Chapter 6: Coming Up With a Plan
Earth 716: Los Angeles California, February 4, 2008 (Connor Residence)
The remaining members of the team were currently standing around the living room of the Connor Safehouse, waiting. They were all waiting for Oliver and Catherine Weaver to return from their daring escape from Zeira Corp. But it's been over two hours since they had left. Two hours since a speedster had rushed them back home before they could even blink.
Sarah watched her son saddened at the fact that his terminator protector was gone. She knew that they were close, even if not lately. Cameron was John's best friend and he couldn't bear to lose her. But now that she was apart of Jane Henry now, John was left without a protector. Someone to take a bullet for him if he needed. This would surely become an issue if left unattended.
Felicity paced back and forth, frantically. Two hours gave a lot of time for something to go horribly wrong, which caused Felicity to worry. She started to think that maybe all of those incoming soldiers were too much for Oliver. Maybe he was getting to ahead of himself? Maybe Weaver killed him? They weren't exactly sure. Today turned out to be one crazy day. Even for them. Aside from battling evil speedsters, other Metahumans, and even an ancient immortal. This managed to be very different from those experiences. They had no redeeming qualities that could help give them insight on what to do. Their mission just got a whole lot more complicated. It was day two, and that only left five more days to stop Skynet.
There wasn't much time.
"I better go find them." Barry announced. He was patient enough, like Oliver requested. He waited longer than he was willing to. Something must have gone wrong if they weren't back yet.
"We should wait a little longer." Sarah opinionatedly replied, while biting her fingernails anxiously.
"It's been two hours already. Something could have gone wrong." Felicity mentioned. "I think we should send out a search team for them."
"No." Sarah shook her head. "It's too dangerous to be sending people out there."
"Jane Henry, do you think you can locate them?" Caitlin asked the young artificial intelligence. She liked that look of innocence that she displayed in her demeanor.
"I can't access the Internet, so long as your friend is taking up space in my chip." Jane Henry explained simply. "I'm sorry I can't be of much help."
"How is she doing?" John asked in a calm manner. He wasn't angry at the AI, but instead himself. Cameron made a choice to protect Jane Henry, and that's what she was doing. It seems that Jane Henry is returning the favor.
"She is stored safely if that's what you are asking. What do you plan on doing with her?" Jane Henry asked curiously. She looked at Cisco whom had requested it from her. She had a general idea, but if anything Savannah and Ellison taught her, it was that always knowing the answer wasn't the best way to make friends.
"When Oliver and Catherine are back I have a plan." Cisco answered simply.
"Okay, we've waited long enough. I'm going to go run around the city and see if I can locate them." Barry impatiently said.
"No, you're not!" Sarah grabbed Barry by the arm. "This is our world! Ours! I don't want either of you running around in those stupid costumes you brought. It would surely be too much for anyone to handle. Especially if Skynet were to learn of your abilities."
"We came here to help out of the goodness of our hearts, Sarah," Felicity quipped. "If you want our help then you better start being a little more trusting for once in your Goddamn life!" Sarah gave the blonde techie a piercing glare. Felicity seemed a bit uncomfortable at the fact, but she did her best to stand her ground.
"Damn… the blondie has more balls than Riley ever did." Jesse snickered. Everyone gave the tied up aussie a piercing glare, but did their best to ignore her, and focus on their next plan.
"Then what do you suggest?" Sarah asked Felicity.
A smirk came of satisfaction came across Felicity's face. "Give me a computer, and an Internet connection, and I will be able to pinpoint their location… well at least a rough estimation of where they are."
"No need." Everyone turned their attention to see the front door open, and Catherine Weaver, and Oliver Queen walk in with Cameron's body slung over Weaver's shoulders. Everyone aside from Sarah, Derek, and Jesse were delighted that they made it. Weaver neatly set Cameron's body down on the sofa.
Felicity unexpectedly wrapped her arms around Oliver, which certainly caught him by surprise. "I was beginning to get worried."
"Well I'm fine." Oliver reassured the quavering blonde. He turned his attention to the red headed terminator stoically standing over Cameron, and spoke with venom in his voice. "What you did back there. It was uncalled for!"
"Those men were after Jane Henry." Weaver answered flatly. "I'll do whatever is necessary to ensure her survival."
