DC || Flash || DC || Flash || DC || Flash || Rogue City || Flash || DC || Flash || DC || Flash || DC
Title: The Flash: Rogue City
Fandom: DC Comics / Arrowverse
Disclaimer: All rights concerning the Arrowverse reserved to Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim, all rights for the comics reserved to DC. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Tags: polyamory (m/m/m), found family, hurt/comfort, m/f
Main Pairing: ColdWaveFlash
Side Pairings: Cisco/Lisa, Eddie/Iris, Wally/Jesse
DC Characters: Bartholomew 'Barry' Allen, Mick Rory, Leonard Snart, Lisa Snart, Laurel Lance, Shawna Baez, Mark Mardon, Killer Frost, Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, Wallace 'Wally' West, Joe West, Iris West, Eddie Thawne, Jesse Chambers Wells, Harrison Wells
Summary: This is the story of the Snarts. How they fell in love with two heroes and how they formed the Rogues.
The Flash
Rogue City
Central City was world-famous for its heroes, one of the first groups of superheroes the world had ever seen – the Flash, Johnny Quick and Liberty Belle. When the Snart siblings grew up, Leonard would read the Flash comics to his little sister, to distract her from their father. There was something fantastical about these people with superpowers. The thought that there were heroes out there, saving the innocent. For years, Leonard Snart clung onto that, hoped a hero in a colorful costume would swoop in and save him and little Lisa from their abusive father.
No hero ever came and Leonard realized these were just silly little stories.
He became his own hero, by becoming a villain. Or rather, he started out with simple thefts. Enough to keep himself and his sister afloat. They slowly started to escalate and Leonard started to grow much more daring. He realized he had a talent for it, a mind to make up crimes.
He also realized that his family was his choice. He could turn his back on Lewis Snart and form his own family, with people he could actually rely on. People who were like him. Outcasts, misfits, criminals. Or, as they soon became known as, the Rogues.
/2010\
The Flash returned in 2008, or rather, the Flash's successor. Looking at the pictures in the newspapers, it was clear this was just a kid. A kid with superspeed, Leonard would grant him that, but still just a kid. Uninteresting for him at the time, because Leonard was busying himself outside of Central City at the time. Only when he returned to the city in 2010 did the Flash become, well, his problem, one could say. He was fast, being a speedster and all, but when he stopped to quip – which he did a lot – Leonard got a good look at him. And he had to say, that new Flash was a looker. These skin-tight suits really didn't hide much.
The Flash cut into his well-planned robbery and though Leonard escaped, he counted it as a loss.
"Interesting," hummed Leonard, a scheming look on his face.
"What is, Lenny?" asked his little sister curiously.
She sat on the kitchen counter, chewing gum (much louder than necessary). Though being an adult herself for a couple years now, she still felt like his responsibility. And beyond that, she was his only family. At least his only blood family. Leonard turned toward her with a smirk, motioning at the suitcase in front of him. He'd liberated a Cold Gun a while ago, but only now did it prove to be really useful. It was cold enough to even slow down a speedster.
"Never mashed with a hero before. This could be fun. But I might need some backup."
The Cold Gun was part of a set and so far, he hadn't had use for the other one. It wasn't Lisa's style so she hadn't wanted it. But someone else came to Leonard's mind. A hot-head he'd worked with before. While the hot-headed passion had led to some fun between the sheets, they had been too different to work together. It hadn't been much of a loss, in Leonard's opinion – though him and Mick had had a lot of fun. Maybe he could kill two birds with one stone there...
/break\
"We didn't work all that well together last time, Snart."
Mick Rory was big, growly. Easily intimidating. Leonard found it thrilling. He pushed the suitcase toward Mick like a peace offering. The man still looked at him warily.
"Last time, I was too focused on my end of the game," conceded Leonard. "But there's a new player in town, Mick. A speedster. And I think, just maybe, we need ice and fire to fight that one."
"I haven't changed since then," warned Mick, though he reached for the gun.
"That's what I'm banking on," Leonard offered a charming smile. "If my planning doesn't work on the little speedster, perhaps your more... forceful nature will do the trick."
Mick grunted, inspecting the Heat Gun with keen interest. Once he was gone, he inspected Leonard with the same kind of interest. Good to know Leonard still got it and could still turn heads. He chuckled and relaxed, enjoying the attention. That earned him a smirk from Mick.
"I'm sure we can have some fun outside of heists too," offered Leonard. "If you're game."
Mick's eyes darkened. "Now those games of yours I do enjoy playing."
/2011\
It quickly became obvious to Mick – even to Mick – that Leonard was after more than just jewelry and money. He wanted the Flash. He wanted the Flash's undivided attention. The two of them laid out a trap for the speedster, but the speedster didn't come on time. And it got Leonard angry. Heated anger suited the usually calm and collected mastermind. Mick found it very attractive, as surprising as it was to see Leonard like this. Even more surprising was the near joy when the little speedster outsmarted them – tricking Leonard and Mick into aiming their guns at each other and when their streams crossed, the guns backfired. Being outsmarted wasn't something Leonard Snart enjoyed.
Not usually at least, but something about this new Flash really got under Leonard's skin. So far, it didn't bother Mick all that much. Him and Leonard had never said they were exclusive, even as they fell back into bed again with their reunion. And the little speedster wasn't bad looking – his physique at least; Mick hadn't gotten to see his face yet.
"You shouldn't provoke a hero, Lenny," Lisa groaned annoyed.
Little sis was living with them too, in the hide-out. Felt weirdly like playing family to Mick. Living with the two Snarts, seeing how close they were to each other. Finding his place in that too.
"I think playing with the little speedster was fun," offered Mick.
Now that seemed to please Leonard. The crinkle around his eyes when he smiled at Mick did things to Mick that the hothead wasn't used to. This man, Mick knew, was going to ruin him.
/break\
Laurel Lance's life was one of tragedy and heartache. Four years ago, the man she thought was the love of her life shipwrecked and died at sea. Together with her sister Sara, with whom her boyfriend had had an affair. She supposed she wasn't the love of Oliver Queen's life then, if he not only cheated on her but managed to cheat on her with her sister. She also supposed she didn't mean all that much to her little sister, if she found it so easy to sleep with Laurel's boyfriend. And she wasn't even fully allowed ot be mad at them – how could she? They were both dead. Neither could defend themselves, explain themselves. Apologize to her. Anything at all.
