Roy often found it odd how different people reacted to the same set of circumstances. Being in a room with the cops that made up the Rogues Task Force, as well as Team Flash, was particularly enlightening. Perhaps it was the fact that there were only three Rogues present at this meeting that made the RTF think they could order the Rogues around. Or the fact that Roy was the only meta human in the room, and he was currently sporting two very large bandages.
He was wearing his shades as well, Cold was at least going to pretend that they were cooperating.
"The three of you will stay behind in the van while we search the building." A building the cops only knew about because Cisco had been able to find a large abandoned complex using Cold's intel. "If you stay out of our way…"
Roy had honestly stopped listening to Lieutenant…
Shit, he had already forgotten the man's name. Oh well. Roy glanced over to the Snart siblings, the only other two Rogues present. The only other Rogues that were mobile, and not captured by a sociopath.
Neither of the Snarts were paying any attention either. Not that you could tell by looking at them. Cold had nodded at the appropriate times, and had been generally rather agreeable. Which should have been a warning sign in of itself.
Roy turned his attention to his bandaged hand. He flexed it a few times, feeling the stitches pull. The wound on his leg didn't hurt badly…at least not with the pain medication he was on. He even managed to walk with only a slight limp.
His wounds were nowhere near as severe as the others. Shawna had briefly woken up but was still mostly out of it. Hartley…Hartley was still on a respirator. Still barely holding on. Lisa had assured Roy that Hartley was looking much better than he had a few days ago.
Roy had only been able to see Hartley for a few minutes at the hospital today. Roy couldn't imagine how the kid could look any worse.
The Flash was apparently still out of commission, although Cisco had assured them that the Flash would be up and ready by tomorrow night. Which was when they were supposed to storm the complex. The RTF insisting that their enemies wouldn't be expecting a full frontal attack so soon.
Jesse and Grodd would see the strike force coming from a mile away. No doubt this place would be booby-trapped to high heaven. But the Lieutenant had ignored Cold's suggestion of letting the Rogues go in quietly. Keeping the rest of the forces back until they could scope out the complex, disable any tricks they might come across. Even now, the pompous man was dismissive of Cold's input.
"If we find the main power line we can disconnect…"
"This is a police operation, not a bank robbery. If we need advice on how to steal a jewel while we are inside, you will be the first person we contact."
It was a good thing Mick wasn't here. This meeting would have ended in bloodshed. The way Lisa was casually sharpening her fingernails, it still might. Speaking of their missing members…
Cisco pulled an image up on the screen.
"We think that Mardon and Rory are being held here. In the 4th building back from the main gate entrance. I've recorded some irregular temperature and pressure drops in there so…" The Lieutenant cut in. His disdain for the situation apparently spread to the STAR Labs kids as well.
"So this is where we will focus our efforts. Mardon is supposedly being mind controlled by Grodd…" Supposedly. That was the word that was being bandied about. The cops didn't believe that Mick and Mardon had been taken by force. The RTF seemed to be under the impression that they had left willingly. That they had been offered a better deal and had betrayed the rest of the Rogues without a second thought.
Just like Digger.
"…so we need to neutralize him first before…" Cold interrupted the Lieutenant, his voice conveying none of the annoyance that Roy was certain their leader was feeling.
"Neutralize his powers you mean. That is why Cisco created the weather grounding device, correct? So that Mardon's powers wouldn't work and Grodd would have no reason to hold him. So that we can retrieve our missing members without any…accidents."
"…Of course." Roy didn't believe the Lieutenant for a second. This was an opportunity for the RTF to eliminate Mardon. To get rid of a powerful meta with a personal grudge against the police. If they got the opportunity, they wouldn't ask questions, they wouldn't try to help Mardon, they would just take him out.
They would probably get medals for it.
Cold glared at the Lieutenant. If Roy didn't believe the cop's bullshit, there was no way that Cold would. Roy was just waiting for this little charade to be over. For the cops to leave so that Cold could tell him what the real plan was.
Detective West stepped between the two men.
"We all know the plan. No one is going to hurt the captured Rogues." Roy didn't miss how several members of the RTF scoffed at the word captured. Even Detective West had said the word with a tint of disbelief. "We are all in this together. Right?"
Cold smirked.
"Of course Detective."
The Lieutenant continued to glare at the Rogues. Eventually he ground out a very insincere "Of course."
The meeting ended a few minutes later. The RTF filed out of the conference room quickly. Detective West and the rest of Team Flash lingered behind. West closed the door. He turned and looked at Cold.
"Don't."
"To what are you referring, Detective?"
"Whatever you're planning, don't do it. Let the RTF…"
"Let a group that has dedicated the last several months of their lives to hunting down and…neutralizing us, be in charge of the safety of my missing team members? Of course Detective, I can't foresee any problems with that plan."
"Mardon…"
"Is under Grodd's control."
"You don't know that."
"I do. He wouldn't…"
"What? Wouldn't betray you? You would have said the same thing about Harkness right?" Detective West took Cold's momentary silence as acceptance and plowed on. "You can't be sure Mardon didn't leave willingly. That this isn't just another trap. Another mind game cooked up by the Reverse Flash to capture or kill the rest of you."
Cold glared at West. If Cold had any doubts about Mardon's loyalty, he sure as hell wasn't going to admit it to a cop.
"You might not care if Mick or Mardon survive this, but I do. And I have no intention of leaving their fates in the hands of people who would rather see them both dead. Present company included."
"Now wait a minute…"
"You would consider it Detective. You tell yourself you wouldn't, but in the moment, in heat of battle, you would. You worry that Mardon might come for his revenge one day. That he might go after that daughter of yours to get to you. Maybe even a part of you wants revenge for his brother killing your old partner. Oh you might not consciously want to kill Mardon. But a part of you would be willing to let him die if it came to it. You wouldn't react as quickly. You would hesitate for just a second too long. Nothing that anyone would ever be able to prove of course. But we would know…I would know. So you might want to explain to the RTF, that if something happens to Mick or Mardon on this little raid of yours, I will know it wasn't an accident. And the Rogues will retaliate accordingly."
West didn't reply to Cold's accusation or his threat. He glanced quickly towards Roy and Lisa then back to Cold. The Detective raised a finger. He looked a bit like a principal scolding a misbehaving student.
"You stay here, under constant guard. For your own safety."
West left the room. Cisco and Caitlin stood off to the side. Clearly they wanted to follow Detective West. But there was something holding them back. Something they wanted to do or say but didn't quite know how to get it out. Cold was staring at the open door that West had walked out of. At the two uniformed police officers standing on either side of it.