"Killing is not the answer!" Oliver said through his teeth. He turned to face the whole group with a serious expression engraved on his face. "We do things a different way where we are from, and we get it done without blood on our hands!"
"Oliver-" Barry was trying to reason with before being cut off.
"Not now, Barry!" Oliver ignored the speedster, and continued his focus on Sarah, Derek, and Catherine Weaver.
"I am Terminator. It is in my nature to kill." Weaver deadpanned.
"Not if you're helping us!" Oliver argued. Never did he know that machines were so stubborn and frustrating to talk to.
"I don't believe I agreed to help you." Weaver persisted. "I don't think I agreed to help any of you for that matter. I have my mission, and only Jane Henry is my priority. Jane Henry. Come. We must be going." Weaver turned to leave, but Oliver grabbed her cold wrist and warped her back around.
Thinking this was a sudden attack, Weaver's had turned into a blade, and she swung to strike Oliver.
Barry noticed this, and time slowed down, just in enough time as Weaver's own hand slowly plummeting down. He ran to Oliver and moved him out of the way of the incoming blade, and also forced Weaver's hand down to her side to avoid any accidents that could possibly occur. Barry ran back to his original spot, and time sped back up again.
Oliver looked around confusingly as he wondered how he ended up across the room so quickly. The last he remembered, Catherine Weaver was about to slice him up.
Weaver too looked around the room in perplexity, as she looked down anybody her still blade morphed arm. "What happened?" She inquired.
"Barry just showed you that it's best if you obey our wishes," Felicity giggled, knowing the exact reason for this confusion.
"Now, listen to me, Catherine." Barry spoke to the liquid metal terminator in a calm manner. "Cameron is still in Jane Henry. We only agreed to using her chip because of the situation. I expect you to help us in return."
Weaver looked at Barry with intimidating eyes, as she did not like being told what to do. But it was his request, and he seemed to be more mature than most people in this room. "If you were to find a replacement chip, then what makes you think you can just separate their code? Surely you would need the technology, and the most brilliant minds this world has to offer, if you even can attempt this feat."
"We have people who can do that." Barry explained, as he pointed at Cisco, Caitlin, and Felicity. "They are some of the most brilliant minds that my world has to offer."
Weaver pondered on that Barry's request, and walked up to Cameron's body where John was sitting next to her, stroking her hair. To her it seemed like a waste of time and most certainly a huge risk. They cared too much about a single machine for some reason, and she couldn't understand why. What she saw today was something that even she could never understand. Simply just trusting this Barry Allen, this Oliver Queen, was most certainly not what she was intending.
But it was only right. She, along with Ellison had been teaching Jane Henry on Morals and Ethics. Morals are the principles on which one's judgments of right and wrong are based, while Ethics are the principles of right conduct. Jane Henry agreed to keep the cyborg's memory alive because she values all life; whether that be human or machine. It was only right that she be that influence on Jane Henry. "Your attachment to your cyborg is unnecessary. But out of good faith, I will return the favor, and help you."
"Why do I sense a but in this?" Cisco nonchalantly mentioned.
"Because, Mr. Ramon. There is a but." Weaver informed the obvious. "Your cyborg is that of living tissue. Synthetic skin-"
"We already know that. What does this have to do with anything?" Sarah quipped.
"If you would let me finish, Ms. Connor. I would be happy to explain further," Weaver replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Without a chip present, the endoskeleton is fully shut down. There is no standby mode to ensure that her blood pumps keep flow throughout the skin."
"So you're saying, that without her chip being present, her body will what?" John stood up and asked. "Start to decay?"
"Correct." Weaver acknowledged. "We need to move quickly if you still desire your cyborg to have flourishing skin."
"How different is Jane Henry's body from Camerons?" Caitlin then asked the red headed woman. "Do you think we can swap bodies for the meantime, or does their skin work the same way?"
"My display tells me that this endoskeleton is a T-950, Model 546. It's more advanced than the TOK-715, but our blood pumps work the same. It wouldn't do much if I were to control her body, as this one would have the same effect without a chip."
"Then how were you able to keep your skin from decaying then?" Felicity asked curiously. "You didn't have a chip before this."
"I was able to cycle them on my own as I inhabit this body. It was quite difficult at first, but I eventually succeeded." Jane Henry explained rather simply, with a childish smile. She liked educating herself on strangers, it was something that she solemnly did. Only Mr. Ellison, Catherine Weaver, Savannah Weaver, and Mr. Murch were her only friends to reconcile with.