It had sent her spiraling, especially after her parents got divorced over Sara's death. Laurel felt like she had lost everything and so she ran off. Trying to find herself, or maybe create herself. To rise out of the ashes of her old life. For a while, she earned a living as a singer in a bar. Until she met a handsome fisherman who promised trouble, because he had the kind of smile that one could fall for.
Laurel was done losing her heart to handsome men though, so she moved on. Adrift for years, until her path led her to Central City. She'd been living a life of crime, more out of necessity than fun at first, but then she discovered that she had a talent for it.
"Mister Snart," Laurel smiled charmingly. "I hear you're looking to hire."
"Mh," Leonard Snart looked at her, curious and wary. "But you know we're going up against a meta-human. A speedster superhero, who's set on defending the city."
"Sounds like a fun change of pace," Laurel shrugged. "You've made a name for yourself and your heists bring in big money. I could use big money. And a good hiding place. Considering the Flash has yet to actually track you down, you seem to be good at staying low."
"Looking for a place to crash too," Leonard furrowed his brows.
"I'm a very wanted woman, sadly wanted by the wrong kind of people, you know."
Leonard still looked skeptical, which was when his sister injected herself into the conversation by sitting down next to her brother. "Don't be so grumpy. She's good. I read up on her."
Lisa was what had brought Laurel here. One night of heavy drinking at the Saints & Sinners had led to the two women bonding. The whole night was fuzzy to Laurel at best, but Lisa had offered to make introductions between Laurel and Leonard and that sounded good enough to her.
"I know," Leonard glared at his sister. "Black Siren's made a name for herself too."
Ah, how sentimental of her. Black Siren, the name given to her by her handsome fisherman. It suited her quite well, she thought. If Snart knew of her reputation, he probably already had made his decision on the matter. Was he playing with her? Waiting it out?
"I also know it's not just you, Black Siren," continued Leonard after a long pause. "There's a, what would you say, guppy? I'm not sure if bringing you and the wee one into our circle is a good idea."
Laurel narrowed her eyes at that. "DeeDee's a good sleeper, she'll not cause you any problems."
"I do not babysit," declared Leonard pointedly. "But I know your skills would be an asset. So you and your guppy can come stay with us. For now."
The thing was, Laurel was good at reading people. And she could see that Snart was much softer than he played here. He wasn't going to send a single mother and her kid away. Laurel smirked.
/break\
Leonard smiled lazily as he rolled over, off Mick's chest. The other man was still asleep. It was supposed to be business, but then he managed to mix pleasure and business quite well. Despite their different personalities, Leonard and Mick fit together quite well. Or perhaps because of their differences. And the louder the disagreements, the more passionate the reunion.
"We've been doing small time things for too long now," Mick sounded grumpy.
Turning toward him, Leonard chuckled amused. "It's because we lost our advantage. The Cold Gun and the Heat Gun were practical. As it stands, we have to make do as regular thieves."
"It's our city, we should claim it," growled Mick. "Claim it or burn it."
"How about we have breakfast before arson, Mick?"
He had a plan, to regain their status. Take over the city from the Santini family. But for now, breakfast. When they reached the kitchen, the ladies in their home were already sitting around the table. Black Siren – Laurel Lance – had settled in well with them. She wasn't too much of a thief, but she was a wonderful con artist, able to seduce and distract anyone in her way and allowing the Snarts and Mick to sneak past. She had her own policy, she didn't hurt people, and that was fine by Snart, he didn't care as long as she made her job. The biggest change though was the guppy.
"Uncle Len!" DeeDee yelped eagerly and made grabby motions.
Deeliah Delphina Lance, three years old little blonde angel. He'd said he didn't babysit, but then the kid lived with them and she was pretty cute. Who'd have thought Leonard Snart was the parental type? Or at least the fun uncle type. Grinning at the kid, he ruffled her hair in passing.
"Eat well, we have big plans today," declare Leonard. "Time to take the our city back."
/break\
Lisa loved the blonde wig. She'd taken a page out of Laurel's book for tonight. Her target was a nerdy little scientist working for STAR Labs. The one who had made Mick and Lenny's guns. If they wanted to take the city back, they needed the arsenal. And since the nerds knew Mick and Lenny's faces, it was up to Lisa and Laurel to get an in. The ladies had rock-paper-scissor-ed for it. So while Lenny and Mick were off intimidating the local mafia family, Lisa and Laurel were at the bar, watching their target. Cisco Ramon. He was sitting with another nerdy looking guy, but according to their research, this one didn't really work for STAR Labs yet could frequently be found there – Barry Allen. Son of Henry Jay Garrick. Lisa had never met the guy, but Leonard had, in prison, when Leonard had barely been legal and in over his head with his first proper prison stint. The older man had taken him under his wing, kept him safe. In for the murder of his wife, which was, Lisa guessed, the reason why Barry went by his mother's last name. Either way, Leonard had told her to steer clear of the Allen kid, keep him out of it, for his father's sake.
That was fine by Lisa. Cisco was way cuter anyway. She approached them with a smile.
"Hi. I normally don't do this, but... can I buy you a drink?"
Allen turned to look at her first. "Ah, I'm flattered, but I..."
"Actually I was talking to him," Lisa interrupted him and pointed at Cisco.
Cisco's eyebrows went up at that. "Uhm. I'm... I'm sorry, you said you were talking to me?"
The cute ones who didn't realize they were cute were always the best. "Yeah, I just told my friend over there that I thought you were cute and she dared me to come over here and talk to you so... Please talk to me."
When Lisa motioned over toward Laurel, the Black Siren offered a cheeky grin and lifted her glass, for both Allen and Cisco to see. Cisco smiled at her awkwardness. She knew he'd go for that.
"Yeah. Yeah, I suppose I could talk to you for a little bit."