"Well, this is hella awkward."
"I don't know, seems to be going rather well. Nice and cozy now." Lisa winked at Cisco. The boy blushed and turned back to his schematics.
Caitlin walked over to Roy.
"You shouldn't flex your hand like that, you could pull the stitches."
She instinctually reached for his hand and started checking the bandages. Roy wondered when Cisco and Caitlin had gotten so used to being around the Rogues. Cisco, Roy could understand. The boy's interest in Lisa was obvious. But Caitlin had once been taken hostage by Cold and Mick, even Roy had once held a gun to her head. But she treated them like they were any other patients. Roy wondered at that, at the sort of compassion it took to look past the terrible things someone had done and still want to help them.
Roy didn't think he had that type of compassion in him. He knew that when the Rogues caught up to Digger it was only going to end one way. There was nothing the man could do or say that would change that.
Not after seeing what he had done to Hartley.
Roy wasn't sure Cold was going to let any of their enemies live this time.
"Was there something you wanted to tell us Cisco?"
Cold turned towards the engineer.
"What?...No. I mean…You heard Detective West. You guys are like in no shape for a full on fight, I mean your only meta can barely walk. And you got your asses handed to you when you were all at full strength so…"
Cisco's voice petered out under Cold's glare. Roy didn't want to say that the kid had a point, but…
The kid had a point.
Jesse, Walker, Grodd, and Nimbus had all walked away from that fight without a scratch. The Reverse Flash had been behind it all and he hadn't even shown up. That psycho was still waiting in the wings, still at his full power. Meanwhile, the Rogues had suffered greatly.
They were depending on the cops for protection for god's sake. He didn't know if they could sink any lower than that.
"You're right Cisco."
"I am?"
"It's been a long day. We need to rest up for the job tomorrow."
"Oh. Right, we will just…Waaiiittt. You guys just want us to leave so you can plan something right? Like, the second I walk out these doors is Bivolo going to use his powers on the guards? Cause pretty sure you guys won't make it very far."
"Cisco's right. The Reverse Flash…whatever he wants. He wants you guys dead. He tried to kidnap Roy once before, nearly succeeded in killing Harkn... You could be playing right into his hands."
Caitlin was moving towards Cold. Neither her nor Cisco seemed to be afraid of them any more.
They almost seemed…genuinely worried about them.
Cold shared a quick look with Lisa. She gave him a small smirk in response.
"We have no intention of breaking out tonight. Like you said, Roy can barely walk…"
"He shouldn't be putting any weight on that leg." Caitlin turned back towards him. "You should really have it propped up." She quickly moved another chair towards him, she was reaching for a pillow when a thought occurred to Roy.
This was more than genuine concern. Oh of course, that was a part of it. But there was something else there. Something just below the surface. It was barely detectable, but Roy could see it.
Guilt.
Cisco and Caitlin felt guilty about something.
Oh.
"You knew."
Caitlin's hands froze, the pillow only a few inches from his leg.
Cold and Lisa turned towards Roy. The siblings gave him identical questioning looks.
"You knew the thing with Jesse was a trap for us. That the Reverse Flash set it up to get to us."
"We didn't know that the rally was about you guys, we thought…"
"But you knew he was after us?" Cold was looking at Cisco and Caitlin with disdain. "You knew he was planning something, and you let us walk right into it."
"It's not like that." Caitlin moved a few steps only for Lisa to block her way.
"Then what was it exactly? You used us for bait? Figured we would be expendable…"
"No! God no. That's not it. We…only just started to realize what the Reverse Flash was planning. He's trying to destroy the Flash…"
Lisa interrupted Caitlin. Her voice dripping sweetness and venom.
"We knew that part. How about we skip to the part where Hartley and Shawna almost died because of you?"
Cisco was moving his hands nervously. No doubt debating how much he should tell a group of criminals. A group of very angry criminals.
"Ok, so there is this ancient god like thing known as Parallax…"
Cold put his hand on his gun. Roy wasn't entirely sure it was just for effect.
"We know about that, got one of his artifacts propping up a table at the safe house."
"Oh…that was you guys? Of course it was you guys…look so according to the legends, Parallax was a fear god right? And back in the olden days people would offer up sacrifices to Parallax. Except, from the incredibly traumatizing records we have translated, it wasn't just killing some poor sap on an alter. The person had to be literally scared to death. And trust me you do not want to know the kind of messed up techniques they used. I mean I am still having nightmares just having read about them and there was this one way where they would take spiders and…"
"Cisco…focus."
"Right. Sorry. So the legend was that Parallax would reward his followers who were particularly skilled in the art of using fear as a weapon. Reward them with powers that no one could explain. Imbue artifacts with the power to 'make oneself an enemy to all'. Whatever that means. We think that is why the Reverse Flash has focused on Bivolo. All he has to do is point Roy in the right direction and Boom! Instant fear. But he wasn't able to grab Roy at the rally like he wanted."
"Hartley was able to disrupt Grodd's powers, delaying Harkness from getting to Roy. Once they realized they were about to have dozens of cops firing at them, the band of misfit toys had no choice but to bail. But they managed to grab Mardon…"
Cold and Lisa finished Cisco's thought.
"Who could create a tidal wave or several tornados…"
"To instill the same kind of fear."
"Exactly, we think he is going to go ahead with his plans to summon Parallax or whatever it is, using Mardon instead of Roy. Mardon can kill thousands, the Reverse Flash probably thinks that the body count will outweigh the fact that he doesn't have the strongest fear possible…which might also explain why Grodd killed those people at the apartment. I mean, everyone knew that Pete dude was lying about having a meta who could turn people's fears real. We were able to figure that out pretty quick. We…think he knew Roy would go there, knew that he was an old cellmate. And he waited until…"
"Grodd ripped all those people to shreds, to make my powers stronger?"
"Yea….I mean, we don't know that for sure. Could be that this Pete guy just had really, really bad luck. But, the stronger your emotions are, the stronger the emotions you will instill in others will be. And, that's kind of the Reverse Flash's thing, make his opponents stronger and then use their powers for his own twisted needs."
Cold seemed to process all the information Cisco and Caitlin had given them quickly.
"So you knew he was going to target Roy since the massacre at Roxalana, and you didn't think to warn us?"
"We…we were going to. Seriously, like one hundred percent we were going to tell you. We needed to figure out what he was after, and make a plan. I mean we weren't super sure that was what he wanted until Flash found Roy in the sewers and then it all kind of clicked into place, and then we got distracted with some other stuff…And…We just…we didn't expect you to show up and…save us. We thought we had more time to…"
"Get out."