"How long do we have until… the process starts?" John then asked Weaver. The thought of Cameron looking like a corpse haunted him. He pushed that thought back down and focused on right now.
Weaver knelt down in front of the sofa, where she began to study Cameron's body. She her hand on her face. It was still rather warm. Cooler than it should be, but still just the perfect temperature. Weaver concluded that given it's been two hours since she was inactivated, that left them with only very little time. "Due to a Terminators synthetic skin being slightly inferior to that of real human tissue, I calculated that it will begin active decay within 24 hours at most. At that point the skins blood flow will cease and there is no reversing the effects."
"We don't have 24 hours, we barely have five days left!" Oliver angrily fumed. Harrison Wells stated that they only had a week left, and they haven't even begun to locate Skynet yet. This was beginning to become a waste of time.
"We're not doing this without her," John blared angrily.
"I figured as much." Weaver stated. She continued to look over Cameron, trying to find a temporary solution to this predicament. Then the unexpected happened, as Weaver had suddenly ripped Cameron's shirt open. Everyone's eyes immediately went wide, and most had turned their heads and closed their eyes.
"Whoa, okay!" Cisco exclaimed in astonishment and turned away. "Why isn't she wearing anything underneath?"
"Why the hell did you do that!" John spat at Weaver in anger. He was one of the only ones that didn't turn away. He didn't like what Weaver was doing to Cameron.
"I am injecting some of the nanites, that make up my mass, into her," Weaver explained rather simply. "They will keep her blood flow circulating, providing us with more time to locate another chip, so she can still keep her living tissue."
Weaver's right index finger turned into a small pointed needle, and she slowly stuck it underneath Cameron's left breast, as she nanites began to spread throughout her skin sheath. Once enough of the nanites were injected, she removed her finger.
After Weaver stood up, and walked to the far corner of the room, Sarah came rushing back in with a blanket and covered Cameron's torso with it. She looked up and noticed the stares coming from Cisco, Barry, Oliver, and even Derek. She rolled her eyes so far she was surprised to say her retinas didn't snap. Even the most hardened soldier that hates machines was staring at her indecency form.
"Congratulations, Ms. Weaver, you just made every guy in this room, drool over a machine." She sighed heavily. To her surprise though, her son didn't even focus on her like she'd expect from a boy his age. He was instead infuriated with how his female terminator was being treated. She was glad to say that she taught her son self restraint in times of need.
"Well, this experience is definitely going into my fan fiction." Cisco mumbled with a smirk. Caitlin appeared to be the only one who actually heard him, and gave him a piercing glare. "Or it won't?"
Caitlin punched his shoulder. "Yeah, nice try."
"Ow!" Cisco rubbed his now bruised shoulder. "Okay, I'm sorry. I will forget this just because she's a friend."
"How mature of you." Jesse sarcastically laughed from behind him. Cisco almost jumped, forgetting that the season two villain was still in the room, tied to a chair.
"I'm going to be honest with you. You're hot, but crazy!" Cisco blared at the aussie with annoyance. "Why do we let her listen to our plans anyway?"
Everyone just shrugged in response.
"Now I see why we always get outsmarted." He then added quietly.
"We need to focus back on the plan," Oliver redirected the subject. Everyone looked at him, as he began to speak. "We don't have enough time to both look for Skynet and a replacement chip for Jane Henry. We need to split up if we're going to have a shot at this."
"Split us up?" Sarah inquired confusingly as she crossed her arms.
"Our time here is sensitive. We have enough people, and we can all get this done quickly if we spread our focuses elsewhere." Oliver explained methodically.
"Then what do you suggest?" Derek then asked.
"Because Barry has super speed, he is going to aid in tracking down Skynet. Felicity is, if not the best hacker in our universe. She, along with Barry, Derek, Sarah, and Weaver are going to make up one team; while me, John, Cisco, Jane Henry, and Caitlin will make up the other, where we will track down another replacement chip."
"What aid will Jane Henry bring in finding a chip for your cyborg?" Weaver asked Oliver with confusion.
"The walking puddle is right." Derek strongly agreed. "We need to focus our efforts on Skynet. That means more people would be preferable if we will even have a small chance in locating it. "
"Jane Henry can now hold her own in a fight if we need her. She's staying with us." Oliver argued.