Allen excused himself and left, so Lisa could take his place and sit down next to Cisco to start a conversation. She'd prepared what to say, but for the most part, it was just really easy to talk to him. He was kind and sweet and she felt nearly bad about using him. Under different circumstances, she would be taking him home all for herself. After a conversation and a bit of kissing, it was easy to lure him toward the safehouse Lenny had set up.
"These are nice digs," noted Cisco as he looked around with half his attention.
"Oh, we're just squatting," replied Lisa with a coy smile.
Cisco looked curious. "We?"
Nodding at him, she took the blonde wig off. "Yeah. Me and my brother."
On cue did Leonard turn on the lights and reveal himself. "Hello, Cisco. What exactly are your intentions with my sister...?"
He approached, slow and casual. Like a predator stalking up to his helpless prey. Now Lisa really felt bad for him. But they needed him and she doubted asking nicely would get them his help.
"I should have known better, I am not that lucky," muttered Cisco beneath his breath. "Please don't kill me for kissing your sister."
It was genuine surprise on Lenny's face when he looked at Lisa. "You kissed him?"
Hadn't been part of the plan, but oh well. Cisco was very kissable. Time to convince Cisco to help them out. Laurel and Mick were in the other room with Cisco's brother.
/break\
Leonard knew how the Cold Gun worked, he knew how to take it apart, he had learned it inside and out. Though he had to respect Cisco a little for trying. They wanted to get four weapons out of this for themselves. Leonard's Cold Gun. Mick's Heat Gun. Something golden and toxic for Lisa. And Laurel, well, she had something very specific in mind. A voice modulator that'd allow her to scream loud enough to shatter glass or ear-drums, a scream that could be aimed as a weapon. To go along with her Black Siren persona. Leonard liked a woman who could commit to a bit.
Mh. Leonard smiled pleased as they encountered the Flash in a casino. Still looking good in that skin-tight red suit. Lisa thought it funny, but she didn't comment on it too much. It was a simple infatuation and it didn't help much that Mick also found the hero attractive.
"He's cute," Mick grunted and shrugged. "But a talker. And you, you don't just want to take him to the bedroom. You're... eager... to talk to him. You like him. That's dangerous."
Troublesome when Mick was the voice of reason. He wasn't wrong, that was the worst of it. The Flash's mind worked at high speed, he was a challenge unlike any Leonard had gotten before. The two were sitting at the bar together, drinking. He turned to look at their hostages, at Cisco.
"Lisa kissed him," commented Leonard.
"The Flash?" Mick looked disturbed at that.
"No. Cisco. She kissed him. Didn't have to. I think she might have a weakness for him."
"So this runs in the family then?" Mick motioned at Leonard.
There was something to Mick's dry wit that made him enjoyable company and Leonard knew he was growing more and more attached to the man too. How troublesome.
/break\
Finally. Finally Leonard knew the Flash's name, thanks to Cisco and a little convincing with a bit of torture. Nothing too serious, Cisco's brother was going to be fine. Barry Allen. Who would have thought, the Flash was Henry Garrick's son. Leonard didn't know what to do with that.
Time to have some negotiations with Barry. He didn't want to leave this city, he was not going to give it up. Now, he had leverage over the Flash, now things could get interesting.
"You've seen what I can do. You know that I can stop you. You wanna keep pushing your luck? Go for it. But from hereon out, nobody else dies. If you're as good as you say you are, you don't have to kill anyone to get what you want."
The confidence and chosen words made Leonard smirk. "...That's true."
Barry stepped up to him, threatening. "And if you, or anyone in your... Rogue's gallery... goes near any of my friends or family again, I don't care who you tell my identity to, I'm putting you away."
"I guess your secret is safe, Flash," Leonard's smirk grew. "For now."
The little speedster ran off, leaving Leonard all alone in the forest. That had gone much better than expected. A truce, with the speedster. No more death, Leonard knew he could work with that – and Laurel was going to like that too. One thing that the Flash said stood out to him though.
"...The Rogues. Cute," Leonard shook his head, pleased with that name.
/2012\
Mick appreciated the weapons. He appreciated the upgrade. Though he wasn't much of a social creature, he also appreciated the team. They were able to pull bigger things, with Lisa and Laurel. Even the brat wasn't that much of a bother, kid was fun when she wasn't crying. Most of all, Mick had to admit, he appreciated Len. He clashed with most people, but Len and him just clicked.
"The Flash made me an offer I can't refuse."
The smile on Len's lips alone was seductive. Mick grunted in confirmation that he was listening, though he was also cleaning his Heat Gun. That little infatuation of Len's, Mick figured it was going to cause his downfall. Maybe all of their downfall, who knew. On the physical side, Mick got it. The guy seemed like a good romp in the sheets, kinda on the soft cute side, which wasn't entirely the type Mick went for usually, but the Flash really was very intriguing.
"Wants to transport out some enemies of his. Asked for my help, with the Cold Gun. To freeze the metas," Len leaned back against the headboard, tilting his head back.
"That's going too far, Len," argued Mick. "This little truce? It's beneficial for us. But helping him?"
"I was thinking we could gain something from it," Len smirked in a foreboding manner. "He rejected my original proposal, but... He's a CSI. He works for the cops. He could erase our criminal records. Clean slate to work off from. How's it sounding now?"
That caused Mick to lift his head in interest. "That... I'm not helping you with this, Len. Not working with a cop, or a superhero. But if you're looking for my blessing? Do what you must."
The smirk turned more lazy, more crooked, as he leaned forward to kiss Mick's cheek.
/break\
After Mick rejected the proposal, Len got his sister on board with helping. And she mostly agreed to help because she wanted to see Cisco again. And he was still as cute and with as great hair.
"This is an awful plan!" exclaimed Caitlin, glaring at the Snarts.
Barry's second dad seemed displeased by it too, but then he was a cop. Lisa smiled as Lenny walked off with his little superhero obsession, leaving Lisa alone with Cisco to talk to him.
"I am sorry about what happened last time, for what it's worth," Lisa tried to sound sincere. "I've been thinking about you a lot, you know..."
"Well," Cisco looked distressed. "Stop it."
Lisa heaved a sigh and decided to change course for now. "If I'm doing something potentially dangerous, tell me what exactly we're doing here. What's up."