Cold's tone brokered no argument, the underlying threat in his words was clear, but still they hesitated. Caitlin stepped towards Cold.
"We…we thought we had it under control, that the risks outweighed the…"
"Get. Out."
There was no hesitation this time.
Cold closed the door on the retreating former STAR Labs employees. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. Lisa put a hand on her brother's shoulder.
"Not like we didn't know we couldn't trust them."
Cold shrugged off his sister's hand.
"If the plan was to get to Roy, why did Digger try to kill him?"
"Digger's not the best at following orders. Maybe he was just going to disable Roy as much as possible?"
"You guys know I'm sitting right here."
"No offense Roy. But you heard the eggheads. You were the focus. If we can…"
"It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what the Reverse Flash wants, or why he took them. We are getting them back. And we can't do it here."
Finally.
Roy sat straighter in his chair, pushing the pain in his hand and leg out of his mind.
"So…what's the actual plan boss?"
Getting past the guards was easier than even Roy had thought it would be. The Snart siblings may not be metas, but they were incredibly intelligent strategists. Plus they both had a mean right hook.
Lisa hotwired a car outside and they drove back to the safe house. Cold had yet to fully explain the plan. Roy knew they had to go back to get more weapons. Regroup, then head out.
"Since we are low on team mates, we are going to have to up our firepower. Everyone is going to be carrying a weapon, including you Roy."
Once they were back at the safe house, Cold pulled out Hartley's computer. Cold started to recalibrate Hartley's program that blocked Grodd's influence. Altering it with information Cisco had provided, so that their earpieces would be enough to block the telepathic gorilla, and so that they could carry extras for Mick and Mardon.
Lisa starting bringing out weapons from the armory. Every excess weapon they had yet to get around to selling was thrown into a pile on the floor. Roy sat down on an unopened crate and started opening a few of the duffel bags he knew contained grenades and explosives.
He paused when he opened a bag containing half completed boomerangs. He stared at them for a moment, not really sure what to do with them. Lisa saw his hesitation and walked over. She reached down and pulled out one of the boomerangs. It wasn't one of the trick ones that exploded or electrocuted someone. This is one of the razor sharp ones. The ones he used to stab Roy.
To almost kill Hartley.
Lisa slid the boomerang through her belt, it gleamed on her side.
"I'm going to stab that asshole in the heart with one of his own weapons. Karma can be a real bitch like that."
Roy nodded, then looked back into the bag again.
It felt so odd. To think only a few days ago Roy had been watching Digger sit at the kitchen table and rig some of his explosive boomerangs. Talking to him about some random thing that Roy couldn't even remember. Had Digger known then that the weapons he was building would be used on his own teammates? That he would be trying to kill the same people who had risked their lives for his countless times?
He had to have.
And he had just laughed and drank and acted like he didn't have a care in the world.
Roy zipped the bag and tossed it away from the weapons pile.
He couldn't believe he had fallen for it. That they had all believed that the mercenary gave a shit about any of them.
It had all been a game to Digger.
Their lives meant nothing to him.
Lisa handed Roy a gun of some kind, then she picked up a missile launcher and stared down the sight.
Roy raised an eyebrow. Lisa smirked.
"Every girl knows that an outfit isn't complete without the proper accessories."
Roy didn't know how she was planning on being covert with a missile launcher strapped to her back, but if anyone could pull it off it would be Lisa.
He moved his leg slightly and a sharp pain raced up his body. He hissed at the sudden reminder of his injury. He was going to have to take more drugs in order to get through this. Lisa looked at him worriedly.
"You up for this Roy?"
"Sure. Why not."
"If you can't…"
"I'll be fine."
Which was probably a lie. He was going to have to make sure he grabbed a few vials of morphine before they left. He couldn't let Cold and Lisa go into this alone. They wouldn't stand a chance against so many enemies. Not that he would be able to do much good, but he had to try.
If Jesse hadn't grabbed Mardon, they would have taken him. Roy was the one that the Reverse Flash had really wanted.
The one that could cause the most fear. It would make sense for Roy to stay behind.
He shook the thought quickly from his mind. Barely letting it register.
Mick and Mardon were Rogues, and there was no way in hell he was going to leave them to die for some sociopath's plan.
Cold walked over and handed them earpieces. Lisa handed her brother a few extra guns as well.
"We have to go in quietly. They are going to know we will be coming and will have traps set up in preparation. Once the shit hits the fan, do what you have to do. Anyone who isn't Mick or Mardon, you shoot to kill."
Roy nodded. He had assumed the no-kill policy no longer applied.
"I've managed to pull up some plans of the complex. There is a sewer line that runs from a nearby factory right underneath the building we believe they are keeping Mardon in. It's how Grodd has been able to move between the two without being seen. We will enter through the factory, walk through the sewer line until we reach this junction, and here is where we will set a trap for Grodd. We need to neutralize him first so that he can't take control of us or of Mardon. Once we enter the warehouse, there will be a security station on the second floor. If we can get there, we will be able to keep eyes out for our missing members. Extraction is the main goal. Don't go looking for fights if you can avoid them. Once we have Mick and Mardon, then we can focus on settling scores."
Roy and Lisa looked at the plans. It was a clear entry point. Which also made it the perfect place for them to be attacked. For Jesse or Grodd to be lying in wait for them.
Lisa looked at her brother.
"Lot of question marks here. Lot of way this could go wrong."
"I know. But we don't have a choice. The Reverse Flash will know we are coming any time, so he will be getting on with his ritual soon. And the longer we wait, the more time we give them to set up more traps. I…I don't know what we will find once we get inside. But we stick together, and we watch each other's backs. Which is more than Jesse or any of his team will do. If we can separate them, if we can show them that we aren't backing down, they will cave."
Roy nodded at that. He thought back to the time before the Rogues, to when the metas had been sprung from the transport at Ferris Air. The first thought they each had when things when sideways was to watch their own back. Screw anyone else.
That was the way that Jesse, Grodd, Walker, and Nimbus would fight.
And that was how they would lose.
If Roy had known that joining the Rogues meant he would spend so much time in sewers with murderous telepathic gorillas, he might have declined Snart's original offer to join.
The pain in his leg was a mild hum, easily ignored with the help of pain killers. Probably more than were medically recommended, but there was a job to do. Plus, all the good artists had some kind of drug addiction. He was just leaning into the stereotype.
They moved quietly, hyperaware of the fact that Grodd was somewhere nearby. And that they were most likely walking into a trap. It didn't help that Jesse had spray painted ROGUES THIS WAY with a large arrow on the wall.
