"You!" A rebel soldier pointed her gun at Cassandra as Perdegaton, Macrediagon, Snart, Todd, and the aforementioned blonde walked up to her. Hordes of refugees all walking into the camp including one little boy happily hugging his bear chattering away to anyone he could find about how the blue hero lady had saved them. "What's to keep me from killing you where you stand?"
"Because she's an asset to the cause." Snart spoke up voice calm and cool as ever.
"And enough people have died already." Todd said, prepared to catch the bullets with his smoke if the on edge woman did decide to fire.
"My father may be incapacitated, but his forces are still strong." Cassandra told the rebel leader. "I know their tactics, their weaknesses."
"Why the change of heart?" She demanded eyeing her in total distrust
"Ask him." Cassandra looked to Perdegaton.
"Savage has no mercy in his heart. There is nothing inside of him save for wrath and vengeance even towards those he claimed to love." Perdegaton began. "People have suffered and died because I didn't realize Savage's true likeness until it was too late. I aim to fix that. Not by simply hoping and dreaming for a better future, but by fighting for it with everything I have to give and then some. My name is Perdegaton, son of Tordegaton, and I promise you here and now I will lead everyone into a time of peace and prosperity."
"Alright then." The woman lowered her gun. "That's one hell of a promise. Let's hope for everyone's sake you can keep it."
With all of that said and done, Snart and Todd walked back aboard the ship together. The bay doors shutting closed. Every refugee now safely off the waverider. All having enough medical supplies, and food, to make Macrediagon faint.
"The refugees are in Perdegatons hands." Todd told Rip as they passed the married couple in the hall.
"Excellent." Miranda nodded. "Now all that's left is to wake the professor in the medbay and we'll be off."
"We have a destination yet?" Snart asked Rip.
"We will." Rip replied side stepping the question. In truth he had no idea where to search for Savage next. The trail having gone colder than it ever has. "Where's Clarity? I would have thought she'd want to see young Perdegaton off."
"She already did, said goodbye as we were walking past her room." Todd explained.
"If your going to ask her to track Savage forget it. She already tried, didn't work." Snart told him.
"No, no thats fine. Miss Springs has done more than enough already. Just curious." Rip replied.
"Excuse us, gentlemen, we really must be getting back on task." Miranda pulled on Rip's arm tugging him to the medbay. Once there they set to work checking Stein's vitals.
"Welcome back." Rip told Martin as he shined a flashlight in front of the professors eyes. His injuries now fully healed thanks to Gideon working wonders in the medbay yet again. Miranda easing him off the sedatives.
"You gave us all quite the scare sleeping so long." Miranda told, the still groggy genius, as she looked down at him for a moment, before returning to her task, tapping some buttons on different screens assisting her husband.
"What have I missed?" Martin wondered blinking as he looked from Rip to his very alive wife. The genius correctly thinking that it had indeed been a lot that he needed to be caught up on.
"Ah. Well, Clarity's glitched back to us safe and sound. She even managed to save my wife and child, and in turn discovered Perdegaton is alive and changed for the better. The team managed to battle Savage's army, defeat all four of his giant robots, ... and you managed to sleep through all of it."
"Hmm. What about the refugees...?" Martin began because Rip hadn't said anything about them yet. The old man fearing that they'd been lost in the battle somehow.
"They're safe." Rip assured him with a nod of his head. "Every one of them is alive and well."
"But for how long?" Martin asked. "Apparently, time wants to happen."
"Oh, I think you'll find that time... for once... is on our side. Perdegaton will be leading quite the revolution against Vandal Savage's forces from here on out." Rip turned heading to the door, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to pay a visit to an old friend."
"An old friend?" Miranda asked as she walked out of the medbay following after him the doors closing behind her. "Is that what your calling her now?"
"Of course, I know I don't have many friends dear, but I do happen to consider Clarity to be one. Especially after she brought you and Jonas back to me." Rip paused to look at Miranda. Rip's eyebrows furrowed as he took in his wife's expression. "Why do you ask?"
"Why do I ask? Why do you think!?" She replied, dark eyes locked onto Rip. "Don't think I haven't noticed my memories changing." Miranda grabbed his hand lifting it so his trench coat sleeve fell lower revealing the good luck charm little Clarity had gifted him. "Or that I missed the fact that you're wearing her bracelet again."
"I was going to give it back to her right now actually. I haven't had a chance to with everything that's been going on. There's never enough time is there?" Rip smiled just a bit, however Miranda's angered expression didn't ebb away as he hoped it would and he sighed the smile dropping. "Why? Does it bother you? It shouldn't. It's just a good luck charm. It doesn't mean anything."
"Really? It doesn't? When you came running onto the ship after that last leviathan went down you were yelling my name but you ran to her." Miranda jabbed a finger in his chest, "You took one look at me in the window," Miranda jabbed her thumb towards her chest and pointed diagonally towards the ceiling. "and then you bloody well bolted to her side like your arse was on fire."
"A member of my crew was unconscious, Miranda!" Rip exclaimed, voice his eyes widened almost in disbelief. Of course he'd run to Clarity when she was lying unmoving on the ground. Wouldn't anyone? He knew Sara had, as well as Snart and Todd, the rest of the team having moved to help Ray a few feet away who couldn't move due to his suit having lost power. "She's been through hell the past few days. It's a miracle that she survived any of it. I wanted to make sure she was alright. You understand that, don't you?"
"Of course I do," Miranda replied on hand resting on her hip the other smoothing out her hair turning away.
"Then what's the problem?" Rip asked reaching out to gingerly hold her arms near her elbows turning her back around. "Miranda, where's all this coming from? I don't understand why you're so upset about some meaningless little trinket."