"We had a bit of a... security breach," Cisco's look turned into a troubled one. "And our high security prisoners may not be as secure anymore, so we need them transported."
A cheeky smirk spread over Lisa's lips. "And the first one the Flash thought of was my brother, mh? Well, isn't that something... special?"
With one look, Lisa could see that Cisco knew. Knew about all that flirting between Leonard and the Flash. Interesting, so it was a mutual kind of flirting, mh? Well, now Lisa was even more curious.
/break\
So the mission turned out to be a bit of a failure for the Flash and a full success for Leonard – the metas escaped. Lisa had gained a new alias, courtesy of Cisco Ramon (and Len knew he had to keep an eye on that). Golden Glider. She liked it. Leonard didn't know how to feel about his sister taking that prominent a role in their criminal activities, she'd always only been on the sidelines. The breakout had gone nearly according to plan – one tried to kill the Flash. That was one thing Leonard couldn't allow. Nobody hurt his little speedster. But the other metas...? There was a potential there. Having powerful people owe him a favor was always useful and who knew, perhaps they could recruit one or two or so into their little team.
"You're completely out of your mind, Snart," commented Laurel unimpressed.
"Why?" Leonard offered a half-grin. "I'm not saying we're taking them all in. Some rotten apples in that bunch too. But who knows, maybe someone will fit into our team, mh?"
He lifted his drink to her, before emptying it. This was going to be a lot of fun.
/break\
Lisa didn't know what to do. She needed help, because Lenny got abducted and she couldn't imagine asking anyone else for help. She bumped into Cisco on purpose, because him she could ask. Also she didn't know the Flash's secret identity – Lenny refused to share that secret. Trust the good guys to actually help, even their enemies. Strangely enough, Lisa found it charming.
"Snart wasn't kidnapped. He was working with your father."
It felt like the rug was pulled out from underneath Lisa and she didn't know how to make the heroes believe her. There was no way Lenny would work with Lewis Snart, not willingly. So she revealed one of her own deepest secrets, something she had never shared with anyone aside from his brother. His father's abuse. This wasn't something Lisa was used to, being vulnerable. But apparently, showing that vulnerability was what it needed to gain Cisco's trust.
"I'm... sorry, Lisa," Cisco's voice was gentle and soft as he sat down with her.
The soul-strip-tease felt awful, it left her vulnerable and raw to show off the scars and reveal her screwed up past. But she needed it, she needed their help. There was no way she could help Lenny alone and she knew he needed help. Laurel wasn't in town, she was visiting her father in Star City to reassure him that she was still alive and happy. Mick was out of town too. Lisa was alone.
"Please, Cisco. I need your help. I... He's not doing this willingly. He needs help."
When she grasped his hand, she could tell that she got him. That he wanted to help. And who knew, just perhaps did this help her rekindle things with Cisco too. As silly as that sounded. They were on different sides of the law, but with Lenny's obsession with the Flash, Lisa could see that their lives would be entangled for a long, long time to come.
/break\
It did things to Lenny that he couldn't name, to know that the Flash was concerned for him. Though Leonard had very conflicting feelings on the entire matter. Of course was Lisa worried for him, but he didn't want her in danger. The fact that she'd gone to a hero to ask for help? And that the Flash had agreed to help? Flattering. Flattering, but conflicting. He'd prefer to not drag Barry into this either, he hated Lewis Snart and didn't want him to get his dirty hands on anyone Leonard held dear.
That the little speedster had figured it out. The bomb Lewis put into Lisa, how he had blackmailed Leonard into helping with this heist. The fact that Barry spoke so softly, promising that his team would take care of Lisa, would figure out a way to extract the bomb from Lisa.
And here he was, going undercover to help Leonard. It was cute, seeing the hero lie and play a part.
And oh dear, the hero was quite adorable, how excited he got about cracking the code. Seeing Lewis shoot Barry made Leonard's heart stop. Would the heroes still help him with their Flash... shot? Surely not dead. Leonard doubted the speedster would lose against a speeding bullet.
And it figured. That Lewis didn't want any loose ends. Killing the other crew member once he was useless. All Leonard could hope for was that the Flash and his team would be faster than their heist, because he didn't trust Lewis not to activate the bomb in Lisa once they were done.
And Leonard could not lose his sister. Not her. Lisa was his family, his only family.
/break\
There had been a crush, Lisa thought Cisco was cute. But it quickly became more when he saved her life. How gentle he'd been, how understanding and compassionate. This was the kind of man Lisa had never dreamed of meeting in her life. Cisco Ramon was a gentleman, a cute nerd, a hero, a brilliant scientist and most certainly out of her league, wasn't he?
"They saved my life," whispered Lisa as she wrapped her arms around Leonard.
After the heist, Leonard had gone to prison. Again. Not the first time, not the last time. And now that Mick and Laurel were back in town, breaking him out of prison wasn't hard. His hug was tight, like he was trying to make sure that she was there and alive. Laurel cleared her throat.
"More hugging later, get in the car. Now."
While Lisa got in the passenger seat, he got in the back to join Mick. Grasping him by the lapels of his jacket, Leonard pulled his lover into a slow, deep kiss. Mick cupped the back of Leonard's neck and looked deep into his eyes. Asking the questions he wasn't going to voice. The soft mushy stuff that Mick wasn't a fan of. But Mick knew about Lewis. And he knew how important Lisa was to him. How much the thought of losing Lisa scared Leonard.
"I take one weekend in Aruba and you go and pull a stunt like that."
"Guess we should have gone with you on that vacation," Leonard chuckled dryly and leaned against Mick. "It sure was a very exciting couple days. Glad they're over."
And while he would be happy to never think about this again, one thing he couldn't shake. Would probably never be able to shake. The Flash and what he'd done for the Snarts. Not just that though. After Leonard went to prison, Barry came to visit him. Not to gloat, but to tell Leonard that he... believed in Leonard. Ridiculous. Nobody's ever done that before. There's good in you, Snart.
/break\
"What do you want?" asked Barry frustrated the next time he cornered them. "Are you just... mocking me with these challenges? Showing off that you can get out of any sticky situation?"