"Subtle."
Cold kept moving, ignoring the writing. He and Lisa had their guns out, ready to fire at any moment. Both had large canvas bags full of weapons and anti-meta devices strapped to their backs. They hoped by moving quickly they could at least catch their enemies slightly off guard. Cold made a hand motion and they all stopped.
Roy could hear it now. The slight sound of someone very large, breathing slowly. It was still early morning. Even telepathic gorillas had to sleep at some point. They might have gotten lucky. Might be able to get past Grodd without a fight.
Lisa pulled a canister out of her bag. The gas should knock Grodd out, keeping him out for at least an hour. She lifted her arm to toss it around the corner, when Cold suddenly grabbed her hand.
She looked at her brother for a moment before lowering her arm.
Cold moved around the corner, his gun outstretched before him. He lowered it slightly. Roy and Lisa followed behind him.
In the middle of the room was small stuffed gorilla with a tape recorder on its chest.
"Shit."
Roy barely got the word out before Grodd dropped down from an access tunnel above them. His loud growl filled the room. Cold jumped to the left. Lisa tackled Roy to the right. They landed painfully, just as one of Grodd's massive arms missed their heads by inches.
Roy could feel this odd pressure at the back of his mind, like someone pushing their hand against the inside of his skull. Grodd was trying to reach into their minds, trying to take over. Grodd looked frustrated by his inability to control them. He released another angry roar before rearing up to strike.
A blast of bright light encompassed Grodd's legs. Cold was standing behind the gorilla and…oh.
Grodd broke the ice holding his legs and charged at Cold. Picking the man up and slamming him into wall.
Lisa fired a few rounds from a pistol at Grodd before throwing it down in frustration. Her gold gun had fallen out of her holster and skittered across the room when they had jumped out of the way. She grabbed a knife from her belt and jumped onto Grodd's back, stabbing him in the neck.
Grodd dropped Cold, but flung Lisa across the room. She smacked into some pipes and they bent on impact. Roy activated his powers, trying to put all of his focus into calm.
It wasn't easy, the adrenaline and fear at being so close to Grodd again kept causing his powers to weaken. To switch between emotions. He could feel his fear struggling against the calm. He caught Grodd's eyes, the gorilla froze for a moment. Then it moved one foot forward a few inches.
Damnit.
Calm.
He needed to focus on calm.
Breathe Roy. Breathe.
Grodd moved slowly another step forward. His movements were jerky, if Roy didn't get control of his emotions Grodd would break free and kill him. Which wasn't the best thing to think about when trying to remain calm.
He focused on breathing. On the techniques Shawna had taught him.
"In and out Roy. That's all that matters. Don't think about anything else. Just in and out."
Eventually he had managed calming breaths. It had taken him several sessions, several days of learning how to breathe again.
"You learn this at nursing school?"
"Yoga."
"Seriously?"
"They used to have free classes at the Y across from my school. Kept me out of trouble there for a while."
"Hm."
She had punched him in the arm for that.
"I was like thirteen, I was a model citizen." She had been laughing.
Now she was lying in a hospital bed, trying to breath with a collapsed lung.
Roy could feel the stirring of rage in his mind. He pushed it down. He focused on her words.
"Breathe in Roy. Just keep breathing. In and out."
Grodd was standing completely still. There were no movements. No attempts to escape. Roy kept his eyes locked on Grodd's, kept himself focused on staying calm, on keeping his powers working.
Cold put a hand on Roy's shoulder and started guiding him out of the room. Roy walked backwards slowly, his eyes never leaving Grodd's. Once they were safe enough distance away, Cold pulled out the canister and threw it back into the room. The gas filled the air. Cold pulled Roy's arm. Roy followed without hesitation.
When they rounded the next corner, Lisa was there leaning against the wall. She had one hand on her side, the other putting her gold gun back in its holster.
"Sis?"
"Couple of broken ribs. I'll be fine. Already popped a few pain pills."
Cold didn't look happy about that. He looked like he wanted to tell her to stay there. To wait for them to finish the mission without her.
But Lisa was glaring at her brother.
Daring him to say something so stupid.
Finally the mental conversation between the two siblings ended with Cold handing Lisa her rocket launcher. She raised an eyebrow.
"I think it's safe to say they know we are here. At this point, he need to make ourselves a little more…unpredictable."
Lisa smiled.
"Oh I was hoping you would say that big brother."
They headed out of the sewer earlier than originally planned. Once they were on the surface, Roy could see the building supposedly containing Mick and Mardon. It was only a few hundred feet away.
They ducked behind the building. Then Lisa lifted her rocket launcher and aimed it at a few abandoned trucks nearby. The explosion from the cars was huge. Roy didn't see any sign of anyone, but hopefully they would at least send someone to check it out.
The warehouse they entered was full of long rows of metal shelves. Most of them full of odd things like old stuff animals and cans of silly string. Some had large pieces of metal and machines with wires poking out. Roy made damn sure not to touch anything that looked like a toy.
Cold lead them to a side door, from Cisco's intel they knew the warehouse had a basement and a subbasement underneath. Apparently this place had once been used for illegal smuggling activities before the cops shut it down. They moved slowly. Looking for anything that could be a trap or explosive.
Cold lead them to the general area that Cisco had detected the irregular weather patterns.
They entered a room that had a very large cage in the middle of it. It looked like a cage they kept lions in in the early days of traveling circuses. The entire room was decorated to look like a sideshow.
And there in the middle of the cage, was Mick. He was sitting on a crate, staring at his leg.
The pyromaniac looked up when the three of them moved closer.
"What took you so long?"
Mick looked relatively unscathed. A few cuts and bruises but nothing the man hadn't had before.
"Ran into a little trouble with Grodd."
Cold opened the cell door. Mick didn't move for the exit, and then Roy saw why. His hands and one of his legs was shackled. Lisa saw it too and automatically climbed into the cage with Mick. She bent down beside him and started picking the locks. Mick looked at her for a moment, then turned his attention to Cold.
"They got one of those artifact things. Saw them put some kind of weird necklace on Mardon. His powers just started going haywire. Almost killed us both with a lightening bolt before he got it under control."
"Anything else we need to know?"
"Nimbus ain't happy with the power structure. Not enough people for him to kill. He'll bail at the first sign of trouble. The punk kid was the one that brought me my meals. Managed to plant some seeds in his head like we talked about, you'll be able to bring 'em out if you get the chance. Seems like he was already questioning some stuff. Jesse ain't going down unless it's in a body bag."
