything. I just want to say...I don't care. I do not care, I'm not listening." Barry then sat down everyone erupted in yells and screams because that was the opposite of what the speedster should be doing.
"Oliver! Oliver!" Sara called as the two stepped out of the elevator.
"Thought I told you to go." Oliver said as Sara and Clarity walked into the arrowcave. The space now looking like something out of a horror movie.
"And I thought the cave looked creepy before." Thea frowned.
"It could use a fern." Felicity agreed. "Maybe a little dusting around... everywhere."
"Dude, whats with the old man beard?" Barry asked Oliver.
"Your just jealous I can grow a beard and you can't Barry."
"I can grow one!" Barry protested.
"You never told me that. Hi Oliver. I'm glad you haven't lost an eye yet. That's progress right?."Clarity said stepping out from behind Sara smiling as best she could waving at Oliver sparks flying from her fingertips because at least someone was still alive.
"Did...did she just make a slade joke?" Oliver laughed, but he was the only one who found it funny.
"I think oliver just cracked. This futures too dark even for him." Kara whispered to Barry.
"Yeah, I think your right." Barry agreed as everyone stared at the laughing Queen.
"You all lost your sense of humor." Oliver told them all once he was done. "That was funny."
"Clarity take Sara and Glitch back home." Oliver said waving his only arm at them.
"Clearly future Oliver has too." Felicity chimed. "Are you sure your alright?"
"I'm fine, Thea. I'm allowed to laugh at things. I don't have to brood constantly."
"Could've fooled me." Diggle told him.
"We can't do that Oliver. Grant Wilson has Connor. They're gonna kill him." Sara said.
"He knew what he was signing up for and you know there's nothing I can do to help him." Oliver admitted.
"Future you's a dick." Cisco complained.
"No I think that's just regular old Oliver." Caitlin denied.
"He definitely got more crothety with age." Barry sighed.
"I can hear all of you!" Oliver snapped.
"That's not the Oliver Queen that I know."
"Or the one Felicity loved" Clarity added.
"Maybe I'm not that person anymore. Look at me, Sara. I'm literally half the man I used to be.
"I wouldn't say half...just an arm." Thea told her brother.
"Speedy you aren't helping." Oliver told her.
"There's no helping that." Thea pointed to the screen. "He's a goner."
"Thea be nice to your brother. This future's very hard on him."
"Ugh, mom." Thea complained.
"Thea listen to your mother." Robert told her.
"Then that's the half this city needs." Sara said.
"You became this cities hope Oliver. Connor could have became any vigilante. He could have created a new name but he didn't. He chose to be the green arrow. Because being the green arrow is more than putting on a silly costume. Diggle thought it meant something, Roy thought it meant something, Thea thought it meant something, Laurel thought it meant something, and Felicity thought it made you a hero before anyone else did. Oliver you were the first to put on a costume and fight to save your city. You inspired Barry, you inspired Roy, you inspired Ray, you inspired me, and even though he won't say it you inspired that kid out there. I know that's not what you meant to become but you became something else. Something better than what you were and that is the part of you that I know is still there" Clarity told him. All the arrows scattered around glowing with blue light as clarity gathered them up and put them in Oliver's arrow holder hanging on the wall.
"He's got too many men, Ollie. I can't do this by myself. Clarity has powers but she can't fight like you and I."
"Gotta hand it to her." Quentin smiled. "Clarity gives one hell of a speech."
"I want to time travel and save the city now."Anna gushed.
"She's right Oliver, they both are." Diggle told him. "You may not have started out to inspire people, but you did, you do. So many heroes are out there because of you."
Oliver's lips quirked up just the smallest bit.
"What about your other friends?" Oliver questioned.
"We're on our own unless We're not." Sara said holding out Ollie's bow to him.
-timeskip in the battle-
"Could you skip anything else?" Cat asked Barry. "Who knows what's happening during all this time your skipping."