"Why? Maybe we enjoy your company, Flash," Leonard gave him that flirtatious smirk again.
"Stop that," Barry glared. "My team's already making enough fun of me for flirting with you."
That made Leonard wink at him. "And here I thought you hadn't caught on with that."
"W... What...?" Barry paused, staring at them in confusion.
Mick and Leonard exchanged a look before both lowered their weapons and turned to look at him with matching manic smirks. It was Leonard who tapped the side of his head, suggesting for Barry to turn off communication. No need for their little hero's friends to be listening in on this.
"So I find you very interesting, Flash," Leonard approached him with a teasing smirk. "That's why I brought my partner in to meet you. To show him how... interesting... you are..."
"...The way you say 'partner'..." Barry's eyes trailed over to look at Mick.
"Partners," Mick grunted with a nod. "All the definitions you can think of, Red."
"Okay, okay, okay. Wait. So you're saying the two of you... are... together... and are... flirting with me. On purpose. Intentionally," Barry blinked repeatedly. "But you can see the part where I'm a hero and you're both criminals and I'm trying to arrest you, right?"
"Foreplay," Leonard waved a dismissive hand, his smirk growing.
Their little hero blushed at that. How cute. "A date."
"...What?" Snart looked surprised, thrown off his game, for the first time.
"An actual, proper date. I'm not going to have crime sprees as foreplay and just do..." Barry flushed. "I'm not that kind of guy. If you're serious, then show me. Romance me."
"You know how much I love a challenge, Flash," Leonard's smirk returned, pleased.
/break\
Mick wasn't the romantic date type, so Len left him in charge of planning the date. That way, Mick would pick something he'd be comfortable with too. It was mildly irritating, because Len was the planner among them. But Mick found something that worked for himself.
"This place, huh," Barry looked around curiously as he entered the bar.
Saints & Sinners. The very bar where Barry had found him to ask for his help with the meta-humans. It was their favorite bar. At this point in time, it was actually their bar. Laurel was behind the the bar, filling three glasses for them. Now that the Snarts and Mick no longer had a rep sheet, they could live a more public life again. They... legally... bought the bar. It went against Mick's every instinct, but he could see the benefit of legal ownership over the place. And with as much money has they had from their various heists, Mick supposed they could invest a bit.
"You clean up nice, Red," noted Mick pleased, his eyes running over Barry.
Tight black pants and a dark-red dress-shirt that hugged his frame nicely too. And a light red blush on his cheeks to go with the shirt. Very nice. Mick grabbed the three drinks from the bar and headed over to follow Len to their booth. Alcohol, a greasy meal and billiard. That sounded good.
"You play?" asked Mick, nodding his head toward the table.
"Gimme a sec," and in a flash, the speedster was gone.
Mick turned to look at Len in confusion, but the other just shrugged and nipped on his drink. Extra ice in his drink, as always. Mick knew his lover, to a degree he never thought he'd know anyone. In another flash, the speedster returned to sit opposite them, a broad grin on his lips.
"Yep, just learned all the rules and watched a couple videos. I'm game."
"You..." Mick furrowed his brows.
"Not just run fast, but also read and watch fast, yep."
Len looked at the speedster. "I hope you aren't as quick to finish things in all regards, Barry."
The innuendo made Mick holler out a laugh and Barry flush. The fact that the hero had agreed to this date showed Mick that there was some dark side to him too. Otherwise he wouldn't keep letting them go, he wouldn't be ready to date them. A hero who saw more than black and white.
"So is this what you like to do when you don't rob people?" asked Barry.
"Billiard is a good way to pass the time. And Mick likes a good drink."
"What do you do in your free time?" asked Mick. "Do you even have free time?"
"Not much," admitted Barry and ran his fingers through his hair. "Between the day job and the... other... job, I'm kind of busy. Even at my speed."
"You realize that if we take you somewhere, it'll be a safehouse and not our place."
"Woah, Snart, getting a bit ahead of yourself there," Barry huffed, one eyebrow raised. "I'm not the kind of guy to go home with someone after the first date."
"Boring," commented Mick. "Respect your boundaries, but boring."
That earned him a huff from the speedster. "You gotta put in more work than this, is all."
"Well, I didn't say tonight," pointed Len out, a smirk on his lips. "But either way. Ours isn't just ours and we can't risk bringing a hero into the home of the Rogues."
"Still can't believe you actually went with that name."
"I think it has a nice ring to it, Barry. Don't you agree, Mick?"
Mick grunted his agreement and emptied his drink. "I like it too."
Barry looked unexpectedly pleased by that. Which was also a good look on him.
/break\
Dating Barry meant getting to know Barry's family. Though Len already knew the speedster's biological father, his adopted family was something else. Especially with his second dad being a cop. Still, Barry wanted them to meet, so he arranged for dinner at the Wests' place.
"Can't believe you have us walk into a cop's house," Mick glared annoyed.
"Oh, I didn't see you say no to Barry either," argued Len pointedly.
Lisa smiled brightly. "I don't know what you two are on about, I think this is going to be fun."
She bounced her curls once before knocking on the door. A disgruntled Detective West opened the door. The goal for tonight was to not get arrested. Leonard hoped Mick would play nice.
"Come in," apparently, Detective West also was forced to play nice.
Mh, this could actually prove to be quite entertaining. They knew the theory of the family – dad was a cop, two adopted siblings, some godfather-uncle who was the leader of STAR Labs actually. Barry perked up when he saw them and walked over toward them. He restrained himself to kissing Len and Mick on the cheeks instead of on the mouth, so PDA in front of one of his dads was a no then, Len mentally noted that down. They allowed Barry to lead him over toward the set table.
"That's my sister Iris and her fiance Eddie, my brother Wally, and those are uncle Harry and his daughter Jesse. And, uh, you have met Cisco and Caitlin already," Barry pointed at them one by one before turning toward Mick and Len. "These are my... boyfriends... Mick and Lenny. And that's Lenny's sister Lisa. Please, everyone, be civil."
