Earth 17 Part II

Partners In Crime

xXx

Six Months Later

Leonard jerked away, his survival instincts rousing him from an unusually deep sleep. Seconds passed, his eyes scanning the room until they lighted on a dark figure sitting in the arm chair in the far corner. Reaction took over and he reached for his gun, coming up short when it wasn't on the end table beside him where he knew he placed it earlier in the night. He looked to the figure again, to the outline of his weapon in the intruder's hands.

"It's not really my style." a familiar voice broke the tense silence. "But I certainly like the way it looks on you. Be honest with me Captain, are compensating for something?"

It was the Canary. He knew it as sure as he knew himself. She stood from the chair and crossed the room, laying his cold gun back on the table and switching on the bed side lamp. He jerked away from the offending light, squinting up at her angrily. She was in her black leathers, domino mask still in place as with the last time he saw her. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled at him and had she been anyone else he would have thought it sweet. "I'm here to warn you." She finally replied perching herself on the edge of the bed beside him.

"Warn me about what? Have I done something against you?" he asked.

"On the contrary. It's with a heavy heart that I have come here to tell you that there's been a hit placed on you."

Leonard tensed as she finished, shifting away from her discreetly. "And let me guess, they hired you to do it."

"Very good Mr. Snart. I was in fact approached by a particularly cruel man who has no love loss for you." she explained with an amused air, as if she found it funny that someone would try to kill him.

"Who was it?" he asked.

"Well, I didn't know at first, to be honest. As long as I get paid I don't really care to know who my clients are, but when he told me who my target was I did a little research on him. You know, my father wasn't really father of the year but he loved us and I don't think even he would stoop to Lewis Snart's level."

"What about Lisa?" he asked without thought for himself. The Canary seemed genuinely happy about that.

"She is to remain unharmed at any cost." she told him. "Why do I get the feeling you're the only thing standing in the way of a father daughter reunion?"

"Because I am." he grouched, ripping the blankets off of himself and standing from the bed. He paced along the floor beside the bed, the wheels turning in his mind. If his father needed him out of the way than it probably meant he was planning something big and wanted to bring Lisa in on it. Of course his father was all too aware of how impossible that would be if Leonard was around. He'd practically made it a sport to keep Lewis away from Lisa.

"So, what's the plan?" The Canary asked stopping Leonard in his tracks.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"What was confusing about that question?" she asked amused. "What is the plan for taking care of your father?" she asked again.

"Why do you care?" he asked suspiciously.

The Canary smiled. "Despite my bravado a few months ago, I do in fact consider myself in your debt. So, I'll ask one more time before rescinding the offer. What's the plan?"

"I don't know yet." he finally replied. "I need to know why he's so hell bent on getting me out of the way first." Leonard looked up at her then. "I don't suppose he got mouthy and told you?"

She shook her head. "But," she grinned deviously. "I may have a way of finding out."

"Oh? Do tell." he prompted taking a seat on the edge of the bed opposite her.

"It's going to involve a bit of a show." she told him. "From what I hear about you that may be just up your alley."

Leonard smirked. "I'm listening."

xXx

"You know how insane this is don't you?" Lisa asked as her eyes suspiciously tracked the black clad woman working at a table on the other side of the warehouse.

"It's a good plan." Leonard replied. He too was looking at the young blonde woman. He watched as she filled a syringe with a clear liquid from an unlabeled vial. She turned to them when she was finished, placing the plastic cap on the needle.

"Everybody ready?" she asked. Leonard looked to Lisa, meeting her eyes before turning back to The Canary.

"Let's go."

xXx

"You're faking your death?" Barry questioned.

"That is what I just said." Leonard replied.

"Why? And why exactly do you need my help?" he asked.

"It's come to my attention that my father is trying to kill me." he told him. "Lucky for me the assassin he hired owes me for freeing her a few months back and she's agreed to help stop him. In fact this was her idea."

"The Canary?" Barry questioned. Leonard nodded once. "And you trust her? How do you know this isn't some elaborate scheme to fulfill the hit. I remember what she was like when she was working for Damien Darhk. She liked to play with her victims."

"You let me worry about that. For now I just need you to play along." Leonard told him.

"And why should I?" Barry asked. He couldn't think of a single reason why he should After all the trouble Leonard and his crew had put Team Flash through it seemed like Karma that someone was coming after Leonard now.

"Because if all goes according to plan Lewis will reveal whatever he's working on that he was so desperate to get rid of me for. I guarantee you, if Lewis gets to put his plan in motion people will get hurt. He's incapable of doing anything right the first time, and his backup plans always involve killing witnesses."

Barry sighed. "Good point."

xXx

"I don't like this." Cisco stated as his eyes tracked the blonde across his monitors. He watched as she stooped beside the body lying on the floor. Captain Cold watched her himself as she knelt beside him setting the scene for his father.

"Ready?" she asked her voice filtering through speakers of Cisco's station.

"As I'll ever be I suppose." Leonard replied trying not to flinch as she stuck the needle in his neck.

"What is she injecting him with?" Lisa asked Caitlin watching The Canary's every move.