"It's not the bracelet, Rip!" Miranda replied, swatting his hands off of her. "It's her! Granted it took me a moment to realize it was her with the drastic eye color change but I figured it out. All these months I've been gone and your mystery girl has been right here with you hasn't she? Has she been here longer than six months? Is that why you've been ignoring my calls? Part of the reason why you even became a time master was to find her again and what you found her and then you didn't want to come home? Is this Jonah all over again? We have a son now you can't just-!"
"Miranda, what are you on about, love? Rip shook his head struggling to recall himself ever saying anything of the sort. "I just got you back. Why on earth would I leave? I only recruited Miss Springs to help save you and Jonas. She was only at the refuge with our younger selves because hiding them in plain sight from the time masters was the best course of action. They initiated the omega protocol."
"It broke your heart when you woke up that day and she was gone back to her time. You wouldn't talk to anyone for a whole month." Miranda stared at him and as Rip searched himself, truly thought about his wife's words, he did find that heart broken feeling still lingered. But that was merely because she'd been his first real friend hadn't it? He hadn't gotten to say goodbye. Of course he'd been upset.
"Miranda, that was ages ago. Look at this." Rip held the bracelet up to her eye level. "Really look at it. It isn't worn or aged in any way, I haven't had this a long time at all. It's not some keepsake I've been hiding in my desk drawer. It doesn't mean anything." Rip insisted lowering his arm.
"So you keep saying." Miranda told him, but it was clear she was still suspicious of the object.
"Do you know what else I haven't taken off yet?" Rip asked her, after a few seconds of silence fell between them, he pulled his matching gold wedding band out of his shirt that dangled on its gold chain. "This. You have been gone for months, Miranda, or maybe I have depending on one's perspective of time, but I haven't taken it off. Not once, not even for a second. I made a vow to you til death to us part, and we haven't parted. I have no intentions of that ever happening. Works always taken me away from you two...that's not going to happen anymore. Nothing is going to come between us ever again. I know I haven't been the best father to Jonas, or husband to you, but I love you, what'll it take to prove that to you again?"
"I want to start over." Miranda told him after a few moments of contemplation. "Settle down for real this time. No more time masters, no time traveling, no war that we have to be scared of, no more Savage, just pick a relatively peaceful time and make a life there. One where you don't have to be gone for months at a time and I won't have the need to-to wonder what on earth you could be doing every day."
"Done." Rip instantly agreed, why wouldn't he? Why did he have to pursue Savage further? He'd gotten his wife and son back. There was nothing more to avenge. Why should he waste time hating that monster when he could spend it loving his wife and son with all he had? Wasn't that truly the ultimate way to spite the immortal? With Carter Hall recovered, all of his team were alive and well. He didn't need to risk anyone again. So long as they didn't make another attempt on Savage the time masters would likely just turn their attention to more important matters that needed to be dealt with. Perdegaton seemed fully capable in fixing things in this era, best to leave him to it. "Would 2016 do? I think I'd like to be near the friends I've made. If that's alright with you."
"2016's perfect dear." Miranda finally smiled. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions that was wrong of me. I should've known better, but I couldn't help but think that since I was dead you might have moved on."
"Never." Rip denied instantly, horrified that Miranda would ever think such a thing. If he was being honest with himself moving on had never even crossed his mind. Why would he move on when he could just get her back? Miranda continuing on as if Rip hadn't said anything at all.
"I can't help but assume the worst all the time, and you already know how jealous I can be, but in spite of that I'm proud of you working with other people, making friends, even if they are pretty brunette's."
"Is she pretty?" Rip asked scratching behind his ear. "Sara's said so a few times, but I really haven't noticed."
"Sure you haven't." Miranda pulled him in for a kiss with a little roll of her eyes which Rip greedily accepted, bending slightly lower so it wasn't as much of a reach for her. "Now go give that back." She nodded to the bracelet after she'd pulled the way.
"I could...or we could do other-" Rip's gaze was suggestive, but Miranda put a finger to his lips to silence him. "I want that gone first." She pointed to the bracelet.
"Right, yeah right," Rip nodded stepping back. "I told you I was doing that didn't I? I'll go do that. That's exactly what I want to do right now. Nothing would bring me more pleasure than-"
"Just go." Miranda laughed shoving his shoulder, "I'll get us on route to 2016 and send word to mother to drop your friends younger selves back where they belong." Rip grinned back at her. God how much had he missed the sound of her laugh? "I'll take care of everything darling, no need to worry!" She called after him shaking her head to herself all of her worries washed away now that they actually had a moment to have a real honest to goodness talk.
Rip walking down the waveriders halls in a different direction to get to Clarity's room. The time master completely forgetting that he'd told the young Clarity he was going to be back to return her in a mere five minutes. The young child yet again left by someone who was supposed to care.
Though now Rip was quite focused on finding the adult version so he could return her good luck charm bracelet. He knocked on the door, his knuckles hitting the metal in quick succession, but unlike when someone usually knocked on the door, Claritys voice didn't chime back with any indication that she was coming to open it. In fact, Clarity didn't say anything at all.
"Clarity?" Rip asked after a moment leaning close to the door, listening for movement of any kind, some shuffling, the whir of a hairdryer, or the click of heeled shoes, something, but there wasn't any. "I have something I've been meaning to give back to you. Do you have a minute?"
Silence was all that greeted him.
"I promise it'll just take a second, nothing more." Rip tried again but still she gave no reply. Rip idly wondered if he was just speaking to an empty room. "Gideon? Is she in there? Is she awake?"
"She is, Captain." Gideon replied. "And she is indeed awake."