"Then we're taking Cisco." Sarah finally spoke again, trying to fight the urge to wince at actually choosing him as a teammate. Searching for Skynet was of top priority, thus having the need for a much larger team. Cisco didn't appear to be too happy with this decision however, as he looked at the ground in sadness. "Don't worry, they'll handle Cameron." She then assured. Never did she ever think that Cisco would be the one that she'd have to tell this to.
"Then it's settled. Two teams with one mission." Oliver nodded in acceptance. Maybe now everything would unfold together.
"And what about me?" Jesse then asked curiously. Everyone turned to face the snippy brunette, having almost forgotten about her again.
"You're coming with me." Oliver sternly told the aussie. He didn't trust her whatsoever and he didn't feel comfortable with leaving her out of his sight.
"Yay, I get to tag along with Robin Hood and his merry band of misfits." Jesse sarcastically scoffed. She definitely wasn't looking forward to this.
Earth 1: Central City: (Star Labs)
Laurel was in complete distraught. A concept she had difficulty understanding. She was a Metahuman. Humans with incredible abilities that were first created over a year ago when the particle accelerator exploded and covered everyone in the city with dark matter; thus granting them powers. But that was the thing. At the time of the explosion, she was in Starling City. She wasn't even considered a hero yet. Just a young lawyer that had nothing good going for her except being captured by Slade Wilson, and his henchmen.
For years, Laurel always strived to help people. Run into danger to save people. After her sisters passing, she did just that. She became the Black Canary to honor Sara.
But now…. Now what was she? If she was indeed a Metahuman, then what was that ability she'd carry? Super speed like Barry? The power of flight? Maybe she would be as stronger than a speeding locomotive?
She wasn't sure. But she had a feeling she would soon find out. Both Laurel, and Summer were sitting around the cortex, waiting for Harry to come back with results on her newly acquired ability.
Laurel could tell that Summer was anxious. She honestly couldn't blame her. Being stuck here against your will was never fun. But it was in fact necessary. A fiction cyborg from another world was hunting her and it was a bad idea to let her out of their sights without proper protection.
After a while, Harry came storming back into the cortex, looking even more frustrated than the last time. Both Laurel and Summer stood up, both eagerly awaiting his answer.
"I don't know what your abilities are," Harry announced in iritably.
"What do you mean?" Laurel inquired in confusion.
"What I mean, Ms. Lance, is that despite your cells being flooded with dark matter, I can't predict what your Meta gene is." Harry explained.
"Maybe it isn't actually affecting her then? Maybe she is immune?" Summer proposed unsurely. She started wondering if maybe this dark matter was harmless after all?
"Mrs. Glau, dark matter is detected throughout her body. My Metahuman detection device wouldn't have even went off if she was not one," Harry explained to the brunette in the most simple way he knew how.
"I mean is there any other way we can test it?" Laurel proposed willingly. "How do other Metahumans find out about their abilities?"
Harry pondered on that question for a long moment. He never really had seen how a Metahuman would showcase their powers. It really varied between each individual as to how the gene would manifest itself. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. "We need to put you in a state of stress. When you feel threatened, or someone close to you were to be in the same position, that could help find your powers."
To say the least, Laurel did not like that plan. The idea of putting someone she deeply care about in danger was not worth it. "Yeah, no way we're doing that. I don't want to risk my, or anyone else's life, all for a stupid power that could end up being like the ability to transform into a small rodent, or something as watered down as that."
Just then, Iris came walking back into the cortex, holding a big brown paper bag in hand. "I bought Big Belly Burger since some of us might be here for a while." She saw all strange looks that everyone gave her, and in turn looked at them in confusion. Maybe right now wasn't the time for food? "Okay… so what did I miss?"
"We don't know what my powers are." Laurel answered simply.
"Why not?" Iris asked. "I thought Harry was one of the greatest minds that Earth 2 had to offer?"
Barely hearing that statement, Summer looked at Iris, then Harry with utter confusion. "Earth two?"
"Look," Harry ignored Summers question, and he focused on the criticism he was given by Iris. "Just because I created Metahumans on my Earth doesn't mean I know everything there is to know about them. All Metas have unique abilities. Not one is the same to the others, and if they are, they still have a unique aspect to them. So let's stop always looking at me for answers because not even I know everything!"