"Probably however long it takes old Oliver to suit up." Barry snickered.
"Not funny Barry."
"Oh c'mon where'd your sense of humor go?"
"Away from you cause you aren't funny." Oliver replied.
"There's to many of them! We need help!" Clarity called to Sara as She kicked a guard in the gut.
"Clarity what are you doing!?" Sara questioned.
"I'm getting help!" Clarity said before glitching back to the waverider.
"There's so many..." Quentin shook his head.
"Hurry up, Clarity." Laurel hoped unsure how long her sister would last against so many opponents.
"There's too many of them." Clarity said shaking her head gasping for breath practically collapsing on the console.
"That's Great you tried. Go get Sara. We're leaving." Rip told her.
Clarity's hands balled into fists.
"No" she said. The air growing heavy with static.
Everybody tensed at Claritys chilling tone. Nobody having ever heard her sound so menacing before.
"I-I'm sorry what?" Rip asked her spinning around to face her. "Clarity I gave you and Sara an hour-"
"shut up" Clarity told him. The lights in the room beginning to flicker so badly that the lights were blinding one second and pitch black the next before they settled on staying out. The only light source coming from the faint glow of the console.
The audience's mouth's were all widened in shock. What was she going to do?
"Gideon turn the bloody lights back on and start the-" Clarity's hand flew out towards Rip electricity coating her palm with a blue glow. The time master suddenly went flying backwards into the wall. Clarity pinned him with her powers. Electricity curling around Rips arms, wrists, legs, and ankles holding him to the walls surface. Rip stared at her eyes wide. How had she done that?
"Holy shit." Oliver muttered getting murmured of agreement all around.
"You know this is kind of kinky." Tommy commented.
"Not the time, Tommy." Laurel told him.
"The human body gives off a good amount of electricity." Clarity said answering Rip's unanswered question with a smirk. This wasn't an ability Clarity generally liked using but she was done with Rip leaving her friends to die. It wasn't even just about leaving Sara. It was about Rip leaving Mick, Ray, and Stein. About them all leaving Carters body behind like he meant nothing. It was about allowing Oliver Queen to get murdered simply because he's not from the right time period. No, not this time. This time Clarity wasn't going to stand for it.
"You go girl." Joe muttered.
"Give him hell." Quentin agreed.
"Boys Shh." Donna told the cops.
"What the hell do you think your doing!?" Rip exclaims as her left hand bury's itself into the front of Rip's shirt. A sphere of lightning appears in her Right hand. The only light source apart from the console being Clarity's glowing blue eyes, the bonds of lightning, and the blue ball of light in Clarity's hands.
"I'm taking over the ship. Because Clearly you've lost your damned mind" Clarity growled out her eyes beginning to glow brighter.
"Captain Clarity, that'd be a sight." Felicity chimed.
"It's be Captain Springs but I do see the appeal." Cisco agreed.
Rip chuckled at her "Gideon-"
"Gideon disregard all the Captains orders until I say otherwise" Clarity snapped cutting Rip off. How far could she take it? Clarity wondered snart's earlier question flowing through her head. Would Gideon listen? Clarity hoped she would.
"Of course Clarity" Gideon responded and Clarity internally grinned. She guessed Gideon listened to her over the captain.
"Oohhh damn." Thea whispered.
"You don't know me Rip." Clarity begin.
"Clarity, you and I both know your not going to do anything to me." Rip told her his green eyes sharp as he stared into her own glowing blue eyes.
"Why not? It's not like you would be my first kill." Clarity whispered to him a light on the opposite room shattering glass raining down as she spoke.
"To think I thought Thawne was scary." Eddie muttered. "Clarity, takes the cake."
"You should take notes, Oliver." Diggle muttered.
"I've done things. You think these powers are just for show? One shock to your brain and I could take away Miranda and Jonas forever." Clarity said her finger tips sparking slightly by his temple. Rip internally flinched.