"I know you were insistent on me keeping it, but I think your good luck charm served it's purpose." Rip spoke again, flipping the bracelet on his wrist to get at the knotted string. "I don't believe I'll be needing it anymore so you can have it back now. I know Gideon made it for you, the young one..." Rip finally worked it loose. "...after what's been happening with your powers in this era... I thought you might like to have that luck again. Make no mistake, I'm not returning it," Rip recalled how much of a fuss her younger self made about how rude returning a gift was. "regifting is more like."
It wasn't like Clarity to ignore someone like this. Just when Rip was about to ask Gideon if she was alright in there, the doors slid open, just a crack, just wide enough for Clarity to turn her body sideways and slip through before it was shutting again, magnetizing behind her. Bits of the metal starting to melt and drip down from the top towards the floor along the seam. Holes burnt into the metal pieces threatening to tear off as small wisps of lightning ran across it.
"...Thanks..." She whispered, adjusting her dress skirt that had ridden up, and clung to the door, pulling it down. The sound of static crackling through the air as she pulled on the material to free it. Clarity gingerly taking the bracelet from him with her other hand. "And uh..." She held out her other hand in front of her, looping the bracelet around her wrist, eyes focused on her task. Clarity bit her lip as she tried to tie it with one hand, the delicate blue strings slipping out of her fingers each time she got close to pulling them. "...I'm sorry."
"You have done quite the number on my ship." Rip agreed as he looked around at the tears and charred marks littering the hallway.
"No, I mean yeah, I'm sorry about that too, but I'm sorry I lost control of my powers out there when we were facing that last leviathan. You all could've gotten hurt or even worse." Clarity's nose scrunched in frustration as the strings slid free of each other again. Why was doing things one handed so difficult? She debated using her powers having the static cling that she seemingly could not beat since getting dried after her shower hold it in place, but she didn't want to risk her lightning burning the bracelet. "And not to mention Savage got away..."
"That may be," Rip took the strings in hand. The two squiggly ends twirling and dancing together before they were knotted firmly. "But it's alright, everyone's still alive, even those thought to be lost forever because of Savage. Carter, Miranda, Jonas, even Perdegaton. To lose that monster instead is most fortunate." Rip finished off a neat little bow his thumbs smoothing the string down to perfection tucking the loops under the line so it wouldn't catch on anything. Clarity pulling her hand back away from him.
"I don't know, maybe..." Clarity undid Rip's work pulling the bow free from where the time master had tucked it as the two walked to the brig. Once they entered through the right door they saw that the entire team was already there. Ray, Jax and Martin sitting in the chairs on the far side of the console, Snart and Todd sitting in the one's that were in front of the study, Sara opting to sit on the floor on the side of Snart's chair.
Rip went walking over to Miranda, Jonas sitting on the stairs playing some sort of video Legend of Zelda videogame given to him by Ray. Rip ruffling his son's hair on his way to his wife greeting her with a peck on the lips.
Clarity chewed lightly on the inside of her mouth, fingers drumming a skittish beat against her skirt. Her abnormal blue eyes flicking around as she struggled to decide where to go sit. The console? No, what if her powers messed with the ships systems like it had with the coms? They could get stuck in the time stream, bad idea. Rip's desk? No, too close to Jonas, god forbid, she didn't want to feel another child die ever again and if that game exploded in his hands a whole slew of things could happen. Her comfy corner? Though it wasn't looking all that comfy at the moment what with the charred walls and burnt melty floor it still seemed safest, already damaged, away from everybody, just in case, just in case her powers lost control. They were out of 2166 now back in the time stream. Clarity could feel her powers calming down to normal, less wild, more manageable, but still after everything she's done, it wouldn't hurt to be careful. Play it safe til they got to wherever it was they were going. The waverider wasn't humming right, she could feel so many things wrong with the poor girl, the ship was probably on its last legs if Clarity had to guess and the team didn't need her having anymore accidents. She'd already done enough.
"Well don't you just look all put together again." Sara smiled at Clarity startling her from her thoughts. "I like your dress, silk trim?" The Assassin gestured to the blue glossy hem of her dress.
"Hm? Oh! Thanks..." Clarity smiled brightly, the lights in the room all shining brighter at once, a few of the broken light fixtures sparking. Jonas looked up from his game in alarm as he noticed the change, were they about to get attacked? Would he have to run again? He looked back at his parents, both of whom didn't look panicked, or anything of the sort, and the other adults didn't seem worried about it, so he went back to his game.
"It's satin actually," Clarity corrected Sara grabbing the sides of the skirt looking down at it twirling a few times so she was closer to the Assassin the fabric clutched between her fingers. "You can feel if you want to." With Clarity's permission Sara reached out, deft fingers gliding over the curved portion of the hem, fingertips resting on Claritys leg for a fraction of a second before her hand drew back into her lap.
"Wait but aren't those like the same thing?" Jax wondered.
"Jefferson, silk and satin are most certainly not the same. Silk is organic matter produced by silk worms where as satin is a material woven by-"
"Who cares?" Snart spoke up bored by all the fashion talk. "They look the same."
"Snart's right and you know they're both all shiny." Jax agreed.
"Basically, it comes down to one being found naturally and the other man-made." Ray explained. "One's also cheaper I think."
"Back in our first life you bought me the most exquisite silk dress, your father almost killed you for how many rubies you wasted on it, do you remember?" Kendra asked Carter, who was no longer brainwashed, her and Carters love strong enough to break through Savage's mind control with ease.
"How could I forget?" Carter asked her. "You only wear one just like it every life time we get married."