"You created them!?" Summer then asked, only to be ignored like last time, when Harry stormed back of the the cortex, smacking Cisco's toy dinosaurs off of the center console.
Iris sighed heavily. "Harry has issues." She took a seat in one of the chairs and opened the bag of Big Belly Burger and started to eat some fries from it. "You know we can figure this out, we just need time." She said with a mouthful of fries.
"What if I start growing gills or something? I mean do you know how hard it will be to hide that?" Both Summer and Iris shook their heads. "Well neither do I! I don't want to start being called the Black Coy!"
"I don't know it has a nice ring to it." Iris mused on the name for a moment. "Now we just need to get you a bubble gun that shoots acidic bubbles or something like that."
Laurel gave her a long glare, before sighing in frustration. She reached into the bag, that Iris held in her lap, and pulled out a burger, before taking bite into it.
Summer silently watched the two stress eat, and pondered on grabbing something for herself. Is it for the taking, or?
"You know what," Laurel suddenly spoke with enthusiasm. "I don't need powers!"
"That's the spirit!" Iris agreed cheerfully.
"I've spent a year and a half fighting crime without Metahuman abilities. Who says you can't do anything without power anyway!?"
"You go girl!" Iris chuckled delightfully.
"Jeez, this room is starting to reek of feminism." Summer mumbled to no-one in particular. "How about we come up with a plan on how to stop that Term- man who wants me dead? Then we can talk about no power is needed and all that other crap." She then asked the two.
"Okay, you're right." Laurel agreed. She walked to the center console and placed her burger down, before typing onto it. It took her a long moment before she looked over at the two. "Okay, I honestly don't know how to work this thing."
Summer and Iris walked over to Laurel, where Iris pushed her to the side and began typing onto it, until she was able to pull up a recent news report. "Well, we definitely made the news, that's for sure."
"I'm Lynda Park, and right behind me, is what lies of the very short Central City Comic Con event, after an armed shooter made an attempt on a young actresses life. Summer Glau, best known for her works on Firefly, was almost shot and killed by the armed assailant, until Starling City's very own vigilante: The Black Canary was reportedly at the scene and allowed Summer herself to escape. However, her current whereabouts are unknown. So far, attempts to contact her have been very dismal as her cell phone was left at the panel, as well as the rest of her belongings.
Recent reports have come in, that one of the vehicles owned by Summer, was found in the events parking garage only minutes ago. By the looks of the car, it had gotten into an accident prior. With me, I have a special guest: Detective Joseph West. Who works with the Central City police department, has a few words to say for the comfort of Mrs. Glau's loved ones, and fans."
The young reporter stepped to the side, and Joe stepped into frame, where he began to speak:
"Currently, all of our efforts are going into finding Summer Glau, as well as hunting down and apprehending the shooter. if you live within a two mile radius of the event center, please make sure to lock your doors, and report anything unusual to the authorities. That is all I am at liberty to say."
"Thank you, Detective. As the hours go on, those of you will be the first to hear more unfold in this story. I'm Lynda Park, and this KSFZ 8 Central City news."
"Well... at least they still call me young," Summer shrugged unsurely. Everyone was looking for her. It was expected, sure, and she wanted to leave, but even the man in the news recommended that she stay here. It was apparently the most safest, secure place to be, especially when it was supposedly the Flash's headquarters. Summer was definitely still disappointed that Laurel and Iris didn't give her the tour.
At that moment, Joe came walking into the cortex, looking every exasperated from being pressed by news outlets the last few hours. "We need to work fast. The whole city is going crazy over your disappearance, Mrs. Glau."
"Well, I can't do anything about that!" Summer iratably acknowledged. "If you'd let me go, then I could be put into protective custody."
"Then your 'protective custody' will be slaughtered faster than a cow at a meat farm." Iris strongly mentioned. T-888's were said to be much stronger and durable, so if that knowledge served her right, then this Terminator would take down every police officer, every bodyguard like it was just a Sunday stroll.
"Then we need a plan." Laurel then suggested. "This machine is still hunting you, so that must mean that we can use that to our advantage."
"What're you suggesting?" Joe crossed his arms and listened to Laurel with interest beginning to form.
Laurel smirked. "We play an act for this machine. We bait the Terminator with Summer, and we attack when it's guard is down."