"Damn." Harry whispered softly, one of the only ones brave enough to talk at the moment. Clarity reminding him of her earth 2 counterpart hell of a lot right now.
"One shock to your chest and your heart stops beating." Clarity said putting her palm flat against his chest lightning glowing on the outer edges of her hand. Rip gulped.
Multiple people put their hands on their chests.
"Your spinal column you never walk again and that's not even counting any lasting nerve damage I could cause on top of it all." Clarity said her hand on the back of his neck making sure he kept looking at her. That he would see how serious she was. That he would understand why she was doing this.
"This is terrifying but it's so shippable." Thea whispered. "They're so close...Cmon Clarity kiss him."
"You don't want her to kiss him." Jessi denied Thea's whispers traveling in the quiet room. "That's how earth 2 her would kill her victims. She'd suck the electricity right out of their bodies."
"Our Clarity would never do that." Cisco protested.
"I would ramble on but two of my friends are sort of in trouble. So you can either keep being a dick and have your family ripped away from you forever with no chance of ever regaining them! Or you can be a good little time master and help save Star City in 2046" Clarity said laying all Rip's cards down on the table.
"So much for your Rarity moment Thea. She was thinking of my sister the whole time." Laurel smirked at her. "Sarity prevails."
"Who cares why she was doing it they were inches apart. Rarity for the win." Thea replied.
Rip froze his eyes wide all color drained from his face as he realized that he may have miscalculated with Clarity. He had never guessed that she was capable of this. His wrists and ankles were already going a bit numb. He could see in her eyes that she was beyond serious. What she suggested were unforgivable irreversible deeds. But Rip thought looking into Clarity's eyes. He guessed abandoning Star City would be doing the same thing to Clarity.
"Fine I'll help you save Star City" Rip relented. Clarity released him immediately. The lights brightened once again. Rip fell to the ground rubbing his wrists. They were practically raw. The only thing that saved the rest of him was his clothing.
"Damn." Joe muttered. "Remind me never to get on her bad side."
"Round up the team! I'm going back" Clarity said glitching back to the battle.
"How did you convinced Rip to stay?" Sara asked Clarity.
"Actually, sending in the cavalry was his idea." Ray replied over the coms.
"I just gave him a little motivation" Clarity told Sara with a wink. Snart smirked.
"Is that what we're calling what she just did?" Quentin wondered.
"Well, It was pretty motivating." Donna grinned.
"Where's ?" Rip questioned firing a blast.
"Oh now he cares?" Felicity frowned.
"Oliver?" Ray questioned in shock.
"It's good to see you again, Ray." Oliver said with a nod.
"Is that my atom suit arm?" Ray asked.
"Of course that's what Ray notices." Clarissa shook her head.
"It's not like you were using it" Oliver shot back.
"Nice comeback, Oliver." Dig grinned.
"Kendra. Thanks for the assist." Oliver said with a nod though he was a bit confused on where the male hawk was but he decided not to say anything.
"He's dead!" Cat exclaimed. "Thank the lord he's dead. If only his soul mate here would do the same thing."
"So who exactly did I beat up? Sara never told Me. Some slade fanatic I'm guessing" Clarity questioned and Oliver actually smiled.
"His name is Grant upon a time, his father, Slade, tried to ruin my life."
Shado blinked, surprised that Slade had a family. He'd never told her.
"That's not a nice family." Ray said.
"That's good shooting, John."
It's Connor.
"Either way, it's Green Arrow." Oliver said.
"How sold are you on that name? The colors just so-"
"I'm keeping it Cisco." Oliver told him. "And passing it on one day apparently."
"I'm just working on determining our next destination. I've considered Sara's suggestion of hell, but I think I'll give it a miss for the time being." Rip said putting his pen down looking up at Clarity as she glitched into the room.