For some reason, he glared extra hard at Len and Mick there. But Len put on his most charming smile as he greeted everyone, particularly Iris. He knew how important his sister was to Barry; the two of them were alike in that. Out of the corner of his eyes, Len could see Lisa already flirting with Cisco. Oh, he knew that she hoped to use Len's relationship with Barry to get closer to Cisco.
"We brought desert," declared Mick, putting a big box down.
"You... bake...?" asked Eddie stunned.
"That illegal, Detective Thawne?" asked Leonard playfully.
"No. Just... surprising," Eddie cleared his throat and seemed to hide behind his fiance.
"Mick has a lot of depth that you wouldn't guess," argued Barry, his arms crossed in defiance. "Never judge a book by its very grumpy cover, you know?"
Which was absolutely true. Some days, Len still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Mick liked to write romance stories. While it wasn't Len's genre, Lisa and Laurel devoured them. Laurel had even started reading the non-explicit stories to DeeDee as good night stories.
"A shared passion of ours," offered Len casually. "You'll not get a better hot chocolate cake with ice than at our place, detective, I promise you that."
"Lenny makes his own ice-cream," added Barry at that.
His eyes sparkled as he said that. Yes, their speedster was easily lured in with sweet treats. With how many calories he burned due to his meta-genes, he ate a lot and had raided the fridge in their safehouse more than once all on his own. The glee he expressed every time he got to try some baked good or a new ice-cream flavor from Len was endearing.
"I gotta say, I expected this to be more awkward," admitted Wally.
"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Barry huffed and elbowed his little brother.
A small smile found its way onto Len's lips as he watched the siblings. His family meant the world to Barry, which meant that their opinion was important to Barry. Which meant that it was important to him and Mick too, even if Mick was grumbling about it. Because Barry had come to mean a lot to them in a short span of time. More than Len would have ever imagined.
/break\
Len could look so pleased and so smug when one of his plans worked. It was as sexy as it was irritating. But to have Mark Mardon and Shawna Baez show up at the Saints & Sinners to ask for a job. Shawna's powers – to disappear in a puff of smoke and teleport herself – and Mark's control over the weather could be incredible assets. Barry wasn't going to like it, but he knew what Mick and Len did and that they weren't going to stop, not even for Barry.
"To the Rogues!" Lisa cheered and lifted her glass high.
The first heist had gone without a hitch and Shawna and Mark had surely done their part. Now, it was time to celebrate in their bar. Laurel laughed as her glass hit Lisa's and then Shawna's. They liked that there was another woman on the team now. She was a bit of a wild card, but she also seemed to fit in quite well. Mark on the other hand, he needed some more supervision. Too violent, even for Len's liking, but perhaps the more toned down Mick could get Mark down to that level too.
"Not gonna celebrate with your boo?" asked Shawna with a cheeky grin. "I saw you with him the other day. He's a cop, isn't he? I've seen him at crime-scenes."
"Not a cop, a forensic scientist," corrected Mick with a glare.
"Aw, that's cute, are you proud of your science-y boyfriend?" teased Shawna.
"Very much so, actually," Len's voice was flat and he raised an eyebrow at her. "Our boyfriend is off-limits for you guys. He's staying out of our business, we stay out of his. Understood?"
"I don't care what you do outside your heists," Mark glared. "So that's fine by me."
"Good," Mick glared at Mark even more heatedly.
"Besi—ides," Lisa spoke up to diffuse the situation. "I have a science-y boyfriend too."
Shawna redirected her attention to Lisa. "Oh, you do? Tell me more, tell me more."
"Okay so," Lisa leaned in eagerly. "His name is Cisco and he works at STAR Labs. He's a real genius, actually. He designed and built our weapons, you know."
She liked to brag about Cisco, ever since the two of them had officially become an item. Not that Len could hold it against her, him and Mick felt the same way about Barry. Still, Len never missed an opportunity to quietly threaten Cisco and keep the boy in check. If he broke Lisa's heart, Len was going to break entirely other things and not even Barry's disapproval could stop that.
/break\
"I like this. It's... nice. A nice change of pace."
Mick grunted and finished his sentence before turning toward Barry. The speedster was barely dressed in just Len's comfy pants, sprawled out on the bed behind Mick. Around him was a file scattered, because Barry was in the middle of a case. Murder, not a robbery, nothing to do with Mick and Len so Mick tolerated the working in their shared space. Besides, Mick was currently finishing the newest chapter of his story. On occasion, it was enough to just be in the same room, even without acknowledging each other's presence, each doing their own thing.
"Yeah, I do too," admitted Mick reluctantly. "Say. How about the barbecue, this weekend?"
It was summer, summer meant barbecue season. Baking was a nice pastime, but when it came to food, Mick's real passion was a good barbecue. Barry smiled as he walked over to Mick and wrapped his arms around Mick's neck from behind, resting his chin on Mick's shoulder.
"And you sure about inviting my family?" asked Barry.
"With a beer or two and without his badge, your dad's not so bad. I like the kid, he's fun."
Barry laughed softly and pressed a kiss to Mick's cheek.
/break\
Lisa smiled and threw her legs over Cisco's lap, flustering her boyfriend some. The two were sitting on the Hollywood swing in the backyard of Mick and Len's house. Ever since they started dating Barry, they had moved out and legally purchased a place to live – what with them no longer having an official record, they could pretend to be legit. All with a large backyard with a barbecue grill. Mick and Joe were at the grill, talking rubs and marinades.
"I like this," whispered Lisa pleased. "It's so peaceful and... normal."
It was so unlike anything that Lisa was used from her own childhood. She could feel Cisco wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Their relationship had been a rollercoaster, from the first seduction to the reveal of Lisa's childhood abuse, but it had brought them close together and she had never met anyone like Cisco, who made her feel that way. Feel safe, understood and respected.
"Yeah," Cisco trailed off as he looked over at them. "It feels like a family. Even though I'm not related to any of them by blood, but they always... made me feel like I'm part of them too."
"I know what you mean," Lisa smiled and rested her cheek against Cisco's shoulder.
"Couples. Couples everywhere," Caitlin heaved a sigh as she came to stand in front of them.
"Oh. Oh, you should come over to the bar for a girls night some time," suggested Lisa. "Meet my girls. No boyfriends allowed either, sorry, Cisco. What do you say? You and Iris."