"Harkness."
"Didn't see him. Not like him to not want to gloat. But Jesse made sure me and Mark knew it was Harkness that put us here….said Harkness killed Hartley. Stabbed him through the heart." Mick's voice had almost gone soft at that last part.
"Hartley's alive."
Mick snorted.
"Course he is. Kid's tough as they come."
Roy gave an involuntary smile.
Lisa finished removing Mick's restraints. Roy could now see how bloody Mick's wrists were. Cuts that ran deep. The man must have been pulling with everything he had to get that damaged.
"Most of the traps are on the lower levels. Saw them going down there a bunch. Guess they figured you guys would come up from the sewers."
"Which we did originally. Had to make a few changes to the plan."
"Only saw the Reverse Flash once, he just came and took Mardon outside not too long ago. Couldn't do much to stop them. I think the show's about to start." Mick's bloody wrists were a testament to how much he had tried to stop them.
"Well then, let's not keep them waiting shall we?"
Snart handed Mick several weapons, including his heat gun.
A loud alarm started blaring. James Jesse's voice filled the air.
"Intruders! Intruders! Halt! You are breaking the law! Just so you know we have a very strict policy against intruders here at Trickster Incorporated. All trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again. And their bodies will be hung up on the roof like scarecrows! Which will really help with the crow problem we have been having lately. You wouldn't believe the mess. Yeesh."
"I'm guessing they know you're here now."
Cold was smirking.
"What can I say, subtlety was never really my thing."
Lisa moved suddenly, pulling something from her bag of weapons.
There was a green gas filling the hallway behind them.
"You boys go get Mardon, I'll take care of Nimbus."
Cold hesitated for a moment, but then gave his sister a nod.
"Be careful sis."
"Please. I'm more than capable of handling a loser like this."
"I know."
There was sincerity in Snart's voice. Lisa's mask dropped for a moment as well. Her small smile was genuine.
Mick interrupted the moment.
"Real touching. Can we go now? I haven't gotten the chance to burn anything in days."
Lisa smirked at Mick.
"You heard him Lenny, get out of here. You know how antsy Mick gets without his fire."
They headed out of the makeshift prison and headed back up towards the ground floor of the building.
All the while Jesse's voice boomed over the loud speakers.
"Intruders! Intruders! Just so you know, I am going to make a fun little game out of this. I hope you don't mind if I talk during the movie. Yes, I am one of those people. But I've never had any complaints. Well, maybe one or two but those people aren't alive any more so they don't' really count, do they? Ohh look out Lisa! Nimbus is choking off your air supply. Oh dear Leonard. Your poor baby sister. She is really struggling. To think you left her down there all alone. All alone with that bad man. Letting that man hurt her like that…"
"I'm going to melt that guys face off."
"He's trying to distract us, put us off our game. Trying to get us to make a mistake. Doesn't want us focusing on…"
Cold bent down suddenly, he shot his cold gun into the air directly above and in front of him.
There were dozen of cans lining the shelves around them. They looked like the fake cans of nuts that had spring loaded snakes in them. Roy wouldn't put it past the old man to find a way to put real poisonous snakes in those things.
"Keep your eyes open we…"
Mick grabbed Roy by the collar and pulled him down quickly. What looked like a…yep that was a cream pie, hit the wall behind him.
And immediately started to eat through the concrete.
Not real cream then.
"Come out, Come out, wherever you are…."
It was clear that Axel Walker had been taking lessons from his father. Trying to mimic the older man's menace and instability. At this particular moment, it was quite effective.
There was a drone flying near them, it had the words Ha Ha painted on the side. And it had been retrofitted to throw concrete melting cream pies. There were three more pies waiting to be thrown at them.
Cold nodded to Mick. Mick grabbed Roy's collar and shoved him one way, while Cold went the other.
The drone followed after Cold. The Roy and Mick ducked behind a nearby crate, the rows of shelves lining the warehouse made it difficult to see where Cold had gone.
"Up there."
Roy followed Mick's gaze. He could see Axel Walker with a remote in his hands standing on a metal scaffolding above the warehouse floor.
"I don't know if I can get him from here."
"You get outside. I'll melt that scaffold and take care of Walker. Find Mardon and calm him down before everything goes to shit."
Roy nodded.
Mick broke away, his heat gun already melting everything around them. They would be lucky if the entire building didn't go up in flames before this was over.
The sound of Jesses's incessant talking had stopped. Meaning the older man must have left his spot in the control room and was fixing to join the fight. Tired of just watching the action on the monitors.
There was another alarm blaring now, probably the old fire alarm. Not to mention the sound of metal crashing down around them.
The noise outside of the building however, was worse.
There was nothing but the sound of wind. It covered every other noise as soon as Roy stepped outside. A roaring, rushing sound. The sound of power coming towards you, of nature pushing back against humanity.
Roy could see multiple tornados. Each moving slowly towards the city. There were dozens of them, moving with an unnatural uniformity. Roy assumed that there were more he couldn't see on the other side of Central City. Creating a circle around it. Slowly moving in an effort to give people time to truly build up their fear. To know that there was nothing they could do. Nowhere they could go.
Trapped in their homes, waiting to watch their families die.
The largest tornado was on the other side of the complex. Although there didn't appear to be any wind with this one. It wasn't moving, it…didn't seem to be like the others. It almost didn't even seem to be a tornado at all. But that was what it had to be. Roy could see movement, swirling energy going up into the sky.
Just above the tornado, just out of sight in the darkened clouds above, there was…something.
Roy could barely understand what he was looking at.
Roy hesitated to even consider what it was his mind thought his eyes were seeing. He could make out movement, but not…not the movement of the clouds and wind. Purposeful, deliberate movement. As though long tentacles of light were worming their way through the clouds. Reaching down out of some other place, some other world.
HP Lovecraft would have a field day with this.
If he lived through this, Roy was going to have to try and find a way to accurately paint the image above him. He doubted he would ever be able to.
Roy had to get to Mardon. Had to calm the man down, get him to stop using his powers.
Roy saw Mardon standing in a large open employee parking lot. He was just standing, his arms raised above his head. Guiding the tornados towards the city.
Grodd was unconscious, but Mardon was somehow still following the orders of the Reverse Flash. Roy remembered when he had held the artifact, when it had activated his powers. Roy had felt his paranoia, his fear rise until he thought about running, until he thought about killing the Rogues before they could kill him.