"I just wanted to apologize for What I did and for what I said. I just wanted you to know that I would never actually do any of that. I guess these past few days of close calls really just caught up with me" Clarity apologized.
"No! Don't apologize!" Cat slammed her first down. "Never apologize for being fierce."
"No need to apologize Miss Springs. You were right. Even with our influence the future and past both remain in tact. So there's no harm done" Rip told the brunette.
"Wait did you just say I'm right?" Clarity asked her smile brightening up the hole room as harmless sparks fell from her fingers.
"Of late I've discovered that I still have a lot to learn, I admit. Including the ability to trust my crew. You've taught me a lot in the past few days, Clarity. Now I can't deny that every future, and every person in it is worth fighting for. That said this mission is going to continue to present us with difficult choices, and I need to know that you are a member of this team and you won't be shattering any more light fixtures by my head or blasting lightning at me or zapping me into walls." Rip questioned.
I guess so.
"Did Sara just say that?" Laurel wondered. "she's not even on screen in the room."
"Hey wait what was Clarity going to say? Gideon what gives?" Barry asked.
"The rarity moment's not done! What's wrong with this thing?" Thea asked.
"Apologies but it appears there was a problem with the recordings. The person tasked with inscribing these adventures was lazy and did not finish the inscription."
"What? You've got to be kidding me!" Cisco complained, "Is that why everything has horrible punctuation?"
"I'm not inclined to offer any more information on the subject. Deal with it." Gideon replied.
"All right, Gideon, let's see if these repairs that Clarity, Martin, Ray, and Jax made are up to scratch."
"As far as I can tell, Ms. Saunders and Clarity did most of the work, while the three gentlemen competed for-"
"Boys will be boys." Clarissa shook her head.
"That's right ladies we get things done!" Kara fist pumped.
"Just get us out of here. Please, Gideon." Gray said.
"I'm gonna miss this place." Mick said as he stared out the window.
"Yeah, they really seemed like your kind of people." Ray observed.
"I don't know who my people are anymore." Mick admitted.
"Oh Mick..." Lisa muttered heartbroken for him. What had his brother done?
"So where to next, Captain?
"Well, the beauty of this mission is that the real question is not where, but when."
"The wonders of a tardis" Clarity said stretching out her arms.
"It's not a tardis Clarity. How many times must I remind you?" Rip questioned.
"Everytime, Rip" Clarity grinned and Rip sighed.
"Thea don't even think-"
"Rarity!" Thea yelled at the top of het lungs into her brothers ear.
"In which case, I suggest that we next hit Savage when he least expects it." Rip said said the team was off away from 2046.
"I hope we never see that future again. We barely saw it but ugh." Laurel shivered.
"We saw enough for a lifetime." Oliver told her.
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Welp, it's about damn time I updated this story again, yeah? Quite honestly, I was shocked at how many of you commented that you're still interested after so long. Not sure what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't like 60 people saying they wanted an update. You've all been so patient waiting so long for one too and I thank you all so much for that. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter not sure when the next one will be out but, the next actual Glitch chapter, chapter 40, will be updated by this Friday because I'm doing weekly updates again for that. Don't forget to comment and answer questions people! Your opinions and thoughts all matter a great deal to me.
1. Why do you like this story? And what would you like to see more of moving forwards?
do you ship Clarity with? 15 reasons why they should be together in your opinion.
3. What did you think of this chapter? Be honest.
4. Did you hate anything about this chapter? Be honest.
5. Who do you think is going to be clarity's best friend on the waverider and why?
6. What was your favorite moment for your Clarity ship this chapter?
7. What do you think of Clarity's fashion sense/ outfits? What would you like to see her wear?
8. How strong do you believe Clarity truly is or do you think she's weaker than she seems?
9. If I made a legends watch claritys origin story book would you read it?
10. How are you doing?
do you want to learn most about Clarity?
12. Describe Clarity in one word
13. Anything else you would like to ask, rant, or tell me!