Sara shifted on the floor sliding more towards Snart's leg to make room beside her. She held out a hand to Clarity, angling her head towards the spot beside her in silent askance. Clarity's eyes momentarily flicked back over to her comfy corner and then back to Sara. The blonde smiling up at her not a single bit of fear in her eyes, a confidence in herself that Clarity could only dream of having one day. She shouldn't, Clarity told herself, it was dangerous, like Tyler grew so fond of reminding her towards the end of their relationship, she was dangerous, and yet she took the assassins hand, sliding down to sit beside the blonde, legs crossing at her ankles as they stretched out in front of her.
"Thanks..." Clarity blushed lightning gathering in her cheeks, her hands sliding on her dress making sure it wasn't clinging to anything. In doing so she recalled something completely amazing. "But the satins not even the best part of it. Look! See?" She took Sara's right hand and slid it into one of the dual fabric pouches. "It's got pockets! I can fit my phone inside of it."
"This phone?" Sara asked, raising a brow at Clarity, pulling out a charred piece of circuitry with her index and pointed finger tossing it up in the air and catching it.
"That's a phone?" Todd wondered. He'd been told phones were smaller, cordless, and handheld, but he hadn't thought they were that small.
"Well, it was before I accidentally blew it up." Clarity put the piece back with the rest of her broken pieces. "But as soon as I get a new one these pockets'll be ready."
"Too bad they didn't have dress pockets back in the 40's." Todd laughed. "Courtney would have killed for those."
"Oh, I know." Clarity laughed covering her mouth as she thought about it.
"They barely have them in 2016." Kendra shook her head. "Even the jeans that do have them I can barely fit my hand in. 206 lives and I haven't had decent pockets. Maybe it'll be better a few reincarnations from now."
"Don't get your hopes up." Miranda said, bearing grave news for Kendra. "The future isn't as advanced as you all believe it to be. Technology advances yes, but clothing stays the same. I'm afraid that includes a lack of pockets."
Mick slipped past Miranda and Rip, no one noticing or paying the arsonist any mind, all too invested in talking about pockets, and people think he's the stupid one? Mick couldn't care less about any of that, but he wanted a drink, and a good one, so he stole one of Rips best bottles of hooch right behind the Englishman's back.
"Mission... almost accomplished." Mick announced as he passed by Rip. Taking a swig of the priceless bottle of scotch he'd just opened. A mystery whether Rory was talking about his procured bottle that had yet to be emptied or the mission itself, but nevertheless the arsonist's comment had succeeded in shifting the topic of discussion.
"That bottle of Scotch was given to me by Rob Roy MacGregor in 1689." Rip frowned as he pointed to the bottle the arsonist was drinking out of with two fingers.
"It's not half bad." Rory remarked in reply, maybe it was even better because it was stolen.
"We should be toasting to Savage's death." Sara pointed out, Mick passing Sara the bottle. Sara offered the bottle to Clarity, but she was hesitant to touch it. Still scared that her powers were going to do something crazy after her big leviathan accident. Luckily for Clarity, Sara seemed to realize this and hooked two fingers under Claritys chin tilting her head slightly back pouring some into the glitch's mouth with practiced ease that only an ex-party girl could manage. Sara taking a sip herself before passing it in Snart's direction.
"Apart from celebrating murder," Martin spoke up. "Savage has all but vanished. "
"I wonder who's fault that is." Kendra looked sharply at Clarity. Clarity's smile faltered falling at Kendra's comment. She was right, it was her fault.
"Seems like its yours." Sara replied, "If you hadn't hesitated he'd be dead right now."
"Perhaps then was not the best time to kill Savage. With Carter in the state he'd been in it was a most difficult choice." Martin said, grabbing the bottle from Todd so Jax got skipped.
"Gray, Cmon man." Jax complained as the bottle was passed on to Ray who looked at Jax apologetically. But not so apologetically that he wasn't about to drink some before Mick stole it back.
"I don't know if you've been paying attention, Professor, but murdering Savage was always the plan." Snart eyed him with a cold stare.
"Besides, Carter reincarnates, which is more than I can say about us." Mick agreed with his partner.
"As long as he's alive and breathing, Savage is a threat to everyone on this ship." Snart made a circular motion with his finger.
"So what, was I supposed to do just kill Savage and leave Carter a brainless drone?" Kendra asked looking at everyone almost in betrayal. Could they not see that it was Clarity's fault? That her powers had costed them an absolute victory. She had been about to kill him before Clarity brought the leviathan down with that out of control electrical surge.
"Yes." Mick said as Snart pointed with a nod of his head.
"We've arrived at our destination, Captain Hunter." Gideon informed as the waverider touched down.
"Excellent." Rip dashed forwards toward the console stealing his scotch back from Rory, taking a sip passing it to his wife. "Cheers love."
"Where is here?" Todd asked. "No one ever said where we were going?"
"Uh, somewhere quite familiar to almost everyone." Rip replied. "Just not to you Mr. Rice."
"Rip? W-what are you doing?" Clarity asked as she felt the Waverider power down. All of the lights going dark, the engines stopped whirring and all the electricity stopped circulating.
"Shutting down the waveriders systems save for external cloaking and offloading Gideon into her handheld case." Rip replied pulling out circular disk that he put in his coat pocket.
"C'mon, Jonas we're going." Miranda lifted her son up into her arms. "No time to dally, off we go everyone." Miranda ordered the crew all exchanging confused looks. As soon as Everyone was off the ship Rip locked the ship up tight.
"This is 2016." Carter realized after a minute.
"We're home?" Clarity looked to Rip in confusion. "But Savage isn't in this time anymore. He was already defeated."
"Precisely, Miss Springs." Rip nodded his head taking Jonas from Miranda.
"What are we doing back here?" Mick demanded.
"Savage's trail is colder than its ever been, and we have no real way of tracking him courtesy of the Time Masters refusal to help with this mission. The timeline is unclear, due to the damages that the Waverider has suffered, meaning-"
"Savage is lost to history." Martin interjected.