Mardon always responded to fear with anger. His paranoia would cause him to try and….kill anyone to get his revenge. The man who killed his brother lived in Central City, so he should kill everyone there just to get to the detective responsible. The Reverse Flash could be running around Mardon, whispering in the man's ear. Putting the thoughts in his head without Mardon even knowing. Using Mardon's paranoia to channel his powers just the way the Reverse Flash wanted.
Roy looked behind him. He couldn't see any sign of the Reverse Flash, couldn't see that tell tale streak of lightening. He thought he saw something near the largest tornado, standing far too close. The time traveler was most likely over there. Waiting for Parallax to give him his reward.
Roy kept moving towards Mardon. Though the wind made his progress slow. He struggled with every step. It felt like he had run a marathon, though he had barely made it several yards. Roy saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned towards it.
Cold was trying to take out both of the Tricksters. The wind was blowing debris around, the noise making communication impossible even with their headsets. Cold was holding his own against them, and Roy was too far away to be able to interfere. Cold should…
A door to an adjacent building opened.
Digger stepped outside.
Digger saw the fight as well. He pulled back his arm, aiming a boomerang at Cold's back. Even with the wind, Roy was certain the man wouldn't miss. There wasn't anyway for Roy to warn Cold. Lisa was still inside, trying to capture Nimbus.
Mick was…
Oh thank god.
Mick came up behind Digger and snapped the mercenary's arm in half. Roy couldn't hear the sound of Digger's arm breaking, but he could see the way it moved. The way it turned so unnaturally so quickly. Mick shot a stream of fire at Digger but he ducked and rolled out of the way, switching to his other arm to defend himself.
They didn't have much time, Roy returned to his trek towards Mardon. He only made it a dozen or so feet.
And then Roy heard it. A sound almost completely masked by the wind and the fighting. Masked until it was almost on top of him.
Sirens.
Roy turned quickly to see several cop cars screeching to a halt. The RTF rushed out of their vehicles. They must have realized the Rogues were missing and come early. Or they had seen the tornados and decided to say screw their plan and just rush in.
They were decked out in all their gear. But it wasn't the weather grounding device they held. Or any type of anti-meta weaponry.
They drew their guns. And they aimed them.
But not at the Tricksters, or Digger, or the Reverse Flash.
No. They pointed their guns solely at Mardon.
Roy wouldn't be quick enough. He was still too far away from Mardon. Even if he could make it to him in time, Roy would just be gunned down as well.
Several members of the RTF were wearing reflective shades. He couldn't use his powers to stop them.
Cold had been right.
The RTF wanted to take out Mardon. They finally had an excuse to kill him. And they were going to take it.
Roy tried to yell at Mardon, try to warn his friend of the hail of bullets. Tried to tell him to push them away, to use his powers to save himself.
But Roy's voice was lost in the wind. It never even reached Roy's ears, though he could feel himself screaming.
He heard the shots though. Those were clearer than any other sound. Those somehow penetrated the deafening wind. Whether or not the sound was real, or just provided by his own mind, Roy would never truly know.
No doubt the sound would replay over and over for the rest of his life. Lingering in his mind.
He saw the flashes of the barrels. He couldn't see the bullets, but he knew they were there. Racing towards Mardon, hurried on their path to end his life. Roy couldn't look towards his friend. He kept his eyes focused on the RTF.
Over and over the cops fired. More bullets than were necessary to kill a dozen men. They wanted to be sure. They wanted it to be permanent.
What had happened to the tranquilizer guns they were supposed to carry? To the anti-meta human devices? Cisco's weather grounding device would have stopped Mardon's powers instantly. There was no reason to kill him.
Roy felt himself sneering.
Cops.
The Rogues had saved their lives. Stopped the Trickster from killing them and the RTF repay them by killing Mardon the first chance they got.
Roy had long since learned to control his powers, to not let his emotions, no matter how strong, activate them. But he could feel the rage building up inside of him. He could feel his powers activating against his will. He couldn't control it, his eyes burned red.
He knew it had nothing to do with being so close to the artifact.
He was going to make those cops rip each other to shreds. He was going to make them eat each other's hearts and…
The wind stopped suddenly.
For a moment, it was as if all of the sound in the world had been stripped away. Silence weighed heavily around them.
"That wasn't the plan Lieutenant!"
Roy turned away from the line of cops, their guns now aimed ineffectually at the ground.
The Flash was standing in front of them. The weather grounding device in one hand…and dozens of bullets falling out of the other.
Mardon stood behind him.
Unharmed.
Roy moved quickly, he pushed down his rage trying to focus on calming himself down. He tried breathing slowly. Kept his glasses in place until he was in front of Mark.
In and out. Just breathe in and out.
Mardon couldn't use his powers, but he was still being affected by the artifact. Roy wasn't sure exactly what adding his own influence would do to Mardon's mind, but they really didn't have a choice in the matter.
Roy quickly used his powers on Mark, the other thief's eyes flashed a light blue. Roy saw the necklace, felt his powers flare at being so close to it. He tried to ignore it. He would have to get one of the others to remove it. Roy couldn't risk touching it. Couldn't risk losing control again.
"Mark…can you hear me?"
Mardon's eyes didn't focus on Roy. The man seemed completely unaware of what was happening around him. On how close he came to being shot.
The Flash took a step towards the cops.
"The Rogues are our allies. Captain Singh…"
"Is a fool! They're criminals. They can't be trusted. We are protecting the city by eliminating…"
"Now, now gentlemen, let's not fight! Can't we all just get along?"
James Jesse was standing on top of the RTF Swat truck. Roy had no idea how the older man had managed to get up there without anyone noticing.
Roy quickly searched for Cold, the man was back towards the warehouse entrance. Axel Walker was holding what looked like a rubber chicken towards Snart. Roy could see Cold's mouth moving, the man was trying to talk to the younger Trickster. Why the hell wasn't Cold just shooting the kid?
Mick had an arm around Lisa, she had gained a leg wound at some point in her fight with Nimbus and was limping slightly. They came up behind Roy and Mardon. The Flash stood in front of them.
"Why are you doing this Jesse? Don't you see what the Reverse Flash is doing? He is using you, if his plan succeeds you will die. All of us will die! How is destroying Central City a good trick?"
"My dear boy! It would be the greatest trick of all! A master must be willing to bleed or even die for his craft! Oh think of it, people would never forget it! Oh but you are all so boring. You'll never understand the pure joy of the perfect trick. But soon you will. Now then! Time for the Main Event!"
"How the hell is that squid in the sky not the main event?"
Roy had to agree with Mick, what the hell else could these people possibly throw at them?
A strange distorted voice filled the air.