"Sure," Iris tilted her head. "Gives us time to talk without having to see our brothers suck face."
"Ha, ha, ha," called Barry out, self-consciously stepping away from Len.
"I mean, they're not wrong, Bar," argued Wally. "There's a lot of PDA going on."
"Not really. We're cutting quite back for your benefit, kiddo," countered Leonard.
"Please cut back more," Wally made a face. "Like, all the way."
"Don't be like that," Jesse chided him. "They're not even half as bad as Eddie and Iris."
"And I complain to them every single time too, Jess. Every single time."
"Hey, at least I'm about to make an honest woman out of your sister," Eddie wrapped an arm around Iris' shoulder. "No complaints about married PDA, you know."
"Disagree on that," called both Wally and Barry at that before high-fiving.
/break\
Laurel was humming a tune she had heard on the radio while applying black lipstick. The woman she saw in the mirror had so little to do with daddy's good little girl once upon a time who'd been dating Oliver Queen and thought she would end up as Missus Queen, become maybe a cop or lawyer. Life had taken its toll on her, but she had rolled with the punches and made the best out of it for herself. Giving a last twirl in front of the mirror, she deemed today's outfit – a black leather mini-skirt and a sleeveless button-down shirt with the top three buttons popped – good.
"Don't forget to read her only one bedtime story. Don't give in to the big sad eyes. And no sweets before bed either, it's just gonna get her all excited again."
"We know," Leonard heaved a sigh. "We've watched the guppy often enough while we were still living together, Laurel. Go, have your girls night out, we got the kid covered."
Mick grunted in agreement, bouncing DeeDee on his knee. It made her smirk, because she still remembered how firm they'd been about not babysitting yet here they were. Big, bad criminals with a soft hard like molten chocolate. Laurel walked over to them and cupped DeeDee's cheeks.
"Be good for uncle Mick and uncle Lenny, my little mermaid," whispered Laurel.
When she straightened up again, she wiggled her fingers at the three in a quick goodbye before rushing out of the apartment. Sure, the girls were meeting right downstairs, but Laurel was still not going to leave DeeDee unsupervised. It was nice, living with Lisa, just the two of them and DeeDee living above the bar together. She'd quickly become Laurel's best friend in a manner Laurel had never had a best friend. Not really. She'd hung out with Ollie, who was her boyfriend, and Sara, who was her sister, as well as Ollie's best friend Tommy. Somehow, she had always taken a side character role in her own life and that just wasn't working for her anymore.
"Okay, girls, time to pour the liquor," declared Laurel loudly.
Shawna and Lisa were already sitting at a booth together with the two other girls. This was going to be interesting, she had not yet met the people important in the Snarts' life outside of heists. She went to hug Shawna and Lisa first and then briefly hugged the other two ladies too.
"I'm Laurel, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Iris West, the pleasure is all ours. Lisa has tried to make this happen for a while."
"Same. I'm Caitlin, Caitlin Snow. And it's... nice... getting out of the lab."
She didn't look comfortable at all. Mh, she must be aware of who Shawna and Laurel were – or at the very least, aware that if they rolled with Lisa, they ought to not be on the 'right' side of the law.
"Iris West..." Laurel squinted thoughtfully before it came to her. "Oh, I've read your name in the papers. You have quite the way with words."
Iris preened at that. "Thank you, that is my life's work."
"Well then, here's to successful women," declared Shawna, lifting her glass.
"To successful women," agreed Laurel. "And new acquaintances."
/2013\
Mick didn't know a whole lot about science and stuff, but ever since Barry had come into his life, he knew where metas came from. Because Harrison Wells had done an experiment that had exploded into his face, creating the first Flash – and many other metas, as well as people who now carried dormant meta genes that they passed down to their kids, creating the meta villains Barry had fought. So even though Mick did not know a lot about science, he did know that this particle accelerator was bad news. With that, it was absolutely no surprise to Mick when the thing blew up.
"We gotta hurry up, damn it," Leonard was unusually tense.
When the explosion had shook the city, there had been a moment of panic. But when the news confirmed what had happened, both Mick and Leonard hurried toward STAR Labs to check on their boyfriend and see if he and his family were okay. By the time they arrived, they could see Joe and Iris carrying an unconscious Flash between them. This wasn't good.
Leonard leaned out the window. "Get in the car, Detective West."
"Sorry we're late," tagged Mick as he got out of the car to help Joe.
"Go. I'll check on the others, I'll bring them to the hour," instructed Iris, her eyes on her brother.
As soon as Mick, Joe and Barry were inside the ca, Leonard put his foot on the pedal and they sped off. Mick looked at Barry through the rear-view mirror.
"What happened?" asked Leonard.
"The... The accelerator exploded," Joe's voice was shaking. "Barry went to... help."
Mick wasn't surprised by that. "Course he did. Reckless little hero."
"And the explosion did this?" Leonard sounded doubtful.
The look on Joe's face was haunted. "No.. He... He was hit by lightning."
"Leave it up to Barry, who goes up against meta humans and armed criminals, to be taken out by lightning," Leonard sounded shaken and looked more worried than Mick had ever seen him.
Mick craned his neck to look at them. "He has healing powers. Why's he not awake?"
"I don't know. I don't..." Joe paused for a moment. "Harry will know. They'll meet us at my place."
That set the course. Mick turned to look at Leonard, seeing him nod briefly.
/break\
Lisa missed Laurel. Not long before the explosion, she'd left Central City. Turned out her supposedly dead ex was not so dead anymore – Laurel had visited her hometown to check in on that. But now, her supposedly dead sister also returned from the dead. That, that was something Laurel couldn't return from. She bid her goodbyes, it had been teary, and she packed up hers and DeeDee's stuff. Then the explosion had happened and now Barry was in a coma.
"Hey, Lisa. Long time no see. Or rather, nice meeting you."
Lisa looked up, surprised. The woman standing in front of her looked like Caitlin but also not. Her clothes were a definite upgrade and her hair was stark-white. Lisa had heard from Cisco that something had happened to Caitlin during the explosion, but it hadn't made much sense.