"Which is why I brought you all home." Rip told them.
"Mission's not over, man." Jax shook his head.
"Jax is right. We've lost Savage before. We'll find him again." Ray protested.
"And then what? The waverider is crippled beyond repair thanks to the handiwork of Miss Springs powers and Savage's Leviathans. This was never a mission simply to murder Vandal Savage, but to save my wife and son, which we've done. Perdegaton will sort things out in 2166. Without Savage in power in that year I assure all of you that your future cities are safe and the destruction I first showed you all will not come to pass. So you see there is no need to continue this mission any further."
"So, Carter and I are supposed to just reincarnate again and have Savage kill us for all eternity?" Kendra demanded.
"You have this life free of him, Miss Saunders." Rip replied. "Be thankful of that."
"So that's it? We're... we're just giving up?" Ray asked.
"What about all the other people Savage is going to hurt in his next life?" Clarity asked. "There's still plenty reason to keep going."
"You want to go further into the future with the nature of your abilities Miss Springs?" Rip demanded, Clarity opened her mouth to say something only to promptly shut it crossing her arms over her chest looking down at her feet like that of a scolded child.
"Miranda's already sent word to the refuge to retrieve your younger selves and return them to the timeline." Rip told the group. "It will be as if you never left."
"What, you think that we can just return to our old lives," Sara looked around at everyone, "and then pretend like none of this ever happened?"
"Mm, that might be a tad difficult." Rip admitted his grip tightening on his son.
"What do you mean?" Carter asked him.
"I had to bring you back to May 2016," Rip told them wincing slightly. Thankful he was holding Jonas, because surely no one would punch him if he was holding his child. "not January 2016."
"Great, so what you're saying is for the last five months, my mom probably thinks that I'm dead." Jax told him. "Thanks a lot, man."
"5-5 months..." Clarity stuttered out, her eyes wide in complete horror as she paled. A million thoughts running through her head at once. Did she still have a job at Mercury labs? An apartment to go home to? She was supposed to renew her lease in February. Her father must be worried sick, she usually called back home every week, what was she going to say to him? Sorry, Dad, I've been time traveling for six months and got stranded in the forties for two years, I hope you understand. Was her mother still in her coma or was her father forced to pull the plug because she wasn't here to help with the expenses? Had she missed her chance to say goodbye? How was her team doing? Cisco, Barry, Caitlin, hell she even wondered about Harry. It wasn't his fault he had a rapists face or rather that a rapist speedster stole his face. Did he find his daughter? How was Felicity and Oliver doing? There were so many frantic questions that needed answering and Clarity didn't even know where to start.
"Okay, wait, why? Why the change of plans, Rip?" Sara demanded, it didn't exactly matter for her. She was proclaimed dead, didn't have much of a life, but for Clarity, Jax and the other living people 5 months was a long time.
"If you're getting back on that ship, we get back on that ship." Mick poked Rip in the shoulder.
"In truth, I'm not going back on it." Rip replied, "Long ago I gave up being with my family to travel through time, now I'm giving up time travel to be with my family. I'm sorry for all that I've asked of you, but rest assured that it all did not come to nothing. My family was returned to me and for that I am eternally grateful. I wish you all well." Rip told them walking off in the direction of the city with Miranda by his side and his son in his arms.
"I never liked that guy." Mick glared at Rip's back. "And the wife's a bossy bitch."
"Let's go enjoy this life together, Kendra." Carter grabbed his soulmates hand.
"Okay." She agreed with a small nod. "Bye everyone." With that the two flapped off into the sky. Mick got a sudden craving for big belly burgers crispy chicken tenders.
"Gray, I gotta go so see my mom and explain everything to her." Jax held out his hand. "I know Clarissa's probably waitin' but-"
"No, no, my dear boy I understand. This isn't the first time something like this has happened with me." Martin grabbed Jax's hand and the two merged into Firestorm. "Perhaps we pick up Clarissa and bring her to your mothers. My wife may be able to help smooth things over."
"Uh, Todd, I'm sorry I really have to-" Clarity looked at her forties friend completely frazzled, still having no idea what to do first. Find a phone that she won't overload with how worked up she was probably. Which meant she had to go to Star Labs or find Cisco so he could engineer her a new one that could withstand her powers. But Todd was new to this time period. Could she really just leave him to fend for himself? He'd probably be fine, JSA training and all, but still it didn't feel right just ditching him.
"Don't worry, Glitch. You've got things to take care of." Snart slung am arm across the forties meta's shoulder's. "Mick and I will show him the sights. Bout time I introduced him to Lisa. Say hi to the Flash for me, I'll be in touch." Snart promised. "Let's go, Mick."
Mick grunted, "First stop big belly burger."
"I haven't had big belly burger in forever. Can I come?" Ray asked.
"Sure doe eyes." Todd nodded at Ray gesturing for him to come along.
"-but you're paying." Snart decided the four men all walking off in the direction of the nearest big belly burger.
"Guess, I'm heading back home to Star by myself then." Sara shoved her hands into her pockets. "Unless you want to come with me?" Sara asked Clarity, "Felicity's probably worried sick about you."
"Uh, yeah she probably is, so many people probably are." Clarity shook her head, she had to focus, she had to make sure she still had a job, and a place to live and most importantly that her family was alright. "Sorry Sara, I'd love to come with you, but I've got a lot of things I have to take care of in Central that really can't wait. But once I've got everything sorted out I'll be sure to glitch right over to Star City."
"That a promise?" Sara asked stepping closer to her.
"A pinky promise," Clarity vowed taking one of Sara's hands hooking their pinky fingers together stepping even closer. "The most sacred promise of all even more so than a blood oath or pledging to serve Ra's Al Ghul."