"What? No, we are not baiting her." Joe disagreed with that plan. "It's too dangerous, and what if something goes wrong? I'll be responsible for her."
"Do we really have a choice?" Summer inquired. "The only way to lure this guy out of hiding is to use me. I am his target."
"Summer-" Joe tried arguing, only to be cut off by the fiery brunette.
"Detective, I appreciate your concern for my well being, but if I agree with this plan, then we should go through with it. This may be the only way we can get this done quickly. Besides, Laurel is a Meta, so we can use her to back me up if necessary."
"Yeah, but we don't know what my powers are yet." Laurel pointed out.
"Hold on, I just may have an idea." Iris then abruptly spoke. She went back over to the computer console and spoke into one of the microphones. "Harry. I need you to come back up here." She said over the intercom.
"What can Harry do to help?" Laurel asked curiously.
Iris simply answered with a smirk, as Harry had come marching back into the cortex for the third time today. "Yes, Ms. West?"
"Do you still have that gun you used to take down King Shark a few months back?" Iris asked the man, remembering Barry mentioning how he was saved by Harry from a mutated shark man.
"I do." Harry nodded. "Why?" Iris didn't need to respond as the look she gave him was all he needed to know. "You want to use it against the machine."
"It's our only bet since Laurel doesn't have access to her abilities yet." Iris explained. "Can we use it?"
Harry pondered on that request for a short moment before coming up with an answer. "Well, I need to make some slight modifications, but that could work."
"Good." Laurel smiled. "Guess plan B is a go."
All seemed set. A new plan was beginning to take form. One that would take down this alternate universe machine once and for all. At least, everyone was all at an agreement until Summer spoke up again with surprise.
"Wait a minute… King Shark?!"
Earth 716: Los Angeles, California, February 4, 2008: (Connor Safehouse)
With everything said and done, it was the early planning stage of everything that was to unfold. Barry, and his team had set up downstairs; while Oliver and his team had set up their planning upstairs in John's room. One team was to scour the depths of the Internet, and any other source, in search for Skynet. The other team was to search for another Terminator to acquire a new chip that Jane Henry can transfer herself onto. This way, Cameron could be brought back, and they could soon join their efforts onto the other team, and aid them in the destruction of the Artificial intelligence.
Oliver wondered why did he side with searching for a Terminator chip? Why not instead choose to help find the very thing he agreed to come so far for? Nothing was going as planned, as he originally hoped. Cameron became a liability, and now they were cleaning up this mess.
To make sure that no mistakes were made, Oliver decided to educate himself on this universe more. He sat at the foot of the bed, next to Cameron's inactive body. He started watching the second season on Caitlin's laptop, trying to find anything that could prove useful. Considering he was only five episodes in, that wasn't much help. He had to keep going- he had to find some answer that could potentially speed up the process in finding a Terminator.
Across the room, John, Caitlin, and Jane Henry were using a newly bought desktop to continue looking at news websites of any strange occurrences that could lead them to a machine. Everything to strange craters being found in alleyways, to poor souls who were found naked and dead somewhere. It was a difficult process, and so far there was no luck.
Oliver looked up from the laptop and saw none other than Jesse sitting on the floor, at the edge of the wall, near the doorway. She glared at him the whole time, as he had been watching the show. He wanted to say he felt uncomfortable with the staring, but he didn't. He honestly didn't care what this woman thought of him. Technically she was fictional. All of this was fictional.
"So, why do you use a bow?" Jesse curiously inquired with a smirk.
"I beg your pardon?" Oliver looked back up at the sarcastic aussie.
"You could use guns, but no. You like to use that crappy bow. Why do you use something that went out of style way before the industrial age?" She repeated with venom.
Oliver closed the laptop and placed it right next to before standing up and kneeling in front of the former Resistance fighter. "Maybe it's because I like to use something with a little more skill. I like the challenge it brings."
Jesse smirked. "Okay, Robin Hood, all I did was ask. You didn't have to get in my face."
"Maybe I wouldn't need to get in your damn face if you'd start helping us instead of sitting there like a lazy bum!" Oliver snapped in anger.
"Do you really think I'm gonna help you fix her?" Jesse pointed at Cameron. "I guess you're even dumber than I mistook you for." She then added with a scoff.
"We could tie you up again?" John proposed to the woman. "I mean if you don't want to help us, what use are you?"