"Are you... Are you alright, Cait?" asked Lisa concerned.
"Not Cait," the woman shook her head mildly. "Call me... Frost. You might say I'm Caity's better half and that the... explosion liberated us from each other."
Oh. So Cisco had been literal about that. He'd said Cait had meta-genes in her but instead of activating, she had been split in two because she had been at the epicenter of the explosion. Now there were two Caitlins, one human and one meta. Huh. That had sounded like a metaphor, like him trying to explain to her how meta-genes worked. But no, this was a not-Cait.
"Okay... Frost," Lisa leaned forward on the bar. "What can I do for you?"
"I'll take a drink, first of all," Frost smirked. "And if I remember it right, you have a vacancy upstairs, with Laurel out of town. I'd also take a place to crash. And a job."
"A job?" Lisa repeated in disbelief. "But..."
"I'm not Caity. I've always taken more... liberties with the law than her. Not that she remembers. She never remembered me," Frost shrugged. "My existence in our system was always a haze to her. But thanks to this explosion, I'm free and have a whole body to myself."
Oh, Lisa had so many questions right now. But despite saying she wasn't Cait, there was something very familiar about this woman. Like she was Lisa's friend at the same time as she was someone else. For now, Lisa was going to keep an eye on her until she knew more.
/break\
Turned out Doctor Caitlin Snow has had DID, dissociative identity disorder, ever since she'd been a little girl, but had been unaware of the other identity living inside her body, blacking out whenever Killer Frost took over. Frost was the one with the meta-powers. The way her DID interacted with her meta-powers had caused the split between Snow and Frost. It was quite fascinating to Leonard, he had to admit. And he welcomed the asset, even more so since Frost's powers were snow and ice control. She fit right in with them, into the Rogues, filling the spot left open by Laurel.
"Here's to the new Rogues," declared Leonard, lifting his glass.
Frost smiled at him and as their glasses touched, frost spread over Leonard's. Very appreciated powers. And unlike Mark and Shawna, Frost was willing to help them help Team Flash – for Caitlin's sake. As much as she enjoyed having her own body, she couldn't stop feeling protective of Caitlin. A feeling that Leonard related to too, thinking about Barry.
/break\
The Rogues were supposed to be villains. Criminals. Not heroes. But their local hero was out cold a room down and the Rogues themselves had changed too – with Laurel leaving and the newly liberated Killer Frost joining them. She was in it for the crimes, even though they currently did as many heroics as they did crimes, all because of one little, unconscious speedster. Mick's eyes trailed over to Barry, unconscious in a hospital bed. A coma. The lightning that hit him had put him in a coma. Every day, Mick and Len came over to visit him, hoping their speedster would open his eyes, and every day, they got disappointed. So instead, they at least made themselves useful while they were at STAR Labs. Mick, Len and Lisa helped them with the rebuild and renovations. While they hired proper workers for it, there were parts of the labs – the Flash Room and Barry's training facilities – that needed to be taken care of by those on the in.
"The kids downstairs again?" asked Mick lowly.
Iris looked up startled. "Y... Yeah, yeah they are."
She was sitting next to Barry, holding his hand. Trying to will him into opening his eyes. They needed him. Not just them, as his family, lovers and friends, but they also needed the Flash. The explosion had been so much bigger than the one back in the eighties. Many more people were affected and they had seen a rise in meta villains. Not just them though. Among the new metas were Jesse Wells and Wally West. Wally had been a surprise, but with Jesse, apparently everyone had been surprised she hadn't been born a speedster. Turned out her dead ma was Liberty Belle and her old man was Johnny Quick. Or used to be, until a villain put him in the wheelchair.
To Mick's surprise, neither of the kids had even known Barry was the Flash. Apparently, everyone had tried to give them a normal childhood and not get them involved in this. Much good it did them, the girl lost her ma and Wally had to see his brother in a coma now.
Barry was out cold and he'd be devastated to find Central City in disarray when he woke up. Len and Mick justified it by saying that it was their city so they wouldn't let some newbies try to take it over. It was only temporary that Mick and Len actively helped out. Wally and Jesse were training with Wells, to learn how to use their speed and to pick up the slack.
"I miss him," muttered Mick frustrated as he sat down next to Iris. "It's weird seeing him so still. He's not even that still when he's asleep. Kid's always fidgeting."
"Yeah..." Iris smiled, though it was a sad one. "I miss him too."
/break\
The kids cleaned up nice. Lisa had been spending a lot of time with Iris and Caitlin over the past year, but the teenagers, that wasn't so much her speed. She only ever saw Wally and Jesse at Mick's barbecues. Still, to see them in their little leather hero outfits was something different. Something heavy. They looked much more grown up than the last time she'd seen them. Jesse's dark-red costume looked similar in design to Liberty Belle's from the comics.
She puffed out her chest. "Quick and the Flash are ready for duty."
Leonard looked them up and down and nodded in approval. "Looking good."
"I don't like that," whispered Wally, looking down at his hands. "I'm not the Flash."
"Listen here, kid," Mick grunted as he got up to walk over to Wally, resting a heavy hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're not Barry. But you are the Flash right now. Because the Flash is what Central City needs. So while your brother's not here, be what he can't be."
That was surprisingly insightful and gentle for him. Lisa slipped her hand into Cisco's to squeeze. She knew how much he missed his best friend, how hard he worked on trying to find a way to wake Barry and every time he hit a wall, it frustrated him more. Cisco gently squeezed her hand.
"It's not forever," added Leonard. "Think of it as filling in, until your brother wakes up."
"Okay," whispered Wally, his voice growing firmer. "Until Barry wakes up, I'm the Flash."
~*~ The End ~*~
Author's note: Ngl, I had a ton of fun with this because I LOVE the Rogues. Might explore them some more once I'm through reading all the Rogues-centric comics to meet the non-Snart or Mick Rogues more properly. Can't believe they're a canon found family and the show... didn't even properly bring them together as a team, what a wasted opportunity :/ ALSO I looove Laurel2 so much and always thought that if she'd been the OG on the Arrowverse-world, she would have made an EXCELLENT Rogue, sooo I had to take my Laurel and make her a Rogue ;D