The two women laughing just a bit at what Clarity had said. The laughter they shared helping to ease all the nerves that Clarity had bouncing around inside of her. Even if it was just a little bit. The two smiling at each other once their laughter died down, gazing into each other's blue eyes.
"Alright well," Sara pulled back away from Clarity, their fingers unraveling. "You stay safe."
"Oh uh right." Clarity cleated her thought brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear eyes flicking down to her shoes then up at Sara again. "You too, Sara." Clarity waved at her waggling her fingers a few sparks flying before she glitched away to Star Labs heading straight down to Cisco and Harry's shared workshop. The nerves Clarity'd felt before quadrupled now that her distraction was gone. Thankfully for Clarity, Cisco was there working on some drone like device that had a projector on it. She knocked lightly on the door frame lightning bolts buzzing on the metal.
"Cisco? Hey, uh, I'm back...sorry, I know being late's more Barry's thing but everything got pretty crazy towards the end there and it was out of my control." The tool fell right out of Cisco's hand as his head turned towards the door eyes wide in surprise. A grin stretching out across his face as he sprung out of his chair the wheely seat rolling over to Harry's side of the room. Cisco laughed scooping her up into a spinning hug, twirling Clarity around the glitch's legs bending, her feet off the ground. . "There's my Glitch! Girl, you've been gone forever. Where have you been?"
"Time traveling," Clarity answered with a laugh of her own pulling back from the hug as she was set down. "Did Felicity tell you I went time traveling? I swore I told Felicity to tell you all."
"No, no she did." Cisco assured her. "Barry and I weren't sure if you were ever coming back and you left the mask to your new suit behind."
"Oh..there was supposed to be a mask?" Clarity asked sheepishly.
"Yes, there was supposed to be a mask what do you take me for an amateur? You want your face plastered all over the history books?"
"No, no of course not." Clarity shook her head hurriedly, little did he know it kind of already was in JSA records. "Uh, hey you wouldn't mind making me a new phone would you? Mine lasted the entire trip but I blew it up a little while ago." Clarity emptied her pockets dumping out all the pieces onto Cisco's desk.
"Yeah, nope thats not gonna happen. I've got to get this drone baby fixed." Cisco swiped all the pieces into the trash. "But..I have been working on a new prototype for you. Just have to find it...I swear Harry's been messing with my things..." Cisco muttered shaking his head as he looked around.
"Okay, thanks, and uh sorry for just dropping in. I totally get your probably super busy doing all your engineer stuff it's just that I really need to call my dad. Find out if my mom finally..." Clarity trailed off shaking her head, her heels clicking on the floor as she paced around the room. "I'd ask to use your phone but if it's bad news I don't want to break it." Clarity ran her fingers through her hair, the appendages shaking, small lightning bolts gliding across her hand, stopping at her wrist. "And I have to find out if I still have my job at Mercury labs... not to mention who knows if I even still have my apartment or what happened to all my furniture, my clothes and everything else. I was supposed to renew my lease 4 months ago. Rip said we were gone five months but was he counting January? I think he was cause then that's February, March, April, May, that's only four so maybe that's not as bad as I've been thinking as long as I don't count the month we left or maybe it's even three since it's May and I'm back, but- Oh my god I missed my birthday! February 20th was months ago. I've never missed my own birthday! I didn't even think that was a thing that could happen! My Dad had to have tried to call me. Did he send me my birthday flowers and then they get sent back cause I wasn't there to sign for them? Or did he try to surprise me with a birthday visit like he's been saying he always wanted to and see that I wasn't there? Why did I never fix my phone so it worked on the waverider? I had the time, Gideon could have helped me figure it out." Clarity clutched at her hair. "I'm a horrible daughter, and friend, oh no! I never said goodbye to Gideon! How could I not say goodbye to Gideon? I-I didn't even think of of it, I couldn't believe Rip was shutting everything down and brought us back home it slipped my mind, and I didn't even tell Sara to tell Felicity I was okay because I was too busy thinking about everything I had to do and then I just got so lost in her eyes cause they were so pretty, not that Sara's eyes aren't always pretty, I mean she's Sara, if only my eyes turned that blue instead of this abnormal color Ugh, And you know I never thought I'd be away for so long, I never planned for any of this to happen and..and..."
"Hey, hey take a breath. I usually only have to tell Barry this but slow down. Your freaking out. Calm down." Cisco pulled out a small black box from the bottom of his workbench turning to face her placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. "5 months is still less than Barry's nine month coma. I checked in with Felicity yesterday. Your moms condition hasn't changed, and Felicity's been calling your dad every week with a voice modulator so it sounds like she's you. He has no idea you were even gone and Cait pressed your birthday flowers in some book so you'd have them. Barry decided to liquidate some of Star Labs stocks to pay your bills, your moms hospital ones too, and uh Cait told Tina about your mom and she bought that you were going home to help out so you do still have a job there if you want it."
"You guys did all that for me?" Clarity asked completely stunned by what her friends had done for her. Tears starting to gather in her eyes as relief washed through her.
"Of course we did." Cisco replied opening up the black case pulling out a tricked out iPhone, strapping on the sparkly blue phone case hand crafted to withstand her powers, passing it to the glitch. "We're your friends, Clarity. It's what we do."
"Cisco get down!" Clarity tackled Cisco to the floor just in time as a green lightning blast charred the wall where his head had just been. Clarity sensing an electrical energy unlike anything she'd ever felt before that materialized out of nowhere, but then again she'd never been able to feel herself before this moment.