Jesse gave John a piercing glare but didn't say anything. Despite him being so young, he was still her General, and it was a force of habit to not obey him. She would help, but not for the damn machine. "So you're looking for other metal it seems?"
"Yeah. We are." John stated the obvious.
Jesse stood up and walked over to the desk where everyone was located. So far, every one of their searches consisted of news articles, and strange reports coming from all corners of the city. "Is this all you have?"
"It's the only leads we have so far." Caitlin simply answered.
"Well, Red, maybe you should stop thinking like a detective, and start thinking like a soldier." Jesse sarcastically quipped. "Metal is only ever interested in one thing: It's target."
"What are you suggesting?" Oliver inquired.
"Hunting metal is as easy as it is finding gold in an apple tree. The only way to lure any machine out of hiding is to have it hunt it's target."
"And you want to have John be found. Don't you?" Jane Henry finished Jesse's explanation.
"That could work." John mused. It was an interesting plan. However he never liked being shot at or chased. Not the most joyous experience you could have. Machines hunting you down with the strong intent to kill you.
"That's too risky." Caitlin opinionatedly acknowledged.
"I have to agree." Oliver nodded. "By putting John in the front lines, we risk his life, and that means Skynet wins." Luckily he had enough knowledge to know that much, about this universe, he thought to himself.
"You really are dumb, aren't you, love?" Jesse snickered at Oliver. "We're not going to be putting John in danger, because we have the new scrap metal with us."
"My name is Jane Henry, and I am an artificial intel-"
"Yeah, no-one cares," Jesse interrupted. "You can replicate our voices can't you?" Jane Henry nodded in response. "At least you're useful for something."
"So how do you suggest we have this Terminator find us?" Caitlin then asked Jesse with curiosity forming.
"Machines always monitor any source of media for information on its target. We give a fake alias of Connor, and an area of interest of where he'll most likely be located. For example a high school, and we catch it by surprise."
"I don't know how to fight." Jane Henry spoke up. Everyone, including Jesse, looked at her with surprise.
"You're a machine, you shouldn't need to know how to fight anyway!" Jesse shouted at AI with bitterness. "All you need to do it throw the thing around until we can disable it."
"Wait, hold on a second." John paused for a moment. This was perfect. Jesse did have a point, machines usually relied on brute strength. The only machine he ever saw had the ability to master any form of fighting move was Cameron. John then looked over at Oliver. This man had superb martial arts skills, as well as his main weapon of choice being a bow and arrow; in which he was very skilled with. "Oliver, do you think you can give Jane Henry fighting lessons?"
"We don't have time to teach her." Oliver declined.
"I can learn at an accelerated rate, faster than any human being." Jane Henry explained excitedly. "For what can take days of training for humans, I can learn within a few minutes."
"Teaching her something would be a great benefit." Caitlin shrugged, agreeing to John's suggestion. "It would be better to make sure that she wins, and not the other Terminator."
"Alright," Oliver grumbled unenthusiastically. "Let's take take this to the backyard then."
•••
Meanwhile downstairs, Barry, Cisco, Felicity, and Weaver had their equipment set up in the kitchen. It was a more complicated task, but Cisco, along with the help of Felicity, was able take control of one of the satellites orbiting above L.A. The satellite was more outdated, as compared to the one back on Earth one, but it had its many uses.
Both Felicity and Weaver had created an algorithm for searching any area that either had large power consumption, or strange shipments that involved any of the key words. Coltan alloy, and Kaliba.
While the three searched through satellites, and the Internet, both Sarah and Derek had taken a more old school route and were searching through old Cyberdyne documents, as well as a photocopy of the blood written inscriptions downstairs. For everyone it was a slow delicate process. With it getting very late, it would be wise to call it quits for now, and start fresh in the morning.
Barry suddenly came rushing back into the kitchen, causing Sarah and Derek's papers to scatter all over the place, infuriating the two.
"This is the third time you've done this!" Sarah angrily exclaimed. Barry didn't seem too bothered by Sarah's anger, considering it wasn't the first time it's happened within the hour. Besides, he told them to get paper weights to hold everything in place.
"So, yeah. The unmarked truck heading into the forest… it turned out to be holding an antique collection of dolls." Barry sadly informed.
"Uhhh, this is getting too repetitive!" Cisco tiredly rubbed his eyes. "If the show didn't get canceled, maybe we would have the answers to finding Skynet, and we wouldn't have to use outdated equipment to even find the darn thing!"