"Tetrodotoxin." Caitlin told her. "It's the toxin in Pufferfish. It simulates death by slowing the heart rate. Anyone just looking for confirmation of death won't notice the faint pulse." she explained.

"And it's safe?" Lisa tore her eyes from the screens to look at Dr. Snow. Caitlin was taken back by the intense concern in Lisa's eyes.

"Leonard asked me to double check the syringe. For his size it's the right dose. He should be fine. We're monitoring his vitals and Canary has a com in her ear. If I see anything wrong with his vitals all I have to do is give her the word and she'll administer a steroid to bring him back." Caitlin tried to reassure her. "I promise we're not going to let anything happen to him."

"Thank you." Lisa replied softly. Caitlin nodded, turning back to the screens. Leonard was lying prone on the concrete floor of the warehouse he, Lisa and Mick had set up shop in. They'd left everything as is, making it look like she'd caught him unaware while Mick and Lisa were out on a food run. The area around him had already been set up to coincide with the prosthetic wound across his throat.

"A van's just pulled up." Cisco called out drawing their attentions back to the screens. Cameras had been set up all along the warehouse inside and out, tracking every movement made in the area. The van was large and grey and stopped just along the edge of the warehouse. Having heard Cisco's warning The Canary retreated to the shadows, keeping up her usual cloak and dagger persona. A few moments later, Lewis entered the warehouse flanked by three other men.

They watched as Lewis stopped a few feet from his son's body and sighed. "You're reputation is well earned." he called out into the warehouse.

"Save the compliments for the boastful." she replied stepping out of the shadows just enough to let them know where she was but not to reveal herself completely. Her voice was distorted by a machine.

Lewis smirked. "As ruthless as you are efficient. I expected nothing less." he replied as he pulled out a cell phone. He punched in a few numbers then looked up at her. "The money is in your account my dear." she nodded before shifting as if she were going to walk away. "Of course," Lewis called out stopping her. "There's more money if you're interested in more work." he offered. The Canary shifted minutely, giving off an air of interest. "I'm planning something big, as I've already hinted. Someone with your skills could be very useful to my endeavor."

Canary hesitated for a moment as if stopping to think before; "I don't think that's a good idea."

"What is she doing?" Barry asked. She's supposed to get information from him, not turn him down."

"She can't seem too eager." Mick replied. "Lewis isn't as good as Leonard, but Leonard learned to be suspicious from his father. If she jumps on the chance, he'll be suspicious of her."

"Oh, any reason why not?" Lewis asked.

"I'm not the type of professional who jumps in without all the details, and judging by your cagey behavior so far, you're not the type to disclose all the details."

Lewis took a deep breath and smirked. "I'll make you a deal. Take care of...this." he gestured to Leonard's body. "And then meet me," he pulled out a folded piece of paper and set it on the table. "Here, in three hours and I'll read you in as my second." he offered. She watched him closely before nodding discreetly.

Lewis barely spared a second glance at the bloody body of his son before turning and leading the way out of the warehouse. When he was gone a blur of red and gold zipped in through a side door, followed much slower by the rest of the group. Caitlin immediately made her way over to Leonard, Lisa on her heels. She knelt down beside his body and injected him with a steroid. It only took a few seconds for him to take in a deep breath, snapping out of the induced coma.

"Your father's a real piece of work, Cap." The Canary told him as he sat up anxiously, tearing off the prosthetic around his neck.

"No shit." Leonard replied. He let Caitlin look him over before getting to his feet.

"Now what?' Lisa asked.

"I go meet him." Canary replied. "I assume you have a way to discreetly monitor wherever I go." she directed at Cisco. He nodded. "Good, then I'll wait for his meet time." As if on cue her phone buzzed in her utility belt and she pulled it out. "Change of plans." she said carefully, squinting at the screen.

"What do you mean?" Leonard asked.

Canary sighed. "Looks like Lewis wants a little family reunion." she looked to Lisa. "He wants me to bring you to him."

"No." Leonard replied just as Lisa replied;

"Okay."

"You're not going anywhere near him." Leonard told him.

"And how exactly do we explain her showing up without me?"

"You got away." Leonard replied. Lisa shook her head.

"She's a highly trained assassin. I doubt he'd believe that." Lisa told him.

"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right." Barry added. Leonard glared but before he could say anything The Canary interrupted.

"If you're really hell bent on keep her away from him tonight, we could play to his pride and convince him she got away. Of course, that could just convince him to send more people after her. People who aren't as… disciplined."

xXx

Leonard heard a sigh behind him and turned just enough to see The Canary standing a few feet behind him. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I promise you, I won't let anything happen to your sister, Captain." she told him, moving to stand beside him.

"You have a sister don't you?" he asked. "You seemed happy that I'd ask about Lisa before worrying about myself the other night."

The Canary looked away. "I had a sister." she said. "She's much better off without me." she continued. "Everyone is." she added finally looking at him.

Leonard watched her before stepping closer. "Not everyone."

Canary snorted. "You're just saying that because I didn't kill you."

"Maybe." he replied. "But you've certainly made life a little more interesting this week."