Both of them looked up from the floor to see a Clarity dopple ganger in the doorway. She wore a metallic green crop top with a cropped silver leather jacket metal studs and spikes littering the jackets shoulder. Her green lighting bolt belly button ring on full display. A spiked choker with a dangling heart chained around her neck. Her black shorts with rips at the sides had two rows of three spikes just under the center button. Her silver and black leather heels having just as many metal spikes as the rest of her outfit. Her hairs was far darker than earth-1 Clarity's chestnut brown, wispy green highlights scattered evenly thought her hair. Eyes a menacing green, lipstick a sinister red.
"Is that...another me?" Clarity asked mouth dropped open as she stared at her dopple ganger who was showing off more skin than she would ever dare to in a million years.
"Oh honey, I'm nothing like you!" The earth-2 Clarity flicked her left wrist and a stream of green lightning shot out of her hands. The end of the stream forming an electrical ball of energy that spiked out at the ends. "I'm better."
Her whip with the spiked end tore through the workshop as she flicked it around green sparks raining to the floor.
"Oh man that is cool! Can you do that?" Cisco wondered just as Clarity glitched the two of them behind a pillar.
"I don't know I've never tried." Clarity replied as she patted out sparks that threatened to set her dress on fire. Her new phone safe in her dress pocket.
"Wait hang on since when can you Glitch more than one person?" Cisco asked.
"Uh..." Clarity peaked out only to jump back behind the pillar as green magnetized metal flew at the empty air embedding themselves in the wall. "A while...why is not me trying to kill us? Not me! Could you pretty please stop trying to kill us? I literally just escaped certain death a little while ago."
"My name is Virus!" Her whip crackled against the floor and Cisco cried out in pain as it latched onto his wrist. Clarity gasped resting her hand on Cisco's shoulder she glitched him and pulled the lightning free shoving it back with a burst of her own blue lightning. "Come out coward, she can't protect you forever."
"What do you think that says about you?" Cisco called. "You couldn't save reverb could you and-shit!" Cisco hissed as green lightning almost set his hair on fire.
"Cisco! Don't piss her off," Clarity frowned using her phone screen like a mirror to get a better view of where she was.
"She was pissed when she showed up. What do you want me to do build a happy ray?" Cisco replied. "Maybe she's just pissy because she's cold. Your not wearing many layers there, might look sexy but you've got no protection."
"My husband is dead because of you! I'll delete you where you stand." Virus raged, green lightning dancing along her skin all the lights flickering. "Unlike the quivering woman beside you I am one of the most powerful meta's on the globe."
"What? Husband who? Tyler?" Clarity asked wondering if Tyler and her had gotten together on earth-2.
"No, reverb, the other me got reverse flashed by zoom." Cisco explained. "And apparently we were a thing, I thought he were just dating but apparently we tied the knot."
"Weird..." Clarity frowned down at Cisco her nose scrunching.
"I know right? Like you know I don't like you that way." Cisco told her just as Virus glitched beside him and punched him sending Cisco flying into a wall knocking him out.
"Cisco..." Clarity gasped glitching to his side. How had she done that? Virus must have crazy strength but was that another earth thing or a her thing? But if it was a her thing how did she do it? Could she do it to? Clarity didn't have time to dwell because her dopple was already on top of her holding her down.
"I originally came here to kill him, but thinking it through, if I kill you first I can put him through the same pain I've been going through. That's much more satisfying." Virus gathered lightning in a spiked bolt, and jammed it into the ground cracking the floor as she missed Claritys head by a centimeter.
Clarity glitched down to the pipeline, the two woman falling through the floor. Before her dopple knew what hit her Clarity glitched her inside a cell locking the door turning the dampers on. But as soon as she turned around a blinding flash greeted her and knocked her out. Vandal Savage chuckled, staring down at her limp form. "Hello again, Clarity." Vandal turned to the time master soldiers on either side. "Take her to the vanishing point. This woman must pay for her crimes." After Clarity has saved Miranda and Jonas interfering with his sanctioned mission from the time masters Savage went back to ask for their assistance in capturing the criminals.
"Sir!" A soldier saluted, and then they were onto the next target.
When Martin opened the door to his house, Jefferson having dropped him off after the two argued over who needed to see them more. The professor expected to see his wife, however instead he was met with time master soldiers having taken over his home. Clarissa knocked out on the couch, uninjured, just memory flashed. A special black light shone on him, Martin immediately started feeling the signs of needing to merge or he'd perish. They were trying to have him call Jefferson back. Get the both of them for the price of one, but Martin Stein was not about to let his other half fall victim to whatever this was. Jax felt pain and shock course through Martin through their bond. He knew something was wrong, but with those feelings he got the overwhelming urge to sprint away his sports injury be damned, and that's exactly what Jax did. Heading towards the waverider. If the team was under attack that's where people would go. As for the hawks they were both caught in a jumpship tractor beam while flying in the sky together. Neither had seen it coming.
"You remember Alexa?" Snart asked Mick, as the arsonist, Todd, and himself ate at Big Belly Burger together.
"Yeah. From the security deposit job." Mick nodded the weight of his concealed heat gun heavy in his jacket. The Arsonist digging into his chicken tender. "What about it?"
"Don't you mean what about her?" Todd asked.
"That skanks not worth talking about." Mick threw down a bone into the basket.
"Whoa Mick I don't think you should be calling a woman that name." Ray frowned. "It's pretty harsh."
Mick shrugged, "Suits her, what about the job?"
"Just had a feeling about that one, a sixth sense things would end badly." Snart replied. Fingers tapping on the table.
"And they would have, if you hadn't have pulled us out of there." Mick replied. "So what?"
"I'm getting the same feeling now." Snart revealed.
"Hang on is that Rip?" Ray asked pointing out the diner window.