"No one ever said it would be easy," Weaver flatly stated. "Skynet will become the most powerful AI the world has ever known. It's expected that it will be in a secure location where it's development can go protected, and free of danger."
"Maybe your baby Skynet could help us, if it didn't decide to take the Tin Miss' damn chip." Derek grumbled. Weaver glared at him, which certainly caused some discomfort in the soldier. Her eyes were blank, and lifeless. Sarah had told him what she really is, and he remembered Jesse mentioning her stumbling across one in the future. As much as he wanted to poke at the liquid metal terminator, he had to show some restraint. This wasn't Cameron. She would cut off his head before he could even blink.
"I found another unmarked truck heading to San Diego." Felicity announced while not taking her eyes off the computer. Barry rounded the kitchen table, and looked at the satellite map that was displayed. He took a deep breath, and put his cowl back on, before instantly rushing out the door before anyone could finish a sentence.
A short moment later, Barry returned, and the papers that Sarah and Derek had picked up, and put back on the table for the fourth time, had scattered everywhere once again. "Fourth time!"
"Sorry." Barry apologized once more. He turned his attention back towards Felicity, and Cisco and handed them a slip of paper. "The truck was definitely transporting some sort of metal, so I looked through its shipment ledger and found nothing."
"And this is?" Cisco simply asked.
"I found it in the driver's pocket." Barry answered. "He wrote it down I guess. Maybe to remember what it was called?"
"Sometimes I admire human error." Weaver smirked and took the slip of paper from Cisco. "Did you get a location, Mr. Allen?"
"Some warehouse outside the city." Barry explained. "There are tons of Coltan in there."
"Then that's the place we're going." Sarah announced from behind. She shuffled the papers together and put them back into folder, just to make sure that Barry didn't blow them all away again. "Start packing, we leave first thing in the morning."
Before she could blink again, Sarah noticed all the bags of weapons, all packed in duffle bags, and all were set on the kitchen table. Sarah wanted to yell at Barry for such a thing, but decided against it. He did have his uses after all.
"Did you load them all?" She then asked the scarlet speedster.
"Yes, and I double checked them," Barry informed. "But we're only using them to kill any terminators. Not humans." He then said with seriousness. "If there is any living person in there that is a threat to us. I will take care of them," Barry specifically looked at Weaved as he finished his sentence. "Got it?"
"Again, I don't understand your reluctance to kill?" Weaver inquired blankly. "But as much as I want to help aid in the destruction of this warehouse, and all of its contents. My duty is here, watching Jane Henry. I will not be accompanying you."
"Why?" Sarah curiously inquired. It wasn't like she cared anyway.
"As I said, Jane Henry is my mission, and I must ensure that your son, and his friends don't bring any harm to her." Weaver reluctantly answered Sarah's silly question. "Besides, I have to attend to the break in, back at Zeira Corp tomorrow morning, as well as make sure Savannah gets to school."
Sarah wanted to vomit at the thought of a liquid metal terminator taking care of an eight year old girl. A machine that was more emotionless than a normal T-888, was taking care of a breathing human being like it was her own. Was it just first impressions, she wondered? The last time she saw a T-1000 was when it tried killing John years ago. They were harder to kill, and very persistent.
Sarah was immediately rushed out of her thoughts upon hearing a loud crash come from the living room. Everybody jolted up, and rushed into the next room, with Sarah and Derek having drawn their weapons, ready to fight any intruder.
The back door, leading into the backyard was destroyed, and glass covered every inch of the carpet and wooden floor. But all was unexpected when they instead found Oliver Queen lying on what once was the coffee table, wincing in pain.
They all looked at the man in confusion as to why he was lying there, and looked back up to see John, Caitlin, Jesse, and Jane Henry all run inside.
"What the hell is going on here?" Sarah demanded.
Jane Henry gave one of her awkward smiles. "Oliver taught me Taekwondo."
•••
Author's Note: Wraps up another chapter! I had originally planned to make this a much longer chapter, but I decided that it would be best to split this one and the next one into two parts. It's not a cliffhanger like the ones before, but it will continue where this one leaves off, and have more action as all teams begin their small missions.
Constructive criticism is gladly appreciated. Reading every one of your reviews are what drives me to write more chapters!