"Hello Flash."
Oh. Right.
The Reverse Flash.
Roy had forgotten about that asshole for a second.
The Flash took a step forward.
"You won't win. You know you won't."
"Oh I know. I know that things have changed. That I am just a remnant. A leftover from another time, a ghost here to plague you. But if I am to be destined to be nothing more than your enemy, than an obstacle for you to overcome every so often. I fully intend to take advantage of that. I know I don't win. But then, I also know I don't die here and now. You have given me a great power. I am no longer bound by the constraints of time itself. And while that is incredibly freeing, it has also left me with few options. Parallax's power would allow me to change everything, to regain control of my life. My destiny. Once I have it, I will be able to move through the time stream and go wherever I feel like it. My own time. Your past. Nothing will stop me."
Lisa made a small noise, almost like a laugh. Everyone turned and looked at her.
"Does the whole villain monologue thing sound that bad when we do it? Because that was tragic. I didn't hear a single pun. Seriously Flash, can you just take care of this already, I want to go home and wash my hair. I think I can still smell Nimbus in it."
The Flash smirked. The Reverse Flash started to vibrate again.
Having spent so much time around Mardon, Roy had become familiar with the feeling of lightening. The crackle in the air, the shiver in your spine. To know something so fast, so powerful, so unpredictable lingered so close.
When the two Flashes started to run, it was that same feeling. Except it wasn't like lightening in the clouds above, where you could convince yourself it was too far away. Delude yourself into thinking you were safe. This was everywhere at once. It moved and jumped and hit all around them.
Roy grabbed Mardon and pulled him away from the fighting. Lisa and Mick trailed not far behind. Roy turned his head to see Jesse laughing, a cloud of smoke surrounding the RTF. Lisa had taken care of Nimbus. Jesse must have done something to them. Some kind of poison gas by the way the officers were clutching at their throats.
Good.
Let them choke and die.
The four Rogues ducked behind an old rusted delivery truck. Mick reached over and ripped the necklace off of Mardon's neck. The pyro turned his gun on the artifact and melted it on the concrete in front of them. Lisa covered the melted pieces in gold.
"Just to be sure."
Roy hesitantly released Mardon from his power.
"Mark?"
Mark took a moment, his breathing coming in ragged gasps. Finally he raised his eyes from the ground.
"I really, really want to kill that asshole."
They all smirked.
"Here's hoping we get the chance."
Cold suddenly appeared from the other side of the truck. Lisa turned to her brother.
"How's it going out there?"
"Flash wasn't as healed as he said he was. Kid's starting to slow down. Looks like Cisco and Caitlin managed to save the RTF…"
"Pity."
"…although they aren't going to be much use for awhile. Walker's not going to be a problem. Best to leave him out of it. That just leaves Jesse and the Reverse Flash."
"And the squid."
They all looked up. The tornados were gone, but the dark clouds remained. Parallax was still there as well, still slithering just beyond their sight. Enough people in the city must have been scared of the tornados, and with that thing up there, Roy didn't see how they were going to calm people down anytime soon.
"Right. That one might be…"
An explosion rocked a nearby building. Jesse's laughter could be heard above the roar.
Cold turn his gaze to Mardon.
"Your powers?"
"I don't think I could create a light breeze right now."
Cold pulled several guns out of his parka. He also handed him the special earplugs.
"Doing this old school then. Take out Jesse. Quickly. We don't know if Grodd is still trapped in the sewers. Roy I want you to hold back here with Mick."
"What?"
"The Reverse Flash wants you. If he grabs you and gets away he can just summon Parallax again whenever he feels like it. Lisa, get to Cisco and Caitlin, see if they have any ideas on how to get rid of Parallax."
"What about you?"
"I'm going to slow things down a bit."
Roy wanted to bristle at being benched so late in the game, but didn't have the energy. The adrenaline was still running through his veins, but he could feel blood running down his leg. He had definitely reopened his wound at some point. As the others disappeared on their missions, Mick grabbed Roy's arm tightly.
If Roy got taken, Mick was going along for the ride.
Roy heard gunshots and was able to see Mardon tackle Jesse to the ground. Lisa was further away, speaking to Cisco about something. The kid had some kind of metal football looking thing in his hands.
The Flash was suddenly thrown into a wall, the whole building shaking with the impact. Cold was in front of the kid almost immediately. His gun up and raised in the general direction the Reverse Flash would attack from. He moved the gun slowly side to side.
Cold turned his head slightly to the Flash.
"Kid?"
"He's…"
Roy could see the flicker of lightening in the distance. Heading straight for Cold and the Flash. Cold kept his gun aimed at the light. Roy saw Cold pull the trigger repeatedly.
Nothing happened.
No stream of light. No whirring sound of energy.
Nothing.
The Reverse Flash stopped abruptly in front of the pair, only a few feet between them.
The Flash struggled to stand up. Trying to stop the Reverse Flash from killing Snart to get to him.
"Cold get the hell out of here before…"
"Relax kid. He's not going anywhere."
Roy could see it now. The light layer of what looked like frost on the Reverse Flash. The Flash looked stunned.
"How?"
"Made a few adjustments to the gun. Decided it would be a good idea to be able to spread a less localized stream of super cooled air over a wider area. Creates a…"
"Field of absolute zero, so no molecules can move within in. You created a net for…"
"Speedsters yes. Let's pretend I modified the gun recently, specifically to trap him, so that no one's feelings get hurt."
The Flash tried to move, but wasn't able to stand. Cold was staring at the Reverse Flash.
Mick and Roy left the relative safety of the truck and moved towards Cold. Roy could feel the chill in the air, could see his breath in front of him. Roy and the rest of the Rogues had all learned exactly how wide this field of absolute zero was. Learned how to avoid getting too close. It was one thing to see it practiced at the safe house, it was another to see someone trapped inside of it.
"I don't know how long this will last. So…"
Cold changed a few dials on the gun, then pointed it back at the Reverse Flash. His intentions were clear.
"Wait! You can't kill him."
Cold sighed dramatically.
"Don't make me freeze your mouth shut kid. You made your obligatory attempt to stop me, your conscience is clear."
"No. I mean you literally cannot kill him. He's…it's complicated but he's from the future and killing him now mean he can't come back to the past ever again."
Mick snorted.
"Sounds like an obvious reason to kill him."
Flash glared at them. Roy thought Mick had made an excellent point.
"It would be…the past to us as well. He…he sets a lot of things in motion. You kill him, the particle accelerator never explodes. The metahumans never exist. The Rogues never exist. I know you hate him, and want to protect your crew. But if you kill him, then you will lose them in a different way."