"They're being tailed." Todd was up out of his seat before Leonard could stop him. Ray practically nipping at his heels throwing a wad of cash hurriedly on the table to tip the waitress.
"Damn...we have to save the heroes?" Mick threw down a fry picking up the money pocketing it for himself.
"I'm afraid so." Leonard sighed. With that said the two got up from their booth walking out the door.
"Rip, 4 o'clock across the street. Do you see them?" Miranda asked eyes firmly fixed forwards taking Jonas from him. Rip turned his head pretending to kiss the side of his wife's head and he saw exactly what she was talking about.
"I do," Rip replied, within minutes they were being jumped and flashed by other time masters.
"Damn." Mick complained again, as Todd hit the ground a meta dampener getting slapped onto his ankle. "Ah, whatever you're here for, you're too late. We don't have it teams disbanded."
"Mick, what's going on?" Ray coughed up blood as he was forced to the ground his original assumption that they guys were just a bunch of muggers thrown out the window. "Who are these guys?"
"What haven't put it together? Time pigs, Haircut."Mick replied as his gun was taken from him. "They don't know when enoughs enough."
"You're under arrest." A particularly brave time master said. "Freeze!"
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Snart replied.
"Oh." Mick grinned as he saw Snart slip into a nearby alley to make a tactical retreat. Icing it up so they couldn't follow. His partner would break him out, Mick was sure. "If I had a nickel for every time I heard that."
Jonas looked at his fallen parents in fear crouching behind the dumpster where his mother had hidden him moments before the fighting had broken out. He didn't want to leave, but he knew the rules, if the soldiers ever had them he was to run as fast as he could away from there to the waverider and that wouldn't change just because they were in a new time. Gideon rolled right out of Rip's coat landing in a puddle as the ex time master was dragged towards a jumpship. The small child scooping her up into his hands stuffing her in his coat in an effort to keep her warm running off escaping capture.
Snart, Jonas, and Jax arrived to the ship almost all at the same time. The thief carrying Rip's kid almost the whole way there. The three of them boarding the ship to find Sara with an instruction manual in her lap, eyes red and puffy from tears as she tried to hot wire the ship.
"Sara? What are you doing?" Jax asked.
"I'm trying to start this damn thing. I have to time travel, I need to go back to January." Sara replied. "Rip won't take me I'm going myself."
"Did you hear that?" Snart asked his head angling sharply as a sound echoed around. Someone having just opened the cargo doors. The sound of shuffling boots echoing around.
"Don't try to distract me." Sara glared at him as she returned to her task of trying to Hotwire the ship.
"We need to find somewhere to hide." Snart told her turning his attention to the other two. "Jax you and the kid too."
"Why do we need to find somewhere to hide?" Sara asked in confusion. "The only one of them who hadn't gotten attacked my the time masters."
"Alexa." Snart replied.
-At the vanishing point-
When Rip came to he saw that he was in a cell, not just any cell, one of the cells at the vanishing point. He looked around for his wife and son, but of course they weren't there. However, he wasn't alone. Ray stood in the cell beside him, Mick in the one even further out, Martin was sat in a cell on his other side looking weakly and sick, and Kendra was in a cell beside him. Should Rip be relieved more weren't also there? Or worried that they were not?
"Druce's men have taken your ship." Savage's voice echoed out from the shadows as he walked out in dramatic villain fashion. Back in the year 2016 Jonas was now hidden in his fathers secret cereal stash cabinet, Gideon safe in his shaking hands. Sara and Snart hidden in the secret place under the floor. Jax safely hidden under the waveriders engines cause no one was gonna look down there. The waverider lifted by other timeships hover beams to be brought to the vanishing point. It was a perfectly good time ship and the time masters weren't ones to waste resources. "Your friends are under arrest. And you are once again my prisoner." Savage grinned. "This time, I don't plan to lose you. Oh, and yes, I do remember the guard very well. He died. Now, if you would excuse me, I'd better be getting back to my plans. I've been waiting so very long to meet your family without any glitches in the way. Wouldn't miss it for the world."
"No! No! No!" Rip yelled at the top of his lungs banging on the cells forcefield with all his might, but there was nothing he could do. They were imprisoned by the time masters and Vandal Savage was free to do as he pleased.
Phew! And that's another chapter done! If you guys were curious this is the longest Glitch chapter in the entire book so far at 9,720 words and you just read all of it! That's awesome! I probably don't say this enough, but you are all truly amazing people. You take time out of your day to sit down and read this story, vote, comment and all that good stuff. I just feel like there's something truly incredible about that. In just 2-3 more chapters Glitch will be finally be completed! Isn't that exciting? I know I'm excited to be moving on to book 2. Anyways, no Glitch chapter would be complete without questions! So answer away! The next chapter will be out very soon!
did you think of this chapter? How'd it make you feel? Was there anything you liked or hated? Be honest.
2. Any thoughts on Claritys earth 2 dopple?
3. I know we're nearing the end of book 1 but I've really got to ask peoples. Why do you ship your ship, explain why you'd love them to be together, but more importantly and here's the key: Tell me why I should ship your ship.
4. What did you think of Clarity herself this chapter?
5. What do you think would happen if the legends had a team slumber party?
6. Do you think Claritys a badass? Why or why not?
7. If I wrote an original fantasy story would you read it?
8. Would you like me to post the last chapter of book 1 and first chapter of book 2 on the same day?
9. Do you feel like I'm asking you all too many questions? Yes or no? If so what number of questions would you prefer answering?
10. How long did it take you to read this chapter?
11. What do you think Claritys greatest quality is?
12. Who do you think should destroy the oculus? Snart? Or someone else?
13. Anything else you'd like to ask, rant or tell me!