Greenworld/Earth 1, Star City
''This is quite restrained for her'' Nate said, after he'd read Jayne Bryant's article 'What's Happening on Mars?' ''She's doesn't actually say that it's aliens.''
''But that's the implication'' Ava Sharpe retorted. ''You can imagine what the reactions are on social media.''
She was still feeling irritated at Director Michaels' decision to send her here to find out which of the fugitive Legends had gone to Mars, in view of the contents of the said article. It hadn't helped that, as soon as she arrived, Ray Palmer had lambasted her over Nora's deportation to Earth 266.
''That wasn't my doing'' she'd protested. It actually offended her sense of due process and justice.
Nate could imagine the reactions, all too well. He looked again at the article - those grainy images could have been taken in a wide variety of places on Earth just as well as on Mars. But the intercepted transmission from Martin Stein was a different matter. Bryant had done her homework on that and had his voice identified.
Bottom line - who was the eminent scientist trying to talk to? What were they doing there?
X
When Ava breached back with the news that the Mars team consisted of Rory and Hervey, as well as the more acceptable Stein, Karras and Jackson, Lyla closed her eyes for a moment. She already knew that the Pentagon's line was 'Professor Stein does not speak on our behalf.' Mars currently being in a favourable position with regard to Earth, a message had already been sent to that effect, but the solar orbits of the two planets would inevitably make communications between the two sporadic.
Then a FOR YOUR EYES ONLY type message arrived on her desk. The Pentagon was seeking to buy a piece of property from the Kaznian Government - namely a flying vessel currently in the ownership of one Vandal Savage. Since the individual concerned was apparently on Mars at the present time, willingly or otherwise, A.R.G.U.S. was ordered to secure Michel (Rip) Hunter, who was believed to have the ability to operate the vessel. All very well, except that Hunter was currently tucked away on Greenworld.
''I'll go'' John had offered, but she felt that this was something he needed to take on herself.
X
'Rip heard her out, then turned and walked down to the edge of the high tide line. Lyla stayed where she was, letting him have the time he needed to think things over. He'd just got out of one kind of custody, now she was asking him to voluntarily accept another.
She looked around - this was the first time she'd been on Greenworld, and she was more than a little impressed by what she saw. It was wild and natural and savage and beautiful all at once.
Eventually, Rip turned back towards her and walked slowly back up the beach.
''Alright, I'll do it'' if he was on Mars, he might be able to play some part in maintaining peace between the two planets. ''But there's something I want you to do in return.''
X
''Grace is settling in well'' Nora told Ray, when she got back from visiting the girl that she'd rescued on Earth 266.
Joe had put her in touch with Terry, who'd found a family willing to take on a semi-feral child. The ex-scavengers were probably the people best able to understand her and help her adjust to a different way of life.
''And you?'' he asked.
He was still concerned about her, following her enforced deportation to that nightmare world. It had been nice but was beginning to get a bit wearing.
''I'm fine'' she said ''But I could do with a long cool drink about now.''
''I'll get it'' he eased up from the seat next to her and headed off towards the subterranean cave that served as a cold store.
X
Sara was sitting on a rock, staring out to sea. She wasn't happy. Over the last few days, she had felt Leonard gradually drawing away from her. It had started just after he'd Saffron. That he had spent a lot of time talking to his daughter didn't bother her. But she was afraid that this change had something to do with how he felt about Dinah Drake.
Earlier this morning, she'd snapped at Leonard - over some trivial thing. He must have known what was really bothering her, but all he'd done was mouth a brief ''Sorry''.
Was the knowledge that they had a child bringing back his feelings for Dinah? Was he going to leave her?
X
He wanted so much to be able to tell her. I'm healed, I can work at full strength without the nanobots - in fact he'd been replacing the hypo contents with water. I'm going to do only what needs to be done and then I'm going to give up my power for ever. Sara should have been the natural ally for that, the one who activated the implant the Flash team had put in his head.
But after what had happened on Lien Yu, in Star City, she wouldn't have been able to accept his decision. Perhaps she never would.