Roy thought back to the sewer, of the Reverse Flash telling him that he was never a part of the Rogues. That Roy had died in prison, long before they ever formed. The Rogues would exist eventually, just…not like they were now. They would be different. With different members, and…Roy would be dead.
Roy wondered what would have happened to the other Rogues if the particle accelerator never exploded. Clyde would still be alive. Him and Mark would still be robbing banks, or be back in prison. But they would still be together. Mark would still have his baby brother.
Shawna would still be waiting on her boyfriend to get out of prison. Probably pulling a few small time heists on the side. Never anything violent, never anything that would get her more than a petty theft charge. Never pulling a job that would get her locked up in a tiny box for months on end.
Hartley…Hartley would still have a respectable job. Making a new name for himself. One that had nothing to do with his parents. Kid would probably own half the city by now.
The Snart siblings' lives probably wouldn't have changed much. Still pulling jobs together, though not as frequently as they did now. Mick…god knows where Mick would be. Only reason he came back to Central was because of the heat gun Snart had offered him. He'd still be off on his own, with no one to pull him away from the flames.
Half of the Rogues would have been better off if the particle accelerator had never exploded. The other half…
Roy kept his mouth shut as Cold considered the Flash's words. No doubt the man was also running through the odds. Weighing the pros and cons.
Roy didn't mention his own potential fate.
Whatever Cold decided was best for the Rogues. That was what mattered in the end. What they all signed up for. The Rogues were a family. And that meant putting away your personal desires for the good of the crew.
Cold lowered his weapon slightly.
"We can't just let him go Scarlet."
"We have to. We have to take him back to STAR Labs and send him back to his own time."
"So he can just come back and try to kill us all again?"
"I know, believe me, I know. I…hate him more than you can understand but it's the only way. We have looked at every option. And…this is the only way to keep things the way they should be."
Roy had been focused on the decision in front of him. So he wasn't exactly sure when Lisa, Mardon, Cisco, and Caitlin had joined the conversation. But they were all there. Staring at the frozen statue of the Reverse Flash.
"What about…" Lisa pointed to the sky. Cisco lifted up the metal egg in his hands.
"Oh that, psh. We totally got that handled. I mean an ancient fear god against modern day technology? Please. We had a little help from an…expert on interdimensional travel. It won't take too long to send Cthulhu back to where he belongs. It would go a little quicker if we could get the people of Central to stop being afraid." Cisco turned and looked at Roy. "Do your powers work over tv signals? Cause if we could calm people down for a hot minute that could help a lot. Although you would have to have your powers like maxed out to the extreme to be able to reach that many people and affect them all enough. They don't even really have to be calm, just any emotion that isn't fear. What's the strongest one you can access?"
Roy glanced over to the RTF, stirring slightly on the ground. The sound of bullets ringing out over the wind played in his mind. Roy's powers began to activate behind his shades.
"Rage."
Cisco actually took a step back.
Lisa put a hand on Roy's shoulder. Roy took a breath. His eyes stopped burning.
"Oooo…kay. We will just…not do that, then. I mean, stopping Parallax hardly seems worth it if half the city is ripping each other's faces off. So…"
There was an awkward pause. Even the Flash was looking at Roy strangely. Roy took another calming breath. He watched as several more police cars and ambulances started pulling into the complex.
Back up had finally arrived. Detective West and Captain Singh stepped out of one of the newly arrived cars. Roy idly wondered if they had known what the RTF was going to do. Had they ordered the RTF to kill the Rogues?
Mardon took a step forward and spoke directly to Cold.
"Jesse got away. His damn suit ripped off. So did Walker and Digger. The three of them were heading towards a big truck in the back. Grodd too. Looked like he was still groggy though."
"Yea, how the hell did the three of you take out Grodd?" Cisco was looking at Cold.
"Trade secret kid. You ever decide you want to switch side and join us, I'll let you know."
The young engineer rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. The RTF truck is fitted with anti-meta devices. Once Thawne's in the back, his powers won't work and we can keep him sedated until we get back to Star Labs. If we can…"
Lisa interrupted the man's babbling.
"That sounds suspiciously like hero work Cisco."
The Flash rolled his eyes, while Caitlin helped the Flash to his feet.
"We are going to activate a device that should close the portal that Parallax is coming through. Cisco…"
"Got it." The young man ran back towards the STAR Labs van. Cold raised an eyebrow at the Flash.
"You all seem rather nonchalant about the fear god trying to claw it's way down and kill all of us."
"If the Reverse Flash's plan had worked, Parallax would already be through and the city, and all of us, would be dead. He must not have had enough fear from the people of Central. Parallax is trapped halfway between our world and…wherever the hell he is from. We were able to find a way to close the portal using…"
Cold waved his hand.
"I don't need all the details kid."
The Flash nodded.
"The RTF should be waking up soon. Once they are mobile we can go after the Jesse and the others. Stop them from getting away. They won't be able to get very far."
"Sounds like you should be the one to run that idea by them Scarlet. I'm only going to be able to stop myself from killing people who tried to murder my team so many times tonight."
The Flash didn't seem phased by Cold's words. No doubt the hero was acutely aware of how much the Rogues were holding up their end of the bargain, while the cops hadn't held up theirs. The STAR Labs team hobbled away, leaving the Rogues alone. Mick pointed at the still frozen Reverse Flash.
"We really not killing this guy?"
"Not yet. One day we will. Besides, I want them to think we are cooperating. You said you saw Digger leaving with Walker?"
Mark smirked.
"I might have lied about that a little."
"Good, seeing as the last time I saw him, his legs were frozen to the ground. I assumed he couldn't go anywhere. Mardon and Lisa go get aid from the ambulance…"
Mark took a step forward.
"I want to be there…"
"It will be suspicious if we all disappear at once. Roy, Digger's inside the building on your right, two doors down on the left. Go make sure he doesn't go anywhere. I'll go convince the Flash that we are going to look for clues as to where Jesse and his team have fled to. The rest of us will filter in after a few minutes and then we will finish this."
They split up quietly. Mick following after Cold, and Lisa heading towards the ambulance with Mark. Roy wanted to head for one of the ambulances himself. His adrenaline was finally starting to taper off, and his leg wasn't going to support him for much longer. But he followed Cold's orders and headed back inside.
His steps were slow, measured, as he entered the building. It wasn't hesitation. It was just exhaustion. That was all it was.
Soon this would all be over. Soon he would be able to head back to the safe house and sleep for a week.
There was just one last thing